Repairing rips in tires?

[Mikael Seierup]

Took a direct hit from a piece of glass in my front S-Licks the other day. Left a nice 10 mm long
rip in the tire. Was just wondering if theres any way to glue it and keep the tire a bit longer? I
already put a nice thick tireboot of rubber in, but I think that rip is going to grow and the tire
is fairly new.

M.

 

[Dave Larrington]

Mikael Seierup wrote:

> Was just wondering if theres any way to glue it and keep the tire a bit longer? I already put
> a nice thick tireboot of rubber in, but I think that rip is going to grow and the tire is
> fairly new.

Commiserations. I had a similar thing happen to a three-week old Stelvio recently. I tried
superglue, but it seemed to be reluctant to hold for very long, and eventually I had to resort to a
new tyre following a Several of vists from the P*nct*r* Fairy. Fortunately, the last one occurred
only two minutes walk from Bikefix.

I have since tried gluing it again and leaving it to set for agesandagesandages, but I don't have
much confidence that it'll stay stuck for long at 120 psi.

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Tom Blum]

Mikael,

I just scrapped a 520x25 with a stone cut. I decided to pitch it, even though a boot might work.

The cut was teensy and held at 80 psi after a road side repair. Later, when I pumped it to 100 psi,
I got 1/4 mile down the road, when "BANG": the tube bubblegumed through the hole and blew.

With my luck where the P,,ct,,re Fairy is concerned, a sacrifice is necessary, to get back on the
good side.

You may be luckier than I

--
Miles of Smiles,

Tom Blum Winter Haven, Florida Homebuilts: SWB Tour Easy Clone Speed Machine Clone High Racer Clone
(coming soon) www.gate.net/~teblum

 

[Cletus Lee]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Took a direct hit from a piece of glass in my front S-Licks the other day. Left a nice 10 mm long
> rip in the tire. Was just wondering if theres any way to glue it and keep the tire a bit longer? I
> already put a nice thick tireboot of rubber in, but I think that rip is going to grow and the tire
> is fairly new.

I don't think there is anything that will make the tire usable for anything more than a spare. Deep
cuts longer than 5-7mm that penetrate the the belt are enough for me to DX the tire. I have had some
success with a product (available in this country) that runners use to extend the life of running
shoes. The brand name is "Shoe Goo" It is a pliable resineous kind of glue that can build up worn
soles on running shoes. I found that injecting this 'Goo' into the cut and spreading it out on the
inside and outside of the cut to form an "I" shape plug will give the tire a little longer life.
--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

 

[Larry Varney]

Tom Blum wrote:
> Mikael,
>
> I just scrapped a 520x25 with a stone cut. I decided to pitch it, even though a boot might work.
>
> The cut was teensy and held at 80 psi after a road side repair. Later, when I pumped it to 100
> psi, I got 1/4 mile down the road, when "BANG": the tube bubblegumed through the hole and blew.
>
> With my luck where the P,,ct,,re Fairy is concerned, a sacrifice is necessary, to get back on the
> good side.
>
> You may be luckier than I
>
>
> -- Miles of Smiles,
>
> Tom Blum Winter Haven, Florida Homebuilts: SWB Tour Easy Clone Speed Machine Clone High Racer
> Clone (coming soon) www.gate.net/~teblum
>
>
>
I discovered a cut on the sidewall on the rear tire on my Greenspeed just the other day. It's
close to a half-inch long, and it was puckered outward pretty badly - it's one of those
all-the-way-through cuts. I was hoping that this string of posts would suggest an easy,
fool-proof way of saving the tire, but it doesn't seem like it.

--
Larry Varney Cold Spring, KY http://home.fuse.net/larryvarney

 

[Mikael Seierup]

"Dave Larrington" skrev

> Commiserations. I had a similar thing happen to a three-week old Stelvio recently. I tried
> superglue, but it seemed to be reluctant to hold for very long, and eventually I had to resort to
> a new tyre following a Several of vists from the P*nct*r* Fairy.

Does "superglue" glue anything but fingers? It didn't work for the tire for me either. I have in
fact never gotten mine to glue anything for very long so usually I just reach for the epoxy.

The cut is in the thread and the bit of 3 mm thick rubber some nice polish gentleman donated for
another gammy tire last year seems to do the trick so far. And my LBS still has a few spares so I
can pop down and get one if it rips totally apart.

In related news my bottom chaintube just packed it in so I got a chance to ride with the returnside
of the chain along the wheel and didn't like it. Damn thing hit the spokes on occasion so I rode
the last 8 miles in third gear. Relaxing but dull.

M.

 

[Seth Jayson]

Sucks to have to trash a relatively new tire because of a rip, but:

New tire: $25-$60 bucks, depending.

