How hard is it to control an e-bike when the front tire blows?
Posted by Adventurous-Fig4263@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 27 comments
Twice I have had tires with pinhole leaks go completely flat overnight (ie I got home without even knowing I had a leaky tire). When walking the bike from the garage to a spot I could work on it, the tire was all wobbly and was trying to come off the rim. This got me thinking about what would it be like if the front tire blew at 30+ km/hr. Would it be easy to come to a controlled stop or is it challenging? I assume many people on this reddit have experienced it.
I imagine there's more control if the rear goes.
My ebike is around 80lb with 27.5x3 tires.
trtsmb@reddit
I can't say that I've ever experienced a front tire blowout on any bike but I'm obsessive about checking my tires.
mikep120001@reddit
In 3 yrs, I’ve had 2 front flats and probably significantly more in the rear. Most of your weight is in the rear. After getting tannus armor my flats have all but stopped.
TurnkeyLurker@reddit
Thank you for the recommendation. I looked up, and found another testimony:
I'm adding this to my wish list. 😀
mikep120001@reddit
You’re welcome, it’s paid for itself many times over in replacement tube costs. The first install can be tricky. I found zip ties helped a bit to hold everything together. After you’ve rode on it a while it’ll keep its form and changes are easier but I’m honestly changing tires more than tubes now.
Temporary-Film-7374@reddit
I know that, at least on motorcycles, the lore is that the front tire will kick up something that was laying flat on the ground and then it'll go into the rear.
I can't say if this is true, but I can say that rear flats are significantly more common.
HG1998@reddit
You'll crash. There's no saving when the front tire goes.
dickpics4democracy@reddit
or you could learn how to come to a controlled stop with the rear brake while keeping your shit upright, but go on about how front blowouts are impossible to recover from
derping1234@reddit
Ive had a tyre blow up doing 20 km/h on my non electric bikes this tyre was old and should have been replaced a long time ago. This was the one and only time this happened in over 30 years of cycling. I was surprised, but managed to simply come to a stop and continued walking the bike.
hezuschristos@reddit
With a sudden and complete blowout I’d imagine you’d find it very exciting.
That said is this a real problem that happens to people? I’ve been riding bikes on and off road or 20+ years and never encounter this happening to anyone.
celeste_ferret@reddit
Consider yourself lucky if you've never run over a big piece of glass or metal shard, or hit a pothole large enough to flat the tire.
hezuschristos@reddit
Flat tire and sudden explosive blowout causing loss of control are two very different things. Lots of flats in my day, mostly before tubeless, but my commuter bike has $30 Amazon tires and super shitty tubes and I have never once had my tire explosively flat out on me. Have you?
celeste_ferret@reddit
Yes, I've hit things that have caused an immediate loss of air pressure. But no, I don't fill the tires with hydrogen or acetylene, so they haven't exploded.
hezuschristos@reddit
You should try it. “Premium Air” they call it
Superb_Raccoon@reddit
Not on front, but had the rear fail. The bead separated on a new tire.
All air gone in a split second.
Pretend_Editor_4447@reddit
fr
I get flats all the time, but never anything I'd call a "blowout".
Quercus408@reddit
Unless it literally explodes, you'll be fine. You'll be pedaling along, having a great time, and then you'll hit a weird bump and ask yourself, "Why does it feel like I'm pedaling through sand?" And the flat tire will be your answer.
ArmchairPancakeChef@reddit
What a stoopid question. go away.
TopRepulsive4766@reddit
Depending on your riding skills, you might crash from a front tyre blowout. I've had them before at fairly high speeds and only barely avoided biffing it.
More often however, the tyre loses pressure more slowly and you can come to a controlled stop.
syntheticassault@reddit
I had a rapid flat on my front tire this weekend, but it wasn't a blowout. It was also on a regular bike. A tiny piece of metal punctured the tire at 20 mph. It felt like a pothole when the rim hit the ground. I stopped normally, put in a new tube, and carried on my ride.
Joose__bocks@reddit
I've only had slow flats and it feels like you're starting to ride on ice. You'll sort of slide left and right until the tire goes completely flat.
Adventurous-Fig4263@reddit (OP)
I'm hoping this is the case for the majority of times. I've started taking corners on gravel much slower as this is now always in the back of my mind.
rshetts1@reddit
A flat should be controllable but a full on blow out? Yeah, you're going down. Fortunately, those are quite rare.
Hot-Ad-4566@reddit
It depends on how much air your losing. If its slow and steady, you'll notice it before you lose control. But if its a large gash and the tire deflates rapidly, then youll be going down. Best to use tannus armor or run tubeless
RedGobboRebel@reddit
Rarely you get a blowout unless the tire was overfilled. But even a rapid flat from a big cut can cause you to go down.
If you suspect an issue with the front tire, don't lean the bike to the side, stay as straight as possible and slow gently using the rear brake only. Hope it doesn't happen on a descent or a curve.
Ohm_Slaw_@reddit
In all my decades of cycling, I've only had one bike tire fail quickly at speed and that was a rear tire. A pannier strap came loose and the pannier swung into the rear spokes, stopping the tire instantly. The bike started fishtailing like crazy and then the rear tire blew. I managed to keep the bike upright.
All other failures (and there have been a lot of them) have come slowly. In a car, a tire starts losing air and you keep driving because you don't feel the tire go squirrelly. Then it blows. On a bike you can feel the change in vibration as the tire starts to lose air.
Temporary-Film-7374@reddit
Blowouts are rather uncommon, but if they happen, it's gonna suck.
Worried_Document8668@reddit
when the front goes down you go with it, end of story. you can catch a rear wheel when it loses traction, but unless you are going very slowly, the front usually takes you down