Repair cut in sidewall of tire

Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I flatted the other day with a
razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of my front tire. (Conti Grand Prix - 700x23c) The
cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the plys. Can it be sewn, or is the tire ruined?

Thanks,

Trevor Taylor

Trevor wrote:
> Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I flatted the other day with
> a razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of my front tire. (Conti Grand Prix -
> 700x23c) The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the plys. Can it be sewn, or is the
> tire ruined?

Ah...I had a flint do this to exactly the same type of tyre - it's the disadvantage of skinwalls.

I reckon the tyre is ruined - GPs are quite cheap nowadays though.

"Trevor" <trevor0912@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:M%Qmb.16282$YO5.8067660@news3.news.adelphia.net...
> Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I
flatted
> the other day with a razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall
of my
> front tire. (Conti Grand Prix - 700x23c) The cut is perfectly straight
and
> perpendicular to the plys. Can it be sewn, or is the tire ruined?

Perpendicular to the plies ?....the plies cross each other and are at 45* to the run of the tire.
Even if you insert a boot into this tire it will have a bulge and could never be considered safe.
The bulge would be annoying even on a stationary trainer. I've never tried sewing a tire and can't
see how this would work very well. IMO it's a junker.

Phil Holman

Your tire is ruined.
If you try any repair, you will find yourself stuck.
You could do a test repair and see how it holds up, but just ride it on the rear and only on a trainer or rollers.

__________________
David Ornee, Western Springs, IL USA

Unless your bike is worth less than $30.00, I wouldn't ride it.

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"Trevor" <trevor0912@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:M%Qmb.16282$YO5.8067660@news3.news.adelphia.net...
> Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I
flatted
> the other day with a razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of
my
> front tire. (Conti Grand Prix - 700x23c) The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the
> plys. Can it be sewn, or is the tire ruined?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Trevor Taylor
>
>

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Version: 6.0.525 / Virus Database: 322 - Release Date: 10/11/2003

On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 14:38:36 GMT, "Trevor" <trevor0912@yahoo.com> may have said:

>Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I flatted the other day with a
>razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of my front tire. (Conti Grand Prix - 700x23c)
>The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the plys. Can it be sewn, or is the tire ruined?

If you like packing the bike home or doing more repairs at roadside, try to fix it, and then carry a
spare wherever you go. If the intent is to ride without having to worry about when and where the
tire will fail again, then replace it. Hint: Sidewall cuts which go through the plies at all are not
considered a repairable form of damage.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I
don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy.

Buy a new tire. Sorry.

Fire up MTB 03

On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 14:38:36 +0000, Trevor wrote:

> Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I flatted the other day with
> a razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of my front tire. (Conti Grand Prix -
> 700x23c) The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the plys. Can it be sewn, or is the
> tire ruined?

The tire is trash. A bootie (liner inside the tire, made out of an old tire or other strong
material) can be used to get you home, but it is not worth it depending on this patch in the long
run. Especially on a front wheel, you do not want a blowout.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | We have a record of conquest, colonization and expansion _`\(,_ | unequalled by any people
in the Nineteenth Century. We are not (_)/ (_) | to be curbed now. --Henry Cabot Lodge, 1895

The votes are in and the answer is a unanimous NO. 'Bout what I figured, but I wanted to check
before I tossed a $50 tire into the dumpster.

Thanks for the sage advice.

> Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I
flatted
> the other day with a razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of
my
> front tire. (Conti Grand Prix - 700x23c) The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the
> plys. Can it be sewn, or is the tire ruined?

Trevor wrote:
> The votes are in and the answer is a unanimous NO. 'Bout what I figured, but I wanted to check
> before I tossed a $50 tire into the dumpster.
>
> Thanks for the sage advice.
>
>
>>Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire?

A late "vote" to the contrary: Safe is up to you to decide, but I have done this fairly often with
good results. This is with cuts about 7mm long or so, as you described originally.

