Tires explosions are not common at least for bikes but they are not rare as well and there are always some signs that there is a chance that they can explode.
That’s why I wanted to write an article on the subject because in some instances they can be dangerous to you or your bike.
Here are 13 reasons why bike Tires Explode or can Explode if you are not careful and Some Clear Signs if you see these patterns on your tire better Think of changing them.
damaged tire casing :
Tire casing problems are common and there are 2 main things that you will notice if the tire casing is ripped from the inside if you are facing problems with tire casing getting punctured quite often that’s the other problem it’s mainly on you most of the time and I will explain why.
There are 2 major signs when the tire casing gets ripped from within and it might be on the brink of explosion or total failure and rapid degrading.
- tire wobbling (but the rim is trued and working fine).
- air bubble in the casing of the tire.
These are the signs that maybe the tire casing may be damaged and the best way to fix is to return it if the tire has a warranty left don’t conduct experiments on it and do not show it to a mechanic as well and in often cases the mechanic will tell you the same thing as well.
One other scenario is tire getting pinch flats far too quite often almost every other day, if this is happening then there can be 2 problems as well.
- Either you are overweight for the tire
- or a new tire with bad material from the developer.
If you are a heavy rider and you bought a single casing tire (High TPI tire) then it would explain frequent punctures and the tire will soon reach a point that it will either blow out or just start to degrade or lose air far too quiet often and become unrideable.
I actually did an article on What makes a wheel stronger More & thicker spokes or better material
The other problem could be that the error was with the manufacturer either the material somehow got too thin or low-quality material got mixed or the tires you bought were maybe dirt cheap and it wasn’t a reputable brand, In those cases, if you have the option of getting a refund do that remember not to do anything to your tires on your own.
Because most brands won’t accept their products if they have been tampered with.
over-inflation of tires :
In most cases usually, the tire’s rundown casings or with an extremely thin casing carcass left do explode when they are over-inflated.
Normally a new tire wouldn’t explode under normal circumstances if you overinflated a tire and tried to ride it would either just pop out on its own or it would pop out when you try riding them and in both cases this is dangerous.
But on the other hand, tubes can do the same as well but they tend to pop out a lot quicker than tubeless tires.
Another disadvantage or drawback of an over-inflating tire would be that it would flex a lot and it will leave its original elasticity like a rubber band and it would often seat off the rim and burp quite often.
Extreme heat :
Extreme heat can cause a tire to either stretch out or blow out by extreme heat I don’t mean whether while wether is a part of it but over riding a bike tire in hot weather can cause it to blow out while riding for hours on end braking a lot and weathers conditions a lot of heat can accommodate in the rims of the tire and transfer into the tire from there and it can cause a tire to blow out or stretch it out.
An old tire with a worn-out casing is more vulnerable to blow out than a new tire but non the less it can happen to new tires as well, especially in the case of mountain and road bikes which are equipped with disc brakes which tend to get hot pretty quickly and heat doesn’t have enough room to disperse in the atmosphere or into the ground.
damaged rim :
A damaged rim can cause a tire to blow out as well, to be specific a tire rim that has a sharp edge can penetrate through the tubes and tire and can make them lose air rapidly, and under a strong jerk by a pothole or something can make the tires blow out.
sudden jerk :
When tires are overinflated and the tire casing is also on the brink of collapse or the tires that you use are pretty cheap there can be instances or chances that the tire can blow out.
Usually, spokes would be the first to break under a sudden jerk or accident but it can turn the other way around and tires can blow out as well.
wear and tear of the tire :
Most people take the wear and tear of tires too lightly, if the tire is showing signs of a lot of wear and tire to the extent the cracks in tires are showing you run the risk of blowing that tire.
The tire is under so many forces and heats that it might not hold very well, Cracks in the tires appear because of storing tires long term in deflated condition or because just of the age of the tire, and if you see tires showing white caulk on them its time to change the tires.
White caulk appearing on the tire shows its rapid decomposition and the tire may not last very long, you may get away riding it short-term on roads or flat surfaces but it wouldn’t do good on the off-road it would just keep losing air or even blow out.
excessive load :
Excessive load or weight is a major reason for tires to blow out and for good reasons as well, If you are using a tire that is not even close to the weight limit that you put on it or your own weight you are just asking it to blow out.
Under heavyweight if the tire is listed not to support it, it would wear and tear much faster, tires are also rated on which surfaces they are good for if you run hybrid tires or road tires offroad it won’t hold much those tires are really slim and are often single casing.
For offroad like mountain bikes, tires are usually double casing so that they can support the extra forces from sudden jerks, load shifts, and rocks and roots a tire made for on-road use or hybrid use is usually made for flat surfaces or for surfaces that do not put much strain on the tires using those kinds of tires under excessive load are just asking the tires to blow out or the rims will deform beyond repair.
tire defects :
tire defects can be subdivided into two parts.
- Manufacturer error
- bad maintenance
Tires can sometimes have defects when they are made either the casing is really thin or due to bad tire design, Tho most brands do issue a warranty to users so that these kinds of mishaps can be avoided.
The other thing is the riders tempering or experimenting with the tires that can lead to tire defects and that in turn can make the tire really weak from one spot and that can have devastating effects like a tire exploding from that weak spot or just becoming useless.
If you use a tire to see what’s inside or you want to conduct some other experiments it’s best that you use used tires that are already useless and never ride them either as well.
Once you shave off the upper layer of the tire you will see threads exposed those are TPI usually people would consider them as casing as well but they are not tire casing at all those are meant to provide the tires with flexibility rather than protection and they are weak.
Once you remove the casing that tire part becomes more prone to thorns and rocks you should not ride such tires because they will not hold air for much longer or the threads will get torn and such tire will become useless in no time.
lower tread depth :
To understand this better as I mentioned tire is divided into a lot of sub-layers of different things the upper layer is the casing and going below that layer is the TPI(fiber threads) and then come the other layers which can be the butyl rubber layer to give the tire a smooth surface on the inside TPI is sandwiched between these layers and if the upper layer the casing is really thin and you are using the tires for off-roading or using them very roughly the tires become vulnerable to pinch flats and even blowing out.
visible cuts and cracks on side walls :
Visible cracks in the tires appear due to long-term use of the tires or due to excessive climate changes like excess heat and cold when you store your bike the wrong way (leaving it in sun or out in cold winter) cracks and cuts start appearing on the tires and they can make the tires become useless pretty fast.
I actually did an article on How sun affects mountain bike tires & covering it would be worse
Just to cover this really important topic and I conducted the experiment on my own bike that you will see in that article.
Conclusion :
There are a million ways things can go wrong with your tires making them more prone to flats and even blowing out but there are always visible signs before that make sure that you address the problem as soon as possible if you can’t do that or just don’t have the time to do it then replace them that’s the best course of action that you can take and save yourself a lot of trouble with it.