What Causes Tire Blowout Bicycle Accidents?

California’s sunny, warm weather and scenic views make bicycling an enjoyable, popular activity throughout the entire state. However, bicycle tire blowouts are a scary experience that can put an end to the enjoyment and cause serious injuries.

When a tire explodes, the rider is usually thrown from their bicycle and an accident occurs. The bicycle goes from easy to handle to incredibly difficult to control, and a resulting accident creates a high potential for catastrophic injuries both to the rider and sometimes even to others traveling on the road around them. If you or a loved one has been injured by a bicycle tire blowout accident, speak to an experienced Calabasas personal injury attorney to see if you may be entitled to compensation.

What Causes Bicycle Tire Blowouts?

There are several common causes of bicycle tire blowouts, but they all have the same damaging result for riders. When a tire takes on some much damage it loses all its air at once, a blowout occurs. Faulty tire installation, over-inflating tires, and purchasing poor quality tires all raise the risk of blowouts and leave riders and others on the roads susceptible to injury due to the sudden loss of control.

The most common cause of blowouts is when a rider using clincher wheels begins the descent of a long hill land repeatedly uses their brakes. This continued brake usage can heat the tire rims to the point that the temperature of the tube inside the rim also elevates. Due to the rise in temperature, the tube expands – often to the point the tire explodes and blows off the rim of the bicycle. It’s been found that carbon fiber clincher rims are more vulnerable to blowouts than aluminum rims.

Why are Carbon Rims More Dangerous Than Aluminum Rims?

Carbon fiber rims are lighter than aluminum rims, and many riders will use them in conjunction with latex tubes to make their bicycles as light as possible. Unfortunately, this combination is hazardous and can produce disastrous results for riders descending long, steep grades and braking repeatedly to control their speed. Carbon clincher rims can transfer heat to the thinner latex tubes and cause them to explode or bulge to the point of deformity.

The combination of a blowout and a steep hill downgrade spell disaster for unfortunate, unsuspecting Southern California bicyclists. Though advancing technology has corrected many carbon rim issues, cyclists using older carbon rims are till at risk. If you have one of these wheelsets, it’s wise not to use lightweight latex tubes with them and avoid riding roads with a long, steep descent.

What Injuries Result When a Tire Blowout Occurs?

It’s no surprise that an unexpected blowout can cause serious injuries when a sudden loss of control results in an accident. Riders commonly report:

• Back and neck injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Dental injuries
• Lacerations
• Internal injuries
• Wrist and hand injuries.

These injuries can cause problems and consequences that last a lifetime. To maximize recovery and properly document all your injuries, it’s important to seek medical treatment and contact a skilled Calabasas bike accident lawyer at Walch Law. Our talented team of attorneys have been helping bike accident victims get the most money for the accident for over 45 years. It only takes one call!