I have a REALLY nice road bike, much nicer than I need. I love it and want to ride it all the time. It's the nicest thing I own, well, besides my front porch and my garden, which the bank mostly owns, whereas I own my bike outright. I went out for a 50-miler today, and only made it 10 before the sidewall of the tire blew out. The TIRE, not the tube.

The tire had some dry rot. You never know how long tires have been hanging around the shop. I got my bike in October, but the tires, while unused, were suffering from exposure to air. Check your tires for those tiny cracks and signs of age (tires, not face!)