Do You Replace Tires If There Is A Small Hole In It



That's what I was saying, if we think it's safe we should try mending it first, why get a new one to start with? No sense right.
 
I fixed a lot of tires over the years with holes and never had a problem, these aren't car tires expecting to do 70 mph on 110 degree pavement for 100 miles I use to ride the mountains of California on hot days sometimes doing 60 mph plus and never had an issue with a booted tire. BUT, I haven't seen your tire, so I can't make that decision for you with any degree of intelligence, just saying the tires I booted over the years I could see the damage and thus determined that I could boot it or had to chuck it. I did once boot a tire that left the tire with bump as it rotated, it got me home where I chucked the tire.

Due to my former years of riding on tubulars where I got into the habit of carry two spare tubulars I still to this day carry a spare clincher ultralight tire that is folded and bound tight with strong rubber bands. Over the last 30 years or so of carrying a spare clincher I only had to personally use it twice, and a third time giving my spare to a stranded rider. I contemplated in recent years whether or not to continue to carry spare for my daily riding because road tires are far better today than they were 30 years ago, but I can't seem to get myself to the point of not carrying it. I will always carry a spare tire when touring though.
 
I check for any imbedded glass after each ride and if I find any, it gets picked out with my trusty Swiss Army knife and the little hole sealed up with superglue. Good, fast tires are expensive. With latex tubes and a few simple preventative measures, no flats in a long time. If a tire needed a boot, I would replace it when possible opportunity.....why absorb these frictional losses irrespective of safety considerations.
 
Yeah, a good tire is stupidly expensive, I guess that quality has a price, so nothing like preserving what we have. Sometimes it's impossible and in those cases we do need to change.
 
It seems like if the tiny hole isn't a big issue now it will be eventually. I wouldn't want to hold off on getting
A new one and risk paying the price for waiting down the road when I'm not prepared for it.
 
I say replace it. Over time it will get bigger and bigger causing a pop. You'd rather be safe than sorry during these types of situations, believe me. My tires popped during one of my long rides once and I was stuck without working tires 35 miles away from home. Don't end up like me alright? xD
 
Speaking of good tires, Specialized has their Roubaix Pro tire on sale at LBS's, buy one for $40 and the get the second for free. This is a very good tire and now at only $20 each (the cost of one divided in half when you buy one but get two) is very cheap. This is a high mileage tire, with great puncture resistance, and very low rolling resistance, with great handling characteristics.
 
It is typical over the life of a tire to develop small slits and sometimes even small pits in the outer compound of the tire (the rubber that meets the pavement)These are fine and should cause no problems.

If you feel a bump or deformation at that spot while at riding pressure - replace the tire. If you are mid-ride and need to get back, boot the tire. This involves putting a small piece of material between the tube, and the tire. Dollar bills work great. Cut up bib numbers from your local 5k that you don't care about also work (they're tyvek paper which is strong). You can buy a pre-made boot, even cut out an old section of used tire. Reduce pressure by 5-10 psi (around 90) and you should get home. That bump you feel is the tire being so week that the tube can almost push through the tire and blow out. The boot helps stop that. It's meant as a temporary fix but I know people that have ridden another 1000 miles on a booted tire. Heck, I was changing a flat out on the course during a triathlon and found that the tire was already booted. He said it had been there since last year!!! Idiot.

If you can see threads through the slit/gash or your tire compound is so worn that you can see threads - it's time to replace the tire. Those threads are part of the casing or sometime is part of flat protection that's put under the compound. Either way, it's time to replace ASAP.

I've heard of all kinds of things over the years. People trying to melt the compound rubber back together for small slits, filling small slits with Shoe Goo - I don't know if any of those kind of home remedies works or not, but I'd rather just buy some new rubber.
 
ABNPFDR said:
The boot helps stop that. It's meant as a temporary fix but I know people that have ridden another 1000 miles on a booted tire. Heck, I was changing a flat out on the course during a triathlon and found that the tire was already booted. He said it had been there since last year!!! Idiot.

I did 3000km on a booted tire. :p Now you know people who have done even more then 1000 miles! :D

I put it on the back ofcourse, which is "waaaaaaaaaay safer". :D

But my "Jewish blood" just couldn't allow me to throw away a 45 euro tire after just 2000km ... :D ( GP4000S(hit) II, 23)

Interesting thing is, that I first bought a singe Maxxis Detonator in 23mm which got shredded in 2! places just after 200km of use. Pretty deep cuts, with the tube swelling out a bit which resulted in getting flats ride after ride.

I tossed the tire away and booted the Coshitnental... :D

It eventually got replaced with a pair of Rubino Pro Tech's, again in 23mm. (Something like gatorskins with reinforced sides)

I was going to get 25's but they didn't have them available, not even from Vittoria... :(
 
If I can see the inner tube, then I will replace my tire. In your case, it depends on the age entire. If the tire is old, I would recommend replacing it, as a new tire is almost always better in every situation. However if the tire is relatively new, and the hole is small, then I would consider just patching it up as patching up is always cheaper than buying a new one. I personally would only change a tire if it's jeopardize my safety and/or the functionality of the entire bike.