# Tube explodes when installing tire



## redline09 (Nov 21, 2009)

Hey everyone,
While installing a new set of tires on my road bike, I have been stopped in my tracks by exploding tubes on the front wheel, a Ksyrium Equipe with Michelin ProRace 3 tires.
I have changed mountain bike tires, and some road bike tires, for many years with no difficulties -- always making sure the tubes aren't pinched and nothing is poking through the rim strip to cause a flat.
In this case, I can't see anything that's causing the tube to pop.
The tube that was in the original tire was fine until I changed the tire. Then it popped with a loud bang when pumped up to about 120 psi.
The second tube, a different brand, popped when it reached about 80 psi while being blown up with the same bicycle floor pump.
Both tubes seem to have failed in different places. One has a small puncture and a large rip, several inches in length. The other tube seems to have ripped open without sign of a puncture, although it could be there and I am not seeing it. 
This is very strange. The ProRace 3 went on easy. I inflated the tire/tube slowly, allowing it to settle a little at about 40 psi and then continuing inflation until the tube exploded with a bang. 
Any advice on solving this problem, before I ruin a third tube, is greatly appreciated. 
Many thanks for your help with this!


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Check the rim tape. The same thing kept happening to me. Ka-blam! Then I noticed that my rim tape had torn over a spoke hole. I put on new tape. No more ka-blam.


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## cyclust (Sep 8, 2004)

Bad rim tape will cuase flats, but I doubt it will cause it to explode. After you have the tube and tire mounted, push the tire in as you work your way around the rim to make sure there is no tube exposed. Also, push the valve stem up into the rime to make sure it is seated properly as well. Exploding tubes are almost always the result of the tube not being fully inside the tire before inflation.


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## Town Drunk (Jan 15, 2007)

sometimes its not a puncture from a spoke tip or thorn (yes I started with a mountain bike as well) but a void the tube is trying to fill. I lost 2 of the continental race lite tubes to a small hole in the sidewall of my tire before i found it. Also when you put the tire on always align something to the valve stem. I always put the psi inflation pressure at the stem to help locate thorns and such in the tire when looking for problems.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> The ProRace 3 went on easy.


This phrase jumped out at me. If the tire went on easily, it suggests that tire-rim combo has a little looser fit than usual. that means you have to be very careful to get the tire bead seated properly all the way around before full inflation. An explosion like yours usually means the tire pushed off the rim somewhere and allowed the tube to escape. 



> I inflated the tire/tube slowly, allowing it to settle a little at about 40 psi and then continuing inflation until the tube exploded with a bang.


You probably need to do more than "let it settle". Stop at about 20 pounds and inspect the bead placement, squeezing and pushing to get it even all around. Repeat at 40, again at 60. If the bead starts moving up anywhere, deflate to 20 or so and start over.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Classic install failure*



redline09 said:


> I have been stopped in my tracks by exploding tubes on the front wheel, Both tubes seem to have failed in different places. One has a small puncture and a large rip, several inches in length. The other tube seems to have ripped open without sign of a puncture, although it could be there and I am not seeing it.


The large rip is a classic sign that the tire was not properly seated on the rim when the pressure was raised. The tube crept out from under the unseated tire bead and popped like a party balloon. As others have noted, put 20 psi in the tire and then carefully inspect all the way around to insure that the tire is fully and evenly seated. There is often a small rib on the tire sidewall that you can use to insure that the bead is in place. The only other possibility is a failed tire, but that is very unlikely.


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## Nielly (Sep 21, 2009)

Had this happen once when I changed a tube out on the road. I didn't take my time and ended up pinching the tube under the tire bead on install. It didn't blow up that day because I used my little hand pump to infllate and the pressure was a little low. The next day I inflated the tire as per my usual with the floor pump. Made it about a mile before the tube blew up. Sounded like a gun went off and blew the tire right off the rim.


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## redline09 (Nov 21, 2009)

Problem solved! And, yes, it was an issue of the tire not being seated properly on the rim. Road bike tires, it seems, are more fussy about this than mountain bike tires.
Wow, this forum is fantastic. I learned a lot from ALL of you, and I sincerely appreciate it. Ride safe.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

redline09 said:


> Problem solved! And, yes, it was an issue of the tire not being seated properly on the rim. Road bike tires, it seems, are more fussy about this than mountain bike tires.


Yup, that's the trick. Fixing a flat on a MTB is a cake walk, especially compared to most road tires.


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## barelfly (Nov 7, 2008)

haha. I had this happen to me - twice on the same night! trying to teach my wife how to change a tire when she got her new bike....made me look like I knew what I was doing!


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

Glad you found the problem. When I install new tubes/tires, I check all the way around both sides of the tire to be sure that none of the tube is pinched between the tire and rim tape before I put any air in it. If it is, that will definitely cause the type of failure you mention........trust me, that's how I learned that little trick. Checking the seating of the bead with 20-30 lbs of air in the tube is also a good idea to be sure the bead properly seated before airing it up to riding pressures.


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