Quote Originally Posted by molehill View Post
Rode to town yesterday to book the van in for work, coming home suddenly something felt a bit "lumpy" with each tyre revolution. No idea what it was and thinking about stopping ....... or just carry on regardless and hope for the best. As I did, obviously.
1/2 mile later in the village (so not fast, even if I could) a massive bang from behind, just like I had run over a glass container, except a spray of tubeless white gunk all across the road and on bike. Now I knew what the problem was. A 8 inch section of tyre seemed to have gone all lumpy/bumpy and burst, somehow the gunk sealed the large split enough for me to make the final 3 miles very slowly home, riding in the middle of the road trying to avoid potholes and rough tarmac.
Now have to order new tyres as that is wrecked - could have been worse outcome.
Unlucky. I've avoided tubeless tyres so far, not because I'm a luddite but more because they don't work on the narrow tyres I ride on (23mm in summer and 25mm in winter).

You don't necessarily have to order two tyres, as the front will probably be fine. They do recommend clearing out the sealant gunk regularly and inserting new such material. The only problem with doing this, is that you have to take the tyre off to do it and they're a bit to take off/put back on.

You're right it could have been a lot worse. Decades ago, I had full-on front wheel blow-out whilst riding tubs (tubular tyres). The problem with tubs, is that it is the tyre pressure that keeps it on the rim. When you lose pressure you have 7 seconds until the tyre comes off - and when they tyre comes off you get accidents like the one that effectively finished Joseba Beloki's career in the 2003 Tour de France

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVAKU2LCygc

I wasn't going this fast, but it was the start of a 1-in-9 descent and without any brakes or steering to speak of I shifted my weight to the left and took it down a convenient ditch and into the hedge.