Bicycle Mechanics - boot for the sidewall

I trashpicked a nice conti tire with almost no wear, except a .6mm cut parallel to the bead in the sidewall, but not close to it. I've read all the threads about boots and sidewall tears, really curious if anyone has ever had a good boot that didn't last, why you shouldn't run it on the front wheel? more stress from impacts and turning i assume? thanks for reading / answering a somewhat repetitive question.

Do you mean 6 mm? A little longer than a grain of rice? I had a gash about the size of 2 grains of rice end to end. I used a Park Boot for the inside, some super glue to fuse the gash, and some rubber cement for filler. Because what usually happens, with big gashes, you boot it, and you can see it just start to tear at the edges and get worse. I like to keep the tear from getting longer, and blowing out. That was a Continental 2000 or something all rubber. I just wouldn't go across the country on a boot, just not trustworthy.

yes, thanks, i meant 6mm. i hadnt thought about the tire actually continuing to tear--good point.

yes, thanks, i meant 6mm. i hadnt thought about the tire actually continuing to tear--good point.

No tire is all rubber. The base of a tire is a fabric caseing. If the threads in the caseing get cut, the internal tire air pressure will eventually cause the cut to expand and the tire will eventually blow out. A boot is only a temporary repair. Incidentally, 6mm is a pretty long tear. There are definitely several cut caseing threads in a tear that long.

Eventually a booted tire is going to fail. Your choice is between replacing the tire in the comfort of your home or replacing the tire somewhere on the road.

No tire is all rubber. The base of a tire is a fabric caseing. If the threads in the caseing get cut, the internal tire air pressure will eventually cause the cut to expand and the tire will eventually blow out. A boot is only a temporary repair. Incidentally, 6mm is a pretty long tear. There are definitely several cut caseing threads in a tear that long.

Eventually a booted tire is going to fail. Your choice is between replacing the tire in the comfort of your home or replacing the tire somewhere on the road.

I disagree. I've run boots in tires with pretty large slashes, until the tire wore out, but the boots still held up.

OTOH the Park boots are so thin that the edges can wear holes in your tube, and are only good for on-the-road emergency repairs to get you back home.

Best boot I've ever seen and used is made from an old tire itself cut into an ovalized shape about 2.5 inches long. An old cycling friend of mine gave me one when my brand new (8 miles on it) Conti Grand Prix