Repeated sidewall blowout: what am I doing wrong

[GazK]

OK, so I had the standard Hutchinson Flash 23mm tyres on my bike
switched for Vittoria cross 28mms, so I could ease in to the comfort
zone. Now I'm getting fitter, I wanted to put the 23 on the back. So I
put the tyre on, get about a mile and a half, and bang! sidewall blowout
(not at the valve) and a nice gash in the tube.

OK, I think, I have forgotten how to seat a tube properly. So I get a
new tube, fit the tyre, semi-inflate the tube, do it by the book, check
all round to see rim tape. Once inflated using my mum's crappy pump, I
ride 20 miles, no bother. Trouble is, the tyre is not inflated fully due
to **** pump.

So, on the way to a meeting today in London, I walk past Evans. Five
minutes later I have a Joe Blow track pump in my hand.

Just went and pumped up to the recommended 100psi, taking the hose off,
and bang! sidewall gone again, only this time at the valve.

So is it:

a) my inability to fit a tyre and tube
b) a weakness in Hutchinson Flash sidewalls
c) the wrong tube (standard H******s 23-28mm)
d) the demons out to get me?

This is getting costly as I have now run out of slicks!

TIA


Gaz

 

[GazK]

GazK wrote:
> OK, so I had the standard Hutchinson Flash 23mm tyres on my bike
> switched for Vittoria cross 28mms, so I could ease in to the comfort
> zone. Now I'm getting fitter, I wanted to put the 23 on the back. So I
> put the tyre on, get about a mile and a half, and bang! sidewall blowout
> (not at the valve) and a nice gash in the tube.
>
> OK, I think, I have forgotten how to seat a tube properly. So I get a
> new tube, fit the tyre, semi-inflate the tube, do it by the book, check
> all round to see rim tape. Once inflated using my mum's crappy pump, I
> ride 20 miles, no bother. Trouble is, the tyre is not inflated fully due
> to **** pump.
>
> So, on the way to a meeting today in London, I walk past Evans. Five
> minutes later I have a Joe Blow track pump in my hand.
>
> Just went and pumped up to the recommended 100psi, taking the hose off,
> and bang! sidewall gone again, only this time at the valve.
>
> So is it:
>
> a) my inability to fit a tyre and tube
> b) a weakness in Hutchinson Flash sidewalls
> c) the wrong tube (standard H******s 23-28mm)
> d) the demons out to get me?
>
> This is getting costly as I have now run out of slicks!
>
> TIA
>
>
> Gaz

PS I ought to mention that both tyres had slight radial bulges where the
valve was. Does this mean the bead was on the tube? And if so, how do
you stop it with such narrow tyres? Never had 23s before.

 

[bob watkinson]

GazK wrote:
> GazK wrote:
> > OK, so I had the standard Hutchinson Flash 23mm tyres on my bike
> > switched for Vittoria cross 28mms, so I could ease in to the comfort
> > zone. Now I'm getting fitter, I wanted to put the 23 on the back. So I
> > put the tyre on, get about a mile and a half, and bang! sidewall blowout
> > (not at the valve) and a nice gash in the tube.
> >
> > OK, I think, I have forgotten how to seat a tube properly. So I get a
> > new tube, fit the tyre, semi-inflate the tube, do it by the book, check
> > all round to see rim tape. Once inflated using my mum's crappy pump, I
> > ride 20 miles, no bother. Trouble is, the tyre is not inflated fully due
> > to **** pump.
> >
> > So, on the way to a meeting today in London, I walk past Evans. Five
> > minutes later I have a Joe Blow track pump in my hand.
> >
> > Just went and pumped up to the recommended 100psi, taking the hose off,
> > and bang! sidewall gone again, only this time at the valve.
> >
> > So is it:
> >
> > a) my inability to fit a tyre and tube
> > b) a weakness in Hutchinson Flash sidewalls
> > c) the wrong tube (standard H******s 23-28mm)
> > d) the demons out to get me?
> >
> > This is getting costly as I have now run out of slicks!
> >
> > TIA
> >
> >
> > Gaz
>
> PS I ought to mention that both tyres had slight radial bulges where the
> valve was. Does this mean the bead was on the tube? And if so, how do
> you stop it with such narrow tyres? Never had 23s before.

Did it happen under braking? Check your brake blocks aren't rubbing
your tyre when you brake

 

[George Sproat]

"GazK" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> GazK wrote:
>> OK, so I had the standard Hutchinson Flash 23mm tyres on my bike switched
>> for Vittoria cross 28mms, so I could ease in to the comfort zone. Now I'm
>> getting fitter, I wanted to put the 23 on the back. So I put the tyre on,
>> get about a mile and a half, and bang! sidewall blowout (not at the
>> valve) and a nice gash in the tube.
>>
>> OK, I think, I have forgotten how to seat a tube properly. So I get a new
>> tube, fit the tyre, semi-inflate the tube, do it by the book, check all
>> round to see rim tape. Once inflated using my mum's crappy pump, I ride
>> 20 miles, no bother. Trouble is, the tyre is not inflated fully due to
>> **** pump.
>>
>> So, on the way to a meeting today in London, I walk past Evans. Five
>> minutes later I have a Joe Blow track pump in my hand.
>>
>> Just went and pumped up to the recommended 100psi, taking the hose off,
>> and bang! sidewall gone again, only this time at the valve.
>>
>> So is it:
>>
>> a) my inability to fit a tyre and tube
>> b) a weakness in Hutchinson Flash sidewalls
>> c) the wrong tube (standard H******s 23-28mm)
>> d) the demons out to get me?
>>
>> This is getting costly as I have now run out of slicks!
>>
>> TIA
>>
>>
>> Gaz
>
> PS I ought to mention that both tyres had slight radial bulges where the
> valve was. Does this mean the bead was on the tube? And if so, how do you
> stop it with such narrow tyres? Never had 23s before.

Sounds like the valve was trapped between the bottom of the rim and the
beads of the tyre.

I always put a little air into the tube before fitting to the wheel, this
reduces the posibilty of trapping the tube between rim and the tyre bead, a
couple of pump strokes are all that will be required for a 23mm tyre. Having
fitted the tyre, push the valve stem up into the tyre. With a narrow rim
and a 23mm tyre its easy to trap the valve between the bottom of the rim
well and the tyre beads. Finally check that the tyre bead is sitting
correctly on the rim before inflating to the final pressure.

Geo

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, GazK
('[email protected]') wrote:

> GazK wrote:
>> OK, so I had the standard Hutchinson Flash 23mm tyres on my bike
>> switched for Vittoria cross 28mms, so I could ease in to the comfort
>> zone. Now I'm getting fitter, I wanted to put the 23 on the back. So I
>> put the tyre on, get about a mile and a half, and bang! sidewall
>> blowout (not at the valve) and a nice gash in the tube.
>
> PS I ought to mention that both tyres had slight radial bulges where
> the valve was. Does this mean the bead was on the tube?

Yes

> And if so, how
> do you stop it with such narrow tyres? Never had 23s before.

Pump a little air into the tube - not much, just enough to round it out
nicely - before you get the second bead back over the rim. Then, when
you have done so, push the valve in. Then inflate normally.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Anagram: I'm soon broke.

 

[[email protected]]

> Did it happen under braking? Check your brake blocks aren't rubbing
> your tyre when you brake

No, one happened on the road, no braking, the other happened on my
garage wall (!). Brakes are fine. I am carrying out a thorough rim
inspection tonight, followed by fitting the 28 using the methods
detailed here. Then I will go and cough up for a decent 23 tyre, and
pray.