BOOM!!

Click the photo for a closer look
It started like most other days. I was up early yesterday and on my bike enjoying my daily cycle to work.

Things changed dramatically when I was about 20 kilometres into my ride. I was cycling at around 35 kilometres an hour alongside the river on the freeway dual use path when I heard a massive BANG!! My bike went wildly out of control but I managed to bring it to a halt without coming off.

I was expecting to have to change my inner tube. That would have added some extra time to the ride but that wouldn’t have been an issues. What I found was something quite different. As you can see from the photo the rim had blown itself apart. Part of the rim’s sidewall had headed sideways, totally destroying the wheel. There was no way that this would be a quick, roadside repair. I was about to mix cycling with walking to get to work.

Off came my shoes, gloves, and helmet. I stuffed them all into my backpack and started the walk to work. I needed to remove my shoes as they’re cycling shoes with cleats. Not great for walking.

So, 45 minutes later I arrived at work with slightly blistered feet and a bike that needed some urgent attention. Thankfully Pauline came to the rescue by bringing a spare wheel to work from an old bike of mine. The replacement wheel is doing the job for the moment and I’ve now ordered a replacement wheelset.

The wheel had done around 23 000 or 24 000 kilometres so it probably should have been replaced already. Over time and kilometres the brakes wear down the side of the rim little by little. I guess the side of the rim had just got a little too thin and holding back the pressure of a tyre pumped up to 120 psi was eventually too much.



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