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[porthole]

Where is the picture?

If you've ever been passing a big rig that suddenly shed a tire tread, you'd learn to never linger along side one.  An adrenaline filled experience!   

Couple years ago after Maggie Valley, Kathy, Brian and I went out to Nashville.
While cruising the highway around the city we go to see up close and personal a truck have a tire blow.

It is not just the tires pieces you have to worry about, but all the cars dodging the chunks.

What really surprised me though was that we could both hear and feel the concussion/blast.

[sadunbar]

Where is the picture?



Couple years ago after Maggie Valley, Kathy, Brian and I went out to Nashville.
While cruising the highway around the city we go to see up close and personal a truck have a tire blow.

It is not just the tires pieces you have to worry about, but all the cars dodging the chunks.

What really surprised me though was that we could both hear and feel the concussion/blast.

Like a small bomb going off.  Scared the crap out of me.  I know just what you mean about feeling it as well as hearing the blast.   Immediately knew what had happened, based on the steel belts that were shredding all around.  Bad experience for certain...

[PTSDBob]

There was one BIG blind spot not shown…..  the back of the trailer.  Also; the tires that blow, almost all the time, are the trailer tandems… they are under inflated, get very hot from friction, then BLAM !  This mostly happens to company drivers, conex carriers…, and across the southern border and back truck/trailers.  Very rarely happens in the winter… mostly in the summer on very hot days..
(drove trucks for 7 years.. both company and owner/operator..OTR)

[Rooster]

Welcome to the site Bob. Lots of great people and knowledge here.

[ChopperPilot]

Never waste any time when riding around the big rigs!!!

Same here!

[Twolanerider]

I always move quickly around big rigs and don't linger behind them.  Seen tire shrapnel enough times over the years to learn that lesson also.  But just when you think it's an issue you've got covered; of course you don't. 

Just about a week ago was riding a feeder road to the local Interstate heading off somewhere to dinner.  It's a relatively short ramp from the road to the Interstate so I make the left on to the ramp, looking down the ramp for parked or slow moving anything as I enter then looking back up the Interstate to my left to see the traffic I'll be merging with.  All absolutely typical and normal.

Then as I come over the slight rise in the middle of the short ramp, ooops, there is tire carcass right in the middle of the ramp.  One big piece stretched length-wise across 1/2 the ramp and lots of other pieces.  Of course most are on their side standing "up" in the most objectionable way possible and all the big stuff right in the middle of the line I'd set down the ramp.

Stood up and slowed down a big and zigged through it all.  But it could have been a lousy ride to dinner.  The tire carcasses can be everywhere; even not yet on the highway.  If I could dictate one road statute it would be to ban retread tires. 

[porthole]

"road alligators"

[Twolanerider]

"road alligators"

Amen to that Duane.  Have hated alligators as long as I can remember. 

[porthole]

August 2007, coming home from Maggie Valley. On RT 81 north, thunder storms pretty much following the ridge all the way north.
The rain didn't bother me, riding at night didn't bother me too much either, the trucks flying by  - eh. Lightning bolts start coming down everywhere, think maybe it is time to get off he road.

The thing that shook me up though was when I ran over the second road alligator that I couldn't see until on top of it. That got me off the road for a couple of hours.

[Twolanerider]

August 2007, coming home from Maggie Valley. On RT 81 north, thunder storms pretty much following the ridge all the way north.
The rain didn't bother me, riding at night didn't bother me too much either, the trucks flying by  - eh. Lightning bolts start coming down everywhere, think maybe it is time to get off he road.

The thing that shook me up though was when I ran over the second road alligator that I couldn't see until on top of it. That got me off the road for a couple of hours.

I've run over big pieces twice over the years.  One at night and, like you, just never saw it until it was too late and the other in a place where it was laying flat and it was easier to go over than try to miss it.  Not fun either way but, honestly, the big solid pieces in many ways worry me less than the "stringy" pieces with tire cord/guts/whatever that I'm concerned might get rolled up in and then around a bike wheel.  Never ran over that but whenever I see them it makes my private areas pucker just a little bit.

[sadunbar]

I've run over big pieces twice over the years.  One at night and, like you, just never saw it until it was too late and the other in a place where it was laying flat and it was easier to go over than try to miss it.  Not fun either way but, honestly, the big solid pieces in many ways worry me less than the "stringy" pieces with tire cord/guts/whatever that I'm concerned might get rolled up in and then around a bike wheel.  Never ran over that but whenever I see them it makes my private areas pucker just a little bit.

Years ago riding with friends a car ran over a road alligator which flipped it up into the air high enough one of the riding group caught it with his right leg.  He found out just how heavy they can be and how sharp the steel belts are.  Nasty gash thru his jeans and a large bump - probably a nice bruise the next day too.  Nasty stuff...

[Twolanerider]

Years ago riding with friends a car ran over a road alligator which flipped it up into the air high enough one of the riding group caught it with his right leg.  He found out just how heavy they can be and how sharp the steel belts are.  Nasty gash thru his jeans and a large bump - probably a nice bruise the next day too.  Nasty stuff...

Having a big piece of sharp steel corded tire carcass flying through the air in my general direction would suck.  Hopefully induce one of those "slow motion" moments where it seems like you've got lots of time to react.  But probably not.  Better a leg strike than higher up though.  At least a leg strike likely won't take you off immediately off the bike.  The Road Gods were still with him that day.