I sew those cuts closed with dental floss, then cover the stitches with something to keep from
chafing the tube. Make sure to stich into fabric far enough from the ragged edge that the stiches
are less likely to pull out. I've had best results with Michelin woven-casing tires, though - these
hold the stitches well. Gives a like-new repair for 20 minutes work, though some technique and skill
are required.

With $40 tires, this comes to $120 per hour, worth it to me. Use your own judgement in evaluating
how safe such a repair is, in particular in evaluating how good a job you did.

I'm very careful checking these patching jobs, but I've had hundreds if not a few thousands of miles
without problems on such tires.

Regards, Mark Janeba remove anti-spam in address to reply

"Trevor" <trevor0912@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:M%Qmb.16282$YO5.8067660@news3.news.adelphia.net...
> Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I
flatted
> the other day with a razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of
my
> front tire. (Conti Grand Prix - 700x23c) The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the
> plys. Can it be sewn, or is the tire ruined?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Trevor Taylor
>
I've had good success repairing tire cuts by booting them with Velox rim strip tape. If you can
apply so the cut is significantly overlapped and have no noticeable bulge after inflating I'd give
it a go on the rear tire only. Bill Brannon

"Trevor" <trevor0912@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:<fAWmb.16357$YO5.8127810@news3.news.adelphia.net>...

> The votes are in and the answer is a unanimous NO. 'Bout what I figured, but I wanted to check
> before I tossed a $50 tire into the dumpster.
>
> Thanks for the sage advice.

> > Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I flatted the other day with
> > a razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of my front tire. (Conti Grand Prix -
> > 700x23c) The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the plys. Can it be sewn, or is the
> > tire ruined?

Dear Trevor,

Your classic problem and solution are explored in depth at:

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/wom...pers/salt.html

from "The Peterkin Papers," by Lucretia P. Hale, 1886:

She told the lady from Philadelphia the whole story, -–how her mother had put salt in the coffee;
how the chemist had been called in; how he tried everything but could make it no better; and how
they went for the little old herb-woman, and how she had tried in vain, for her mother couldn't
drink the coffee. The lady from Philadelphia listened very attentively, and then said, "Why
doesn't your mother make a fresh cup of coffee?"

Your plight reminds me why I buy cheaper tires. They're easier to let go of. Sorry for your
misfortune, but glad to see that you agree with the famous wise lady from Philadelphia of
the last age.

Carl Fogel

Years ago I was starting a trek across France with some friends and one of them, a mile from the
start in Bordeaux rolled over a piece of broken glass and cut (about 1cm) the sidewall of a
brand-new tyre. I always carry strips of canvas and we glued a big strip to the inside with puncture
solution and he finished the tour and rode that tyre until it was bare. Now 7cm is very long. You
could try sewing it with either linen carpet thread or dental floss and then a patch inside BUT
don't use it on the front in case it blows.

On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 08:40:11 +0000, Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee wrote:

> Years ago I was starting a trek across France with some friends and one of them, a mile from the
> start in Bordeaux rolled over a piece of broken glass and cut (about 1cm) the sidewall of a
> brand-new tyre. I always carry strips of canvas and we glued a big strip to the inside with
> puncture solution and he finished the tour and rode that tyre until it was bare.

Well, that worked out, but I wouldn't trust it.

> Now 7cm is very long.

7mm, I think.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not _`\(,_ | certain, and as
far as they are certain, they do not refer to (_)/ (_) | reality. -- Albert Einstein

"Trevor" <trevor0912@yahoo.com> writes:

>Is is possible to (safely) repair a cut in the sidewall of a tire? I flatted the other day with a
>razor-clean 7mm long straight cut in the sidewall of my front tire. (Conti Grand Prix - 700x23c)
>The cut is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the plys. Can it be sewn, or is the tire ruined?

When i was a crazy youth, i once sewed a horizontal cut (parallel to the fibers) of a tire back
together with fishing line. If the cut is through the fibers (perpendicular to fibers), it's
probably best to just give up on the idea because the thread will probably slip into the hole
eventually. If you sew in a patch (i didn't), keep the thread and/or patch away from the tread area,
and you can probably make a very effective repair.

- Don Gillies San Diego, CA