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Originally Posted by sean

last year i had a blowout about a mile from the finish of a triathlon. having to ride a rear flat that distance made me feel horrible for what i was doing to my race wheel. it was a sheer blowout with no reason such as a snakebite or some sharp debris, just classic blowout. .

First you have to finish if you want to finish first.

If your tube failed suddenly with a pop, and you have no sign of tire damage, you probably didn't have the bead seated correctly. After you mount the tire, put a little air in the tube (maybe 10 psi ), push up on the valve to make sure that the reinforced part of the tube isn't stuck under the bead. Then use your thumbs with your hands wraped around the tire to pull the tire up and push in slightly. I usually rest the bottom of the wheel aginst my waist as i do this. Work your way around the tire a couple of inches at a time checking that the bead is seated and that the tube isn't caught between the tire and rim. Repeat on the other side. After you are sure that the tire is centered and the bead is seated you can fill it to full pressure.

Unless you are at the point where fractions of a second count, you would probably benefit from the slightly better puncture resistance of butyl.

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