Quote Originally Posted by bcipam
One reason the tire ripped/tore/exploded could be that you overinflate the tire. Keep in mind that while riding, use of brakes on tires will cause the tire to heat up, and the tube to expand. If the tire are already inflated to the maximum, say anything over 120 psi, then it is possible to cause the tube to expand and cause a tear in the tire, especially along the sidewall. Were you doing hills ( and downhills) the day the tire exploded? Try inflating your tire to 100 or 110 max. That should solve the problem.
The tire was only inflated to 100 psi and I was riding mostly flat terrain - hadn't used the brakes much at all. The external part of the tire looked fine. It's still a mystery to me. Only thing I can think of is that the tire was defective on the inside. Thanks for your input though.