First TT of the season and got a puncture 2 miles from the finish line, putting a sidewall hole in a new tire (Specialized TC 24.) Main hole is about 1/8" with a bit of extra tearing toward the bead. Would you replace or put a boot on the inside and keep riding? I’m assuming replace (opportunity to try Vittoria Corsa Speed? but I do really like the ride of the Specialized…) Thanks for any thoughts
Patch it and use it as a trainer tire. I would not race on a patched tire.
First TT of the season and got a puncture 2 miles from the finish line, putting a sidewall hole in a new tire (Specialized TC 24.) Main hole is about 1/8" with a bit of extra tearing toward the bead. Would you replace or put a boot on the inside and keep riding? I’m assuming replace (opportunity to try Vittoria Corsa Speed? but I do really like the ride of the Specialized…) Thanks for any thoughts
I hate to let a small sidewall tear ruin a brand new tire. I always keep a dollar bill with me and put it inside the tire (at the defect). This is super strong and I have ridden/raced all summer with this in place with zero problems. (I simply forgot about it until a few months later, and a few thousand miles ridden on the tire).
I’d patch it and ride. In fact, I’ve patched and ridden much worse than this. You have to make your own decision as to how much risk you are willing to accept.
I’m not too sure I’d race on the tire, maybe, maybe not. An easy “patch” is using decent quality electrical tape or duct tape that goes in all directions around the hole. a “deluxe” method would be to put some tough plastic (from a strong garbage bag) over the hole then tape that goes beyond the piece of plastic. This way grit won’t stick to the adhesive of the tape. The tube will put lots of pressure to keep it in place and strong.
Good to go!
The majority of my flats are some form of sidewall cuts or penetrations from sharp rocks or aggregates. Instead of tossing these tires I now patch them with Gorilla Tape that is superglued in place and clamped in my bench vise to cure. This leaves me with no worry of tire failure, but the patch is rough enough and stiff enough that I don’t use the tires with latex tubes for racing.
Thanks for all the replies. Interesting to see all the many “boot” variations. FWIW, when I’ve tried a boot in the past, I’d use an inner tube patch glued to the inside of the tire with vulcanizing fluid/rubber cement after roughing up the surface with sandpaper (and then mount with a new inner tube.)
That sucks when that happens to a relatively new tire…but, sometimes you have to ask yourself “How much would I be willing to pay to stay OUT of the hospital?”…Know what I mean?
Replace it for racing. If you decide to try to use it as a training tire (after some type of a more permanent boot repair that just putting a dollar bill inside), my suggestion would be to ONLY use it on the rear.
I routinely patch tires like that.
I use a bit of shoe goo, squeezed from the inside outwards. With a bit of spit on my finger, I smoosh the little bit of shoe goo that oozes out, flat. I let the shoe goo dry overnight, Then I take a standard inner tube patch and glue that on the inside of the tire.
I use those tires for training and commuting. For racing, I use new tires that are only just bedded in.
For a yellow sidewall tire, use clear shoe goo, not the black.
Thanks for all the replies. Interesting to see all the many “boot” variations. FWIW, when I’ve tried a boot in the past, I’d use an inner tube patch glued to the inside of the tire with vulcanizing fluid/rubber cement after roughing up the surface with sandpaper (and then mount with a new inner tube.)
+1
Works a treat and rideable for many miles.
2x on turn it into a trainer tire. Who cares if it blows on a trainer ride? Just costs you a tube.
I wouldn’t want to be on the road and eat it over the cost of a tire.
If it were one of my clinchers, I’d just use a dab of superglue to close the hole and keep riding it for training until the tire is done.
If you got money burning big holes in your pocket, just toss it (who else would want yellow sidewalls anyway).
First TT of the season and got a puncture 2 miles from the finish line, putting a sidewall hole in a new tire (Specialized TC 24.) Main hole is about 1/8" with a bit of extra tearing toward the bead. Would you replace or put a boot on the inside and keep riding? I’m assuming replace (opportunity to try Vittoria Corsa Speed? but I do really like the ride of the Specialized…) Thanks for any thoughts
Get a hold of one of the good old fashioned light em with a match vulcanising patches.
Fix it for sure.
You can still get them from car tyre shops.
Superglue?
Surely that’s about the least suitable adhesive you could use?
It’s anerobic which makes it good for lots of applications but terrible for filling holes, even if you use an accelerator.
It cures hard which is going to stress and possibly further damage the tyre around it and even cut the tube.
I’ve used cyanoacrylate/superglue a lot over the years for various applications. I certainly wouldn’t use it here.