Trip to the Emergency Room after patched tire fails during fast descent: $250 minimum.

Of course, our Danish friend may not have to shell out that kind of dough for a trip to
the hospital.

 

[Mikael Seierup]

"Seth Jayson" skrev...
> Trip to the Emergency Room after patched tire fails during fast descent: $250 minimum.
>
> Of course, our Danish friend may not have to shell out that kind of dough for a trip to the
> hospital.

Nope, already paid via our taxes. I'll spare you folks a trip to the ER by not mentioning how much
we pay. ;-)

Anyway rip is across the thread and so far not critical but I'll keep an eye on it.

M.

 

[Derral]

I have had some good results by making a boot out of a piece of rim tape, the type that is made with
a heavy fabric with adhesive backing, such as the "Velo brand". I had a cut in a road bike tire
(120psi) and used a piece of rim tape for a temporary fix, that was over a year ago, and am still
using it. This cut was bad enough to cause a bulge in the tire and the tube was showing through the
cut, the rim tape was strong enough to prevent the tire from bulging.

"Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Took a direct hit from a piece of glass in my front S-Licks the other day. Left a nice 10 mm long
> rip in the tire. Was just wondering if theres any way to glue it and keep the tire a bit longer? I
> already put a nice thick tireboot of rubber in, but I think that rip is going to grow and the tire
> is fairly new.
>
> M.

 

[Bentheadswb]

> I already put a nice thick tireboot of rubber in,
>> but I think that rip is going to grow and the tire is fairly new.
>>
>> M.

If it was a back tire, I would just watch it to see what it will do. However, it is your front tire
and that could make a mess when it blows. I would just replace it.

John H N TX

 

[Mike]

maybe a combo of shoe goo and tylex material as a laminate? no idea if it would work , just a
suggestion..

 

[Derral]

It's a rear tire, like I said it's been a year now, it's the same status as the day I put the temp
repair in. I'm going to replace it, just haven't taken the time to do it yet, to many other
priorities.

"BentHeadSWB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > I already put a nice thick tireboot of rubber in,
> >> but I think that rip is going to grow and the tire is fairly new.
> >>
> >> M.
>
> If it was a back tire, I would just watch it to see what it will do.
However,
> it is your front tire and that could make a mess when it blows. I would
just
> replace it.
>
> John H N TX

 

[Joand'Arcroast]

Have had some luck with "Liquid Nails" paneling adhesive. 8 months and counting on a MTB tire.
Obviously YMMV. /\/\/¨

In article <[email protected]>, Mikael Seierup
<[email protected]> wrote:

> "Dave Larrington" skrev
>
> > Commiserations. I had a similar thing happen to a three-week old Stelvio recently. I tried
> > superglue, but it seemed to be reluctant to hold for very long, and eventually I had to resort
> > to a new tyre following a Several of vists from the P*nct*r* Fairy.
>
> Does "superglue" glue anything but fingers? It didn't work for the tire for me either. I have in
> fact never gotten mine to glue anything for very long so usually I just reach for the epoxy.
>
> The cut is in the thread and the bit of 3 mm thick rubber some nice polish gentleman donated for
> another gammy tire last year seems to do the trick so far. And my LBS still has a few spares so I
> can pop down and get one if it rips totally apart.
>
> In related news my bottom chaintube just packed it in so I got a chance to ride with the
> returnside of the chain along the wheel and didn't like it.
>
> Damn thing hit the spokes on occasion so I rode the last 8 miles in third gear. Relaxing but dull.
>
> M.

 

[Steve McDonald]

I've used "Shoe-Goo" many times to fix a damaged tire. First, I sand down the affected area and
clean it with alcohol. Then I spread a thick film of the goo over an area a couple inches larger all
around than the cut. I quickly press a piece of fiberglass cloth into the goo, trimmed wth rounded
corners and smaller than the coated area. I rub it thoroughly with my fingers, to work as much of
the goo into the weave of the cloth as possible. Then I spread another coat of goo on top and work
it in. Then I hang the tire in a way that will make the repaired area stay straight and have a
proper shape while it hardens overnight. Sometimes, some strips of masking tape around the tire will
help it hold its form.

However, I would ride on such a repaired tire only as an emergency spare or for use in times of
severe personal poverty. I wouldn't trust it with high pressure and certainly not on a long or
fast ride.

If you need a tire for best performance and dependability, it would probably be best to chuck
this damaged one, curse the beer drinkers of the world, spread some green for a new one and
hope that your number doesn't come up again soon in the road hazards lottery.

Steve McDonald

 

[Pieter Litchfie]

The best uses for superglue are on joints with a very fine match between edges or surfaces and
limited flexing of the joint after repair. I have has it work very well on some kinds of repair, but
tires would be a completely inappropriate use for superglue - usually the edges of the wound are
rough and mismatched, and considerable flexibility is required after repair.

