On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 20:37:59 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction
Bicycles" wrote:

This morning my nice new thorn resistant tube blew out through the
sidewall just above the bead of bad tire. Upon examination it looks
like just an 1/8 inch tear in the tube. I read some place that
patching a tube after a sidewall blow out is not a good idea since the
surrounding rubber often has undergone extreme stress. There is no
sign of chafing just the small tear from the burst. Anyone have any
luck patching this kind of blow out?

There's generally not enough material to support the load of a patch when
the cut is low on the sidewall. A sidewall patch requires a fair amount of
space on all sides, to spread out the stress and keep it from trying to blow
back out through the hole.

You need to examine the area closely to see what caused the failure, since a
cut that low can sometimes be from a brake pad hitting the tire and wearing
through it. It can also be an indication of riding on too-low air pressure
or bottoming out the tire on a nasty bump (or a combination of the two).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

Thanks! I don't plan on reusing the tire since the casing appears
rotted around the bead. The tube blew through the sidewall casing
above the bead and rim. The rest of the sidewall appears weak and
there is some dark stain on the inside of the casing as if rust from
the bead had leeched through. I will patch and go on the tube.