Not a smart choice

K

Kep1a

Guest
Well let me start by saying I should have known better.

I knew the flat tire thing was going to be a bummer if I got one while too far from home. I ordered thorn proof tubes, tuffe tire liners and put tire slime in the tubes and installed Velox rim tape. I did my wife's bike front and rear but just had time to get only my rear done. I figured the rear was the worst one and I do Carry a patch kit in my back pack.

Well on my way home from work at 3am I got a flat on the front. To say It was disastrous is an understatement. You see the seam in the Tube split. It went from air to flat in a nanosecond at twenty plus miles per hour. The tire flopped side to side on the rim and became almost impossible to control. If I used the rear brake it was worse. I slid my body back over the rear tire and slowed with only the throttle and did my best to keep it going some what straight. When I got to less than 5 miles per hour the tire violently would bunch up and flop side to side with literally no delay between swapping sides of the rim.

I got down to under 2 mph and the tire bunched up and acted as if I was applying a brake to only one side of the fork. It turned the tire abruptly right and I steered it left but to my horror the stem turned in the fork. Over I started to go with the handle bar trapping my left leg against the fuel tank. I caught myself with my hands a hung there like I was going to do a push up with a half twist. I tried to determine how to get free of the handle bar and my whizzer and finaly wiggled my way out.

I had no injuries other than where the compression release lever on the handle bar drug down my leg causing a scrape 8 to 10 inches long going down my left thigh.

I am telling you this story so you will not need to learn the hard way like I did. I hope that you may learn from my error.

  1. Use a thorn proof tube at a minimum
  2. Use Tuffe tire liners
  3. Use a new proper sized cloth rim tape (Velox)
  4. Consider tire slime
  5. DO IT NOW DO NOT DELAY

Consider better quality tires and ensure your stem is tight and will not slip when you hold the tire between your legs and turn the bars. Yes test it do not consider the allen bolt to be tight enough to be OK. My bolt seemed tight enough but took a full turn to lock the bars solid.

I was very lucky and only scraped my leg, scuffed the tac housing, edge of the front fender and edge of the left brake lever. I did not break or damaged anything else. I did not even scuff myself on the pavement since I was effectively stopped when I went over.

Learn the easy way, from my stupidity!
Kep1a


PS: I am going to try the new airless tires. I read about some that are being tested to be DOT certified for motorcycles and cars. I called the manufacturer and even spoke with the owner Kai. I found out they have these available for bikes now. I ordered them and will report back my findings.
 
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thank you Kep1a --- for reminding us --- to be ready at all times --- blowout !!

sometimes while riding down this mountain with next to no bike lane
cars and buses are passing very close at high speeds
there was a thread around here about threading the needle - someTHING like that
stating that those known dangerous riding places
become better in time -- as we ride them more -- riding experience gains

I am not very sure about that
this mountain riding scares the heck out of me
and if I would have a blow out such as you explained -- MAY BE A KILLER

my first crash on a motor bike was at the age of 6 or 7
7 1/2 hp -- over the handle bars at 35 or 40 mph
woke up some minutes later my grandfather said

as you did -- we got to walk away -- that's always a blessing

have fun as you ride that THING
 
Kep,

Glad ya got er shut down, as well as you did! (minimal injury & damage....coulda been really bad)

Thanks for posting this "Wake Up Call".
Lots of good points to think about!!

I am copying this thread to "General Discussion" as these issues effect ALL of us & not just the Whizzer riders

thanks again, Kep... & glad you are ok!!
 
OK Folks,
I believe my tube was rotten and was likely the cause of the failure. I can tear the tube with little effort or stretch. This is not how a rubber tube should react to being stretched or pulled. My wake up call to the real hazards of a flat tire motivated me to look for a solution that would be fool proof.

I ordered the solid urethane tires 26 X 1.95 all terrain tires on Friday. I will give it some time to tests them before I report my findings. I will also post pictures before and after I mount them. Price was $33.60 plus shipping and $2 for the installation tool. I doubt the tool is needed but I ordered it just to be sure.

They told me that they ride like a 55 psi firm rubber tire and I can expect about 6000 miles of tread life. The tread is not the limit of wear however. You can run the tire much longer than that if diameter and the disappearance of tread is not an issue for you since the material is the same all the way through.

They have 16", 20", 24", 26" and 700c for bikes. all but the 700c have 3 tread and two width sizes (1.75, 1.95 in ribbed, all terrain and knobby)

I am very hopeful that these tires work out. My blow out was very scary and I want to avoid the possibility of another incident if at all possible. My fingers are crossed.

Kep1a
 
Can you post a link to these solid tires? I have heard good things.

I also had a flat a couple days back.... I had to push my bike the last 2 blocks home....coulda been worse!
 
I looked into them for my motorized road bike. Saw a lot of complaints about the feel. It was described as running on slightly flat tires. Not a trait I wanted in a bike. I hope your experience proves otherwise, because it sounds like a "solid" idea.

Randy
 
personaly never used them because im afraid they will grow with speed, diameter, i hit 47mph+ regularly on one hill going down and if a tire came off the rimm at that speed i dont think my DOT helmet will save the rest of me. will they grow?
hill climber
 
hey you all -- motor bike riders

Large Filipino has a thread regarding solid tires ----- No More NoMoreFlats

might wish to check it out --- pretty interesting

ride that THING on good tires

I think those "no more flats" are solid tubes, that go inside tires.
 
Regardless, Kep1a's comment about going at least to a thorn-proof is very sound advice. I went to a thorn-proof on my rear tire after two flats in a month's time. Changing out a tube on a Whizzer's back tire is a bit more complicated than it is with either of my HT-engined bikes, so I went to the thorn-proof there.
But making sure that you minimize the chance of a catastrophic blowout on the front tire is indeed sage advice. A blowout on the rear is an annoyance and an inconvenience. A blowout on the front that could cause loss of control can be far worse than an inconvenience. This is another thing to add to my winter "To Do" list.
 
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