I recently repaired my mother's Gazelle bike, which has chunky 50×622 tyres. She had been riding it so long that the tread of her rear tyre had completely worn away and eventually the innertube herniated through a hole and popped – leaving a cross-shaped hole. I removed the wheel, stuck a nice big patch over the puncture and installed a new tyre.
All was well until a couple of days later she mentioned that the rear wheel sounded like it was rubbing against the mudguard – I guess I did not align the wheel correctly or tighten the axle screws sufficiently afterward.
Before I had a chance to take a look and correct this issue, the rear tyre burst with a bang while she was out cycling. When I got it back, the new tyre had a 2 inch gash in the sidewall and the inner tube had a matching long puncture. (not the same as the original puncture)
I had assumed, when I heard that it had burst, that the rubbing had maybe worsened and pushed the tyre off the wheel, but I cannot understand how this gash formed, or if the innertube somehow exploded and burst through the tyre, causing the gash?
Did I perhaps add too much pressure? I didnt have a pressure gauge for this valve type, and just pumped until it felt firm (not rock hard), but maybe larger tyres should feel softer?
Was it maybe a faulty tyre?
Please let me know your thoughts on what mistake I may have made, and also if you have any advice for repairing it correctly this time! Thanks!
by salacious_scrum