Fixing a Flat

Triathlon Forum
1

I flatted for the first time yesterday on my Soloist, due to some glass I picked up. After much time, I was able to fix it by patching the tube. First time I’ve had to fix one, so as a newbie, I would really appreciate if anyone can help me figure out–

  • How long/well do patches of tubes hold up? I used a glueless patch. It was a tiny nick in the tube.

  • Or should I just replace the tube?

  • Do I need to worry about the tiny nick in the tire? I think I was able to get all the glass out.

Thanks!

  • Steve
2

In my experience, those little patches can hold up forever, so don’t bother with a new tube just now. I’ve even heard a mechanic I know say that a tube is better with that patch on it (as long as properly applied). As for the nick in the tire itself, I would not worry about it, but watch it pretty often. If it gets bigger you could have a blowout and a dangerous situation. If you look closely at any tire it will have some nicks in it assuming you don’t ride on pristine macadam for every ride, so that is normal.

3

Thanks for the info! That’s good to hear about the patch. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on the tire. A blowout, especially downhill, is exactly what I would worry about. Thanks again.