Bicycle Mechanics - can i run this tire with this gash? (pics)

Picked up some glass last night.... Can I just replace the tube, or is this tire shot?
Thanks
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/3316/gash18mm.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/1521/gash27pf.jpg

A small dab of shoe goo will hold that together. I would probably try that first, then try a tire boot (my preference is a piece of a Tyvek envelope like FedEx uses). If they both fail, then replace the tire.

I just googled shoe goo - never heard of it, but it sounds cool. "dries to a waterproof, flexible rubber"

Any idea where I can buy the stuff?

I just googled shoe goo - never heard of it, but it sounds cool. "dries to a waterproof, flexible rubber"

Any idea where I can buy the stuff?
Any sporting goods store or the sporting goods department of K-Mart or Wal-Mart will have it. It was originally developed to build up worn soles on running or other athletic shoes but it's a pretty good glue/sealant too. Another possibility is a drop of Super Glue to close the cut.

BTW, If the cut has gone all the way through the casing cords and can be seen from inside the tire, I recommend discarding the tire.

BTW, If the cut has gone all the way through the casing cords and can be seen from inside the tire, I recommend discarding the tire.

I think the Shoe Goo and a boot that adheres to the inside of the tire will allow the tire to be used even if the cuts go through the casing.

I got my tube of Shoe Goo at:

http://www.holabirdsports.com

I was on ride last week and picked up a similar cut. It was fairly easy to fix with a boot and a replacement tube. I got home OK but have since changed the tyre.

- Wil

If it's just the rubber, wouldn't worry about it. Go with the Shoe Goo if you want; might limit it peeling back more. But the rubber is not what contains the pressure; the casing does that. If the casing threads are damaged, replace it.

My test is to replace the tube and reinflate the tire.

If I can feel a bump or if the tire tread makes an ess curve, then some of the tire cords have been cut and the tire is shot.

If a tiny bubble of inner tube balloons through the tire, I boot the inside of the tire with a piece of duck tape to hold in the inner tube.

Ok... I think I'll try repairing it just for the sake of stocking up on Shoe Goo and tire boots. If it doesn't work... oh well - it's a cheap Panaracer Pasela, and I got about a 1000 miles out of it.

Looks OK to me. The cords are not cut so the strength of the tire is unaffected. Filling the cut with superglue, silicone, or shoe goo might help prevent debris from getting in the cut, but otherwise, it's no problem to ride.

A closer inspection reveals:

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5461/gash34ke.jpg

Are the cords the closely spaced lines that the cut intersects, or the lighter lines spaced about a half inch apart that the cut just missed?

My test is to replace the tube and reinflate the tire.

If I can feel a bump or if the tire tread makes an ess curve, then some of the tire cords have been cut and the tire is shot.

If a tiny bubble of inner tube balloons through the tire, I boot the inside of the tire with a piece of duck tape to hold in the inner tube.

Do this and report back.

Tread only cut can be fixed with super glue. Thru the casing it's hasta la vista.

The cords are the closely-spaced lines. It looks like three of them are cut. You can try Retro Grouch's suggestion, but to be on the safe side, replacing the tire would be best. As has been said here before, a new tire is cheaper than dental work!

you will be fine... boot it with tyvek or a folded dollar bill and go. i rode w/ a gash even bigger than that for 6 months without any problems whatsoever

My experience matches ZachS.

Depending on how rough you ride and your road conditions you can boot that one and not run it as a race tire. Personally I would, double tyvek it or cut a piece from a plastic bottle or milk jug (sand the sharp edges down) in conjunction with shoe goo. Keep the goo inside the tire/lower than the tread. If it goes outside it can pick up and hold debris due to its softness. Check it before and after rides. Have a spare tire ready to swap at home. Make sure you take a pump, spare tube and boot with you. If you are really concerned or unsure take a foldable spare. If you are concerned, you should maybe ride with a foldable spare anyway. It looks like you have 3-500 miles left in that tire.

you will be fine... boot it with tyvek or a folded dollar bill and go. i rode w/ a gash even bigger than that for 6 months without any problems whatsoever

a folded 100 dollar bill works better. it just matters with the inside cuts. like shoe goo, or a tape of somekind, and i would run it in the back... not the front.

