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Sidewall cuts

April 3, 2013, 3:18 a.m.
Posts: 690
Joined: Aug. 14, 2007

I picked up an awful 1" sidewall cut to one of my Nobby Nick tire this past weekend. The tire is fairly new so it would be a shame to just toss it away. I was thinking of gluing something into the tire over the slice as a fix. Does this work, has anyone done something simular or is there another approach I should look at…. besides buying a new tire?

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=pH51rAX-G3o

April 3, 2013, 5:41 a.m.
Posts: 53
Joined: March 19, 2011

A 1" slice is pretty hard to repair. I personally wouldn't attempt it.

If you're determined, however, I've found this to be the best method: Sew the cut shut with dental floss or something similar. Then cut a repair patch from the sidewall of an old trashed tire, and use rubber cement or "Shoe Goo" to glue it on the inside of the cut. Clamp it with two pieces of wood and a C clamp while it dries.

April 3, 2013, 6:56 a.m.
Posts: 209
Joined: Aug. 9, 2008

I've done emergency trails side repairs using flexible plastic cards (library cards or similar) and a couple layers of duct tape that have held up for weeks. Cutting the card to provide ample coverage of the cut and then covering it up with the tape to hold it in place.

April 3, 2013, 7:51 a.m.
Posts: 761
Joined: Dec. 30, 2002

I have fixed a gash that went across a road tire (1/2") by gluing a patch to the inside of the tire and covering the patch with a section of rim tape. That got me home and I then proceeded to superglue the edges of the rim tape. That stayed until I retired the tire about 1500 miles later. I was a little nervous blowouts for a while though.

I like the dental floss stitching idea and I think it would work well if combined with a patch/tube/clifbar wrapper repair.

April 3, 2013, 8:03 a.m.
Posts: 4329
Joined: Oct. 24, 2005

Yup, works well.
I've patched up ripped sidewalls using dental floss, then patching the inside and once that's dry, using superglue on the exterior stitchjob.

The best things in life all start with the letter B
Hooray for: Bacon, Bikeys, Boobies, Boards, and Beer!

April 3, 2013, 1:20 p.m.
Posts: 8256
Joined: Nov. 21, 2002

make sure the inside is smooth - any kind of rough edge will eventually wear through a tube.

WTB Frequency i23 rim, 650b NEW - $40

April 3, 2013, 3:31 p.m.
Posts: 5731
Joined: June 24, 2003

Personally I take the hit and buy a new tire. Probably wasn't tough enough to start with. Yeah it sucks to waste a tire with life in it, but I wouldn't risk it.

Debate? Bikes are made for riding not pushing.

April 3, 2013, 3:37 p.m.
Posts: 1923
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

there is a special glue at lordco that will bond anything together and has worked for me to repair flats on bikes, motorbikes and car coolant hoses with great effect. but just buy a new tire

Clunking is for retards.

April 3, 2013, 4:23 p.m.
Posts: 8848
Joined: Nov. 19, 2002

Park makes sidewall patches, but they are for emergency use. (I always carry a couple of them in my patch kit.) For a really big cut I've had to reinforce with duct tape.

The sidewall patches will eventually cut the tube if you leave them in there long enough.

April 3, 2013, 5:20 p.m.
Posts: 2539
Joined: April 25, 2003

I've messed around with sewing, patching, adhesives, Shoe Goo etc. with varying luck. Mostly bad.

Then I tried Gorilla Tape.

No failures. Even tubeless (for about a year 'till adhesive failure, I haven't tried re-applying tape and sealant as the tread is toast.) Amazballz. I've had success with touring tires (Marathon Extreme, 50-80 psi without bulging/failure), mountain bike tires (s-works', controls, and Kendas and Maxxis') and even a road tire (100psi). I use a piece just larger than the cut to hold it together, then another applied parallel ish to the tire that's 4-6" long over top of the first one. If you do a shitty patch and inflate the tire and then try Gorilla Tape you probably will end up with a serious bulge (TWSS). Gotta do the Tape fix before attempting inflation or you'll deform the sidewall.

I now have some Gorilla Tape in my flat kit, and around my touring water bottles and hiking water bottles. I just tape it around something, and pull off however much I need.

April 3, 2013, 5:34 p.m.
Posts: 15019
Joined: April 5, 2007

Thanks for reminding me I need to grab a roll of Gorilla Tape and Tuck Tape.

Why slag free swag?:rolleyes:

ummm, as your doctor i recommend against riding with a scaphoid fracture.

April 3, 2013, 9:53 p.m.
Posts: 690
Joined: Aug. 14, 2007

Well, this is my gash. I was riding tubeless but had to put a tube in to make if home.

I'm actually curious to try sewing it and glueing in a cover over the ripped area. I'll keep y'all updated.

[ATTACH]9084[/ATTACH]

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=pH51rAX-G3o

April 3, 2013, 10:28 p.m.
Posts: 0
Joined: Sept. 20, 2006

Gorilla tape.

April 3, 2013, 10:45 p.m.
Posts: 8848
Joined: Nov. 19, 2002

I now have some Gorilla Tape in my flat kit, and around my touring water bottles and hiking water bottles. I just tape it around something, and pull off however much I need.

I carry mine as a bunch of wraps on the tire pump I carry in my pack.

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