So here I was...

[Chris Eilbeck]

.... just pedalling along, minding my own business, when I hear tick
.... tick ... tick, the sort of sound you get when the rubber pips on
new tyres hit the mudguard supports. Everything seems fine so I carry
on. Notice the same thing on the way home the other day too. Think,
ah, I'll have a look at that at the weekend. Check things out, oil
the chain, check pressures, charge lights, remember the occasional
ticking sound. Lift the front wheel, spin it, same sound even with
the axle unloaded so the bearings are probably ok.

This morning I get togged up, set off for work, down the road, first
bend, all well, approaching left junction see oncoming car, indicate
left, brake, hear ticking sound get more insistent, think I must have
picked up a stone, make turn, decide to stop and investigate, stop,
front wheel goes bang, big styleee.

It turns out the inner tube slitting problem I'd been having a couple
of months before xmas was due to the side wall of the tyre splitting
above the bead and things had been progressively worse since until
this morning.

So I walk back home, pull the wheel off and pop it in the car and head
to work. Dropped into the LBS at lunchtime who tell me that shouldn't
have happened even if I am a fat biffer and they'll try to get at
least a refund towards a couple of Marathon Plus from the distributor
(which should turn up next week). Sterling service yet again from
Back On Track Bikes in Malvern.

Chris
--
Chris Eilbeck

[Rob Morley]

In article >, Chris Eilbeck
says...

> It turns out the inner tube slitting problem I'd been having a couple
> of months before xmas was due to the side wall of the tyre splitting
> above the bead and things had been progressively worse since until
> this morning.
>
I'm surprised you didn't see distortion in the tyre if you looked for
the source of the noise. Does the tyre have a chafing strip around the
bead? These have been known to cause problems in some tyres.

[Chris Eilbeck]

Rob Morley > writes:

> In article >, Chris Eilbeck
> says...
>
>> It turns out the inner tube slitting problem I'd been having a
>> couple of months before xmas was due to the side wall of the tyre
>> splitting above the bead and things had been progressively worse
>> since until this morning.
>>
> I'm surprised you didn't see distortion in the tyre if you looked
> for the source of the noise. Does the tyre have a chafing strip
> around the bead? These have been known to cause problems in some
> tyres.

The LBS said the bead was quite odd, not rounded but with a kind of
< > section to the bead rather than ( ).

I ran my fingers around the tyre too when I span it unloaded but I
didn't notice anything odd. I've checked the bead internally too and
there didn't seem to be any splits or broken wires pushing through. I
did this when I switched the tyre from the back to the front at this
group's suggesting to determine if it was the rim or tyre that was at
fault.

Chris
--
Chris Eilbeck

[Buck]

On 01/09/2007 01:21:50 Rob Morley > wrote:

> In article >, Chris Eilbeck
> says...

>> It turns out the inner tube slitting problem I'd been having a couple of
>> months before xmas was due to the side wall of the tyre splitting above
>> the bead and things had been progressively worse since until this
>> morning.

> I'm surprised you didn't see distortion in the tyre if you looked for the
> source of the noise. Does the tyre have a chafing strip around the bead?
> These have been known to cause problems in some tyres.

You should check that the brake pads are not catching the tyre.
--

Buck

I would rather be out on my Catrike

http://www.catrike.co.uk

[Chris Eilbeck]

Buck > writes:

> On 01/09/2007 01:21:50 Rob Morley > wrote:
>
>> I'm surprised you didn't see distortion in the tyre if you looked
>> for the source of the noise. Does the tyre have a chafing strip
>> around the bead? These have been known to cause problems in some
>> tyres.
>
> You should check that the brake pads are not catching the tyre.

Definitely not that. I've spent plenty of time buggering around with
the brakes on this particular bike and they're setup just right.
Should get the new tyres next week and all will be well.

Chris
--
Chris Eilbeck

[al Mossah]

Chris Eilbeck wrote:
> ... just pedalling along, minding my own business, when I hear tick
> ... tick ... tick, the sort of sound you get when the rubber pips on
> new tyres hit the mudguard supports. Everything seems fine so I carry
> on. Notice the same thing on the way home the other day too. Think,
> ah, I'll have a look at that at the weekend. Check things out, oil
> the chain, check pressures, charge lights, remember the occasional
> ticking sound. Lift the front wheel, spin it, same sound even with
> the axle unloaded so the bearings are probably ok.
>
> This morning I get togged up, set off for work, down the road, first
> bend, all well, approaching left junction see oncoming car, indicate
> left, brake, hear ticking sound get more insistent, think I must have
> picked up a stone, make turn, decide to stop and investigate, stop,
> front wheel goes bang, big styleee.
>
> It turns out the inner tube slitting problem I'd been having a couple
> of months before xmas was due to the side wall of the tyre splitting
> above the bead and things had been progressively worse since until
> this morning.
>
> So I walk back home, pull the wheel off and pop it in the car and head
> to work. Dropped into the LBS at lunchtime who tell me that shouldn't
> have happened even if I am a fat biffer and they'll try to get at
> least a refund towards a couple of Marathon Plus from the distributor
> (which should turn up next week). Sterling service yet again from
> Back On Track Bikes in Malvern.
>
> Chris
> --
> Chris Eilbeck

Something similar happened to me on my MTB; I was conscious of change
of sound at each rotation, particularly when using dynamo. (I'd done
about 800 miles on the tyre, which was on the bike at purchase). On
investigating, noticed that tyre seemed to be distorted, but there was
no corresponding distortion in the rim. Took tyre and tube out,
checked for wear, made minor adjustment to spokes to sort out very
minor distortion in rim, replaced tyre and tube, pumped up to 40psi.
Did a quick check and distortion appeared to be less. Not convinced
I'd solved problem, locked garage and went upstairs.

10 minutes later, huge explosion from somewhere beneath me. In the
garage the tyre had a small hole in the side of it just outside the rim
(but not where the dynamo engaged). The tube had extruded itself
through this, and let go in a big way.

I took the tyre back to LBS where I had bought bike and await a refund
when the tyre rep has been in.

Footnote: After the tube let go I went to my local LBS (not the same
one) for a new tyre and tube. Bought a Schwalbe tyre with so-called
puncture-prevention technology. After 20 miles I got a puncture, which
on investigation turrned out to be caused be a 3cm long thin metal
spike sticking out of the tyre at an acute angle. This turned out to
be part of the tyre itself, presumably an element of the
puncture-prevention technology.

This resulted in the one and only time I've had to call out the fourth
emergency service (int his case my daughter) in car to collect me.

Local LBS owner said that this was the first time he'd seen this
happen. Gave me a replacement.

Peter.