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Tubeless tire blisters

I've been running Mavic Ksyrium Pro UST wheels with a Mavic Yksium Pro front tire and a Mavic Yksium Pro UST on the rear.  During the summer I noticed what looked like a blister (about the size of a 5p) on the front tire just off the centre line.  Tire was pumped up but you could still press the blister down.  I thought it might just be due to the sun in the room where I store the bike.  Checked the bike today and noticed I have three new blisters on the rear tire since my ride on Sunday.  

Are these tire defects and need replacing or just insufficient sealant?  

I use Hutchinson sealant (like the applicator) and top up quarterly.  I'm 80 Kg and run the tires at 80psi on the road and 100psi on rollers.  I've tried Hutchinson Fusion 5 tires and they're easy to get on the rims, but don't hold the air for long and Conti's (but couldn't get them on!).  The original front Yksion has done 4000 miles and the rear UST half that.  Any help appreciated.  

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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22 comments

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Jimmy Ray Will | 1 year ago
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As mentioned, just pop them with a pin. 

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IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
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I would say those are tyres reaching the end of their useful life. Clearly a layer of rubber has delaminated and air is working though the threads but being held by the outer layer.

Pricking or no, if you rely on that bit of rubber under hard cornering, it is not going to provide the same resistance as a properly laminated section.

Bike tyres don't last many miles, but it depends on riding style, pressure and weight of rider as to how well they last. I reckon to get a season out of a rear tyre - say 5k miles - twice that for the front, based on wear marks or next layer showing through depending on brand.

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Secret_squirrel | 1 year ago
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What happens if you prick them with a pin?

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Hirsute replied to Secret_squirrel | 1 year ago
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That's what the lbs did to mine !

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nopants | 1 year ago
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I had the same problem (same wheels and tyres too). It happened very soon after I got them, after just a few rides. First the back then the front went. 

Mavic told me to stop using them and return to the nearest dealer for replacement.  I wasn't able to get to a dealer and Mavic replaced both tyres (sent from France!) This was in 2019 before the new ownership, and the tyres were barely used. With 4000 miles on the clock I'd ditch them.
It may be a non issue, but now you have noticed why risk it? Seems likely it will only get worse...

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wtjs | 1 year ago
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HP is a worthy source of advice about things to avoid- I have taken note of the radical Ultegra Pasta Cranks, and now it's the delaminating super-techno graphene tubeless tyres with aero-blisters which confirm my decision to stick with boring old tubes and Schwalbe Marathon Plus. I'm sure they're slower but it doesn't make much difference while towing a trailer round the Lakes, and I haven't had a puncture for over a year

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hawkinspeter replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
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wtjs wrote:

HP is a worthy source of advice about things to avoid- I have taken note of the radical Ultegra Pasta Cranks, and now it's the delaminating tubeless super-techno graphene tubeless tyres with aero-blisters which confirm my decision to stick with boring old tubes and Schwalbe Marathon Plus. I'm sure they're slower but it doesn't make much difference while towing a trailer round the Lakes, and I haven't had a puncture for over a year

I've had zero problems with Conti GP 5000TLs (running tubeless). Schwalbe Marathon Plus are a good way of avoiding the p-word, but they're heavy and aren't very flexible.

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Themadchemist replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
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I'd agree with the Conti GP 5000's as I've had them on my bike since last year. Had Hutchinson before that (forget which one,but my 1st tubeless tyre) and they were good too,but seemed to cut up easy and wore down quicker than I was expecting.. I'm only 70kg,although still have the rear at 100psi.

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Wingguy replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
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wtjs wrote:

HP is a worthy source of advice about things to avoid- I have taken note of the radical Ultegra Pasta Cranks, and now it's the delaminating super-techno graphene tubeless tyres with aero-blisters which confirm my decision to stick with boring old tubes and Schwalbe Marathon Plus. 

Are you somehow under the impression that boring tubed tyres never have delamination issues or other manufacturing defects?

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wtjs replied to Wingguy | 1 year ago
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Are you somehow under the impression that boring tubed tyres never have delamination issues or other manufacturing defects?

That depends on whether, in your superior way, you discount as 'hearsay' the experience of a 70 year old cyclist who is just back from cycling around the lakes with a heavy trailer and has previously carried bike and equipment from Zermatt over the glacier to the Theodulpass and down to Cervinia etc etc. I call that 'experience' and I've never experienced a delaminated tyre. I've had them wear through due to excessive economising and found that you can solve that with pieces of old tyre or tough polymer like x-ray film, but never had blebs like those.

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ktache replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
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I like the idea of x-ray film as tyre boots.

I have seen fully exposed and developed sheets used to view eclipses.

In several lab jobs I was the unfortunate responsible for maintaining the developer, weeklyish cleaning and refreshing the chemicals. Darkrooms are never well ventilated.