If it is just a Pasela, why not just buy a new one. 10 or 15 bucks depending if they are on sale.

Put a Park adhesive tire boot on the inside of the tire and you should get many more miles out of it.

Put a Park adhesive tire boot on the inside of the tire and you should get many more miles out of it.Yeah, I find that 3M Fastak Super Weatherstripping Adhesive works really well to glue old Tyvek race-numbers to boot those cuts. Follow the instructions on the box and glue a dime-sized Tyvek patch on the inside of the tyre over that cut. Then glue a quarter-sized Tyvek patch on top of that. No big bumps, no thick boots that move on the inside that can cut your tube. The repair ends up being just about as strong as the original casing. If it's over a 1/4" cut, you can even lay a third layer of Tyvek for extra reinforcement. Then dab a little ShoeGoo on the outside and you're back on the road! :)

Glue a patch to the inside of the tire and use Shoe Goo or Super Glue on the outside. That tire will last for many more miles.

Bob

A closer inspection reveals:

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5461/gash34ke.jpg

Are the cords the closely spaced lines that the cut intersects, or the lighter lines spaced about a half inch apart that the cut just missed?
That tire looks to me as if there are at least 5 damaged cord, but there is a second ply running in the opposite direction which is also dmaged at least that much. I woulddn't ride that tire, but I might boot it with duct tape and carry it for a spare.
There is a lot of bad, even dangerous, advice in this thread.

em

Glue a patch to the inside of the tire and use Shoe Goo or Super Glue on the outside. That tire will last for many more miles.

Bob
That depends what kond of patch you use. A Park boot, or duct tape, or Tyvek might work, but a flexible patch like a Rema is designed for tubes, and is virtually worthless as a tire boot.

em

Yeah, I find that 3M Fastak Super Weatherstripping Adhesive works really well to glue old Tyvek race-numbers to boot those cuts. Follow the instructions on the box and glue a dime-sized Tyvek patch on the inside of the tyre over that cut. Then glue a quarter-sized Tyvek patch on top of that. No big bumps, no thick boots that move on the inside that can cut your tube. The repair ends up being just about as strong as the original casing. If it's over a 1/4" cut, you can even lay a third layer of Tyvek for extra reinforcement. Then dab a little ShoeGoo on the outside and you're back on the road! :)
A boot os way more effective if it extends the full area between the beads. The damaged cords extend from bead to bead, and so should the repair.

a folded 100 dollar bill works better. it just matters with the inside cuts. like shoe goo, or a tape of somekind, and i would run it in the back... not the front.
A $100 bill does work better, because you will not forget to remove before it disintegrates.

My test is to replace the tube and reinflate the tire.

If I can feel a bump or if the tire tread makes an ess curve, then some of the tire cords have been cut and the tire is shot.

If a tiny bubble of inner tube balloons through the tire, I boot the inside of the tire with a piece of duck tape to hold in the inner tube.
This is what engineers call destructive testing. If you have any doubt about a tire, boot it before you inflate it. That will save the tire by preventing bulges from developing. If a tube pops through the tire, it will always burst, and usually it will be damaged beyond repair.

Ok.... Last night I made a patch by layering a slightly larger square of duct tape over a dime-sized piece of Tyvek and pressing it over the cut after applying a small amount of shoe-goo. Then I shoe-goo'ed the cut on the outside of the tire. I fit a new tube and pumped it up until it felt like the tube was pressing firmly against the casing. This method seemed like a nice combination of everyone's advice. (minus the $100 bill - if I had one of those, I wouldn't be repairing a Pasela).

Then this morning, I pumped it up the rest of the way. I don't see any bulging or S-curving at the cut, and the goo seems to be holding it closed nicely. I'm running it on the back and am leaving for a ride shortly. I'll report back to this thread if the repair fails.

This thread ended up being a lot of conflicting advice, but it seemed like more people were in favor of the repair than against it, so I'm giving it a shot.

Sounds good. This repair should hold just fine until the tread wears out and you replace the tire.