"JoanD'arcRoast" <JoanD'[email protected]> wrote in message
news:020620030236187487%JoanD'[email protected]...
> Have had some luck with "Liquid Nails" paneling adhesive. 8 months and counting on a MTB tire.
> Obviously YMMV. /\/\/¨
>
> In article <[email protected]>, Mikael Seierup
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > "Dave Larrington" skrev
> >
> > > Commiserations. I had a similar thing happen to a three-week old
Stelvio
> > > recently. I tried superglue, but it seemed to be reluctant to hold
for very
> > > long, and eventually I had to resort to a new tyre following a Several
of
> > > vists from the P*nct*r* Fairy.
> >
> > Does "superglue" glue anything but fingers? It didn't work for the tire for me either. I have in
> > fact never gotten mine to glue anything for
very long
> > so usually I just reach for the epoxy.
> >
> > The cut is in the thread and the bit of 3 mm thick rubber some nice polish gentleman donated for
> > another gammy tire last year seems to do the trick so far. And my LBS still has a few spares so
> > I can pop down and get one if it rips totally apart.
> >
> > In related news my bottom chaintube just packed it in so I got a chance to ride with the
> > returnside of the chain along the wheel and didn't like
it.
> >
> > Damn thing hit the spokes on occasion so I rode the last 8 miles in
third gear.
> > Relaxing but dull.
> >
> > M.

 

[Derral]

superglue works well for sealing puncture holes in tubeless mountain bike tires, haven't tried in on
a large glass cut, but would doubt it would be effective.

"Pieter Litchfield" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The best uses for superglue are on joints with a very fine match between edges or surfaces and
> limited flexing of the joint after repair. I have
has
> it work very well on some kinds of repair, but tires would be a completely inappropriate use for
> superglue - usually the edges of the wound are rough and mismatched, and considerable flexibility
> is required after repair.
>
> "JoanD'arcRoast" <JoanD'[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:020620030236187487%JoanD'[email protected]...
> > Have had some luck with "Liquid Nails" paneling adhesive. 8 months and counting on a MTB tire.
> > Obviously YMMV. /\/\/¨
> >
> > In article <[email protected]>, Mikael Seierup <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > "Dave Larrington" skrev
> > >
> > > > Commiserations. I had a similar thing happen to a three-week old
> Stelvio
> > > > recently. I tried superglue, but it seemed to be reluctant to hold
> for very
> > > > long, and eventually I had to resort to a new tyre following a
Several
> of
> > > > vists from the P*nct*r* Fairy.
> > >
> > > Does "superglue" glue anything but fingers? It didn't work for the
tire
> > > for me either. I have in fact never gotten mine to glue anything for
> very long
> > > so usually I just reach for the epoxy.
> > >
> > > The cut is in the thread and the bit of 3 mm thick rubber some nice polish gentleman donated
> > > for another gammy tire last year seems to do the trick so far. And my LBS still has a few
> > > spares so I can pop down and get one if it rips totally apart.
> > >
> > > In related news my bottom chaintube just packed it in so I got a
chance
> > > to ride with the returnside of the chain along the wheel and didn't
like
> it.
> > >
> > > Damn thing hit the spokes on occasion so I rode the last 8 miles in
> third gear.
> > > Relaxing but dull.
> > >
> > > M.

 

[Nigel & Janet C]

I cut my rear tyre on a supported ride a few weeks ago, and one of the LBS's fixed it wil the rim
tape as mentioned below, and also tode me of a couple of emergnecy repairs... a dollar bill folded
up and the wraper from a power bar (or similar) it's made of mylar apparently..

The fix enabled me to complete the ride (another 40 or so miles). A friend of mine did the dollar
bill approch (I found out after the ride) and rode the tyre out... about a year later.

I've subsquently add a roll of rim tape to the repair kit a carry.

Nigel.

Derral wrote:
> I have had some good results by making a boot out of a piece of rim tape, the type that is made
> with a heavy fabric with adhesive backing, such as the "Velo brand". I had a cut in a road bike
> tire (120psi) and used a piece of rim tape for a temporary fix, that was over a year ago, and am
> still using it. This cut was bad enough to cause a bulge in the tire and the tube was showing
> through the cut, the rim tape was strong enough to prevent the tire from bulging.
>
>
> "Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Took a direct hit from a piece of glass in my front S-Licks the other day. Left a nice 10 mm long
>>rip in the tire. Was just wondering if theres any way to glue it and keep the tire a bit longer? I
>>already put a nice thick tireboot of rubber in, but I think that rip is going to grow and the tire
>>is fairly new.
>>
>>M.
>