The service engineers referred to the chemicals as "the chemistry" which I always appreciated.

I like that we use gel doc systems now, though the sensitivity you could get...

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wtjs replied to ktache | 1 year ago
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X-ray film is useful for hooking over the tyre bead, but it can't cope with much curvature and forms sharp folds. Old tyre sidewall is the other part of my tyre repair kit kept at the bottom of the tool 'bottle' carried in one of the bottle cages. Interestingly, I saw a bulge on the sidewall of the 20" tyre on my new Halfords Intercity folder when I pumped it up hard for testing purposes (not a delamination). However, the problem was soon cured by taking the tyre off and centre-ing the rim tape and seating the tyre properly. I do that on a new bike anyway, as well as slackening the cones which always seem that little bit too tight.

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Wingguy replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
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wtjs wrote:

That depends on whether, in your superior way, you discount as 'hearsay' the experience of a 70 year old cyclist who is just back from cycling around the lakes with a heavy trailer and has previously carried bike and equipment from Zermatt over the glacier to the Theodulpass and down to Cervinia etc etc. I call that 'experience' and I've never experienced a delaminated tyre. I've had them wear through due to excessive economising and found that you can solve that with pieces of old tyre or tough polymer like x-ray film, but never had blebs like those.

That's not hearsay but it's also not relevant. You are discounting the entire technology of tubless as defective because someone has had one issue on one set of tyres. It doesn't matter that you've had no issues with tubed tyres, if someone out there has had an issue then clearly they are also defective.

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wycombewheeler replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
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I've never experienced a delamainated tyre, either while running tubeless or running tubes. That you haven't does not mean no one ever has.

I did run a schwalbe tyre tubeless until the canvass was showing at one spot, which was a bit of a shock while touring in Belgium. It didn't fail and, amazingly, was still air tight.

I put the issue down to lifting rhe rear wheel to gear shirt while at the lights, and dropping without braking first. Now I make sure I always apply brakes before lowering wheel. Never had a tyre on the bike long enough to wear through the rubber before, but this tubless tyre lasted many thousands of kms

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wtjs replied to wycombewheeler | 1 year ago
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That you haven't does not mean no one ever has

What is the cause of this wave of misattribution? Is it a manifestation the Trump 'alternative truth' phenomenon. The fact that I was thanking HP for confirming another potential fault indicates that I was not suggesting he or the OP were making the story up -like his 'bogus pasta cranks whistleblowing'! Clearly these faults are rare- the great majority of bonded Ultegra cranks are probably still working away un-fractured. The entertaining thing about these blebs is that they were in super-nano-tech graphene tubeless tyres. 

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hawkinspeter replied to Wingguy | 1 year ago
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Wingguy wrote:

Are you somehow under the impression that boring tubed tyres never have delamination issues or other manufacturing defects?

I'd be surprised to see delamination on tubed tyres as there shouldn't be any noticeable air pressure against the inside of the tyre to push apart the layers. Yes, the inner tube will be pressing against the inside, but it will distribute pressure over any tyre defects so even if there is delamination, it's unlikely to be visible as there won't be blisters.

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Wingguy replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
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hawkinspeter wrote:

I'd be surprised to see delamination on tubed tyres as there shouldn't be any noticeable air pressure against the inside of the tyre to push apart the layers. Yes, the inner tube will be pressing against the inside, but it will distribute pressure over any tyre defects so even if there is delamination, it's unlikely to be visible as there won't be blisters.

The (AFAIK) oldest and still moderately widespread method of constructing tyres is to glue a tread cap on top of a cotton casing. They can certainly delaminate. Vulcanised tyres probably not, but they are for sure susceptible to other manufacturing defects. Everything is.

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hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
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Is it anything like the blisters I got on my Goodyear tyre? https://road.cc/content/tech-news/270603-first-look-goodyear-eagle-f1-road-tyres-launched-graphene-technology

IIRC it's the tyre layers delaminating which shouldn't be a major problem, but I changed my tyre after getting them as they're not confidence inspiring and they made a funny noise rolling until the blisters got flattened.

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BGPHOTOFISH replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
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Yes, but not quite as big and they're not as close together.  I think I'll stick with them for another couple of weeks and then put some older (tubed) wheels on for the winter.

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
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I have had blisters before. The lbs said not to worry but I can't recall the reason.

 

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wycombewheeler replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
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hirsute wrote:

I have had blisters before. The lbs said not to worry but I can't recall the reason.

 

didn't they try selling you better gloves or shorts to prevent re-occurance?

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Gstev68 replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
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I've experienced blisters on Pirelli Cinturato Velo tubeless too.  It was at 3500 miles  on the rear so I put it down to reaching end of servicable life.

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