ok guys... ive developed my first road racing fear.
i have been riding now for 3 months, i went to my first road race the other week, and spectated a race for the first time.
The race was a small circuit, only 1 km, but there were 40 laps.
Within the race, i saw 3 guys fall unexpectadly due to their tires popping.. i never imagined it to happen like that.
since then, whenever i am riding fast or really giving all i got, i cannot get the thought out of my head that my tire will burst, sending me crashing to the road!
Is it common like that for tires to just pop?! is there anything i can do to prevent that from happening?
That sounds a little extreme, before most races the circuit is inspected for debris such as glass, nails etc. Was the course not smooth? Any ruts or cracks in the road? That could explain it.
i dont know.. the race is not smooth all over, and there definatly would have been ruts/cracks in the road..
im not in any races my self, i was just wondering if this should be a concern when im riding on the road.. as we all know city roads are not all perfect.
it just sketched me out.. how many people here have fallen due to a popped tire?
Three racers in one crit?, sounds like a course issue for sure. I've even seen start line blowouts from riders really pushing the pressure limits. The rider proximity of racing may have made the crashes more likely, since any unexpected movement by another rider could be magnified in a tight group. Most crashes from flats / blowouts are avoidable if you keep your head, don't over react, and don't use the brake associated with flat tire. Try and keep the bars straight and stop in a controlled manner using the unaffected brake. Check your tires before, (during if you can) and after each ride for correct pressure and nicks and cuts. Replace tires that show excessive wear, bulges or cuts through the casings. Err on the side of caution if you're worried. The thing is, most rider's will go down sometime, especially if you race. Bike riding has risks, all you can do is minimize them by practicing your bike handling, being aware of your surroundings, and maintaining your equipment. Trust me, skin grows back!
Three racers in one crit?, sounds like a course issue for sure. I've even seen start line blowouts from riders really pushing the pressure limits. The rider proximity of racing may have made the crashes more likely, since any unexpected movement by another rider could be magnified in a tight group. Most crashes from flats / blowouts are avoidable if you keep your head, don't over react, and don't use the brake associated with flat tire. Try and keep the bars straight and stop in a controlled manner using the unaffected brake. Check your tires before, (during if you can) and after each ride for correct pressure and nicks and cuts. Replace tires that show excessive wear, bulges or cuts through the casings. Err on the side of caution if you're worried. The thing is, most rider's will go down sometime, especially if you race. Bike riding has risks, all you can do is minimize them by practicing your bike handling, being aware of your surroundings, and maintaining your equipment. Trust me, skin grows back!
Well said overall. Also, racers tend to use the ut-most in lightweight everything, especially anything wheel related , no tire liner, etc... however higher performance tires tend to have higher TPI, multiple casings- which is a good thing + .
