PSI + Heat = POW!

Sunday morning Donna and I went on a bash, a bicycle trail put on by a club we belong to.

Couldn't take the pressure, apparently . . .
Couldn't take the pressure, apparently . . .

The bash started and ended at a friend’s house in NW Tucson, and after it was over we had a barbecue on his patio. As we were talking and grilling there was a huge POW!, almost as if someone had fired a pistol.

I hate to think what might have happened if someone had fired a pistol, because none of us had the presence of mind to duck behind something or hit the deck . . . we just stood around like idiots, asking each other “What was that?”

That, upon investigation, turned out to be Donna’s rear tire.  Before we left for the bash that morning I’d pumped it up to 105 psi, not thinking about the conditions we’d soon be riding in: 100+ degree temperatures and ten or more miles on black asphalt.  In fact, trail was more like twelve miles long, so the air in Donna’s tire must have expanded quite a bit.  As you can see, it forced its way out, as over-pressurized air must do.  Too bad they can’t design a Shrader valve that incorporates a pressure relief function!

One new tire and one new tube later, Donna’s back on the road, and for the rest of the summer, 95 psi is my limit!

Leave a Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge