What factors influence the maximum tire pressure other than the tire itself? On the tires of a bike, there is a label which shows the maximum allowed pressure for it. However, I am wondering if there are any other factors that affect the maximum allowed pressure in a tire?


Does the innertube also has a "maximum allowed pressure"?
I need a rim tape to cover the spoke holes in my rim. Does this lower the allowed pressure?
Any other factors?


Background: In the last week, two innertubes on two different bikes exploded. They were both under the maximum allowed pressure. I suppose one was old and the other had a manufacturing error. One was exploding during cycling, the other one during inflating the tire. I am now quite afraid of inflating tires, so I want to make sure that this will not happen again.
The usual cause of inner tubes exploding while being inflated is that part of the tube is pinched under the rim, or was damaged by a tyre lever while you were fitting the tyre (but manufacturing flaws can happen - I once had a puncture in a tube next the stem where it was difficult to patch, and my spare tube failed at the same place as soon as I inflated it (and there wasn't a sharp edge on the hole in the rim)).

But apart from that, if the tube and tyre are properly seated, and the tube is the right size, the tube shouldn't limit the pressure.

Rim tape can make a difference if the wrong sort is used, but shouldn't otherwise, see http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All%20Files/Technical%20Info.pdf and search for "Which rim tape should I use".

Tyre sizes and rim sizes vary slightly, and a combination that is a slightly loose fit will let the tyre blow off at a lower pressure. The label allows for that, at least to a certain extent (see http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#pressure and scroll down to "Pressure Recommendations").

Using a tyre on a rim much narrower than it is intended for can make the rim fail and let a tyre blow off: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width. So can using a badly worn rim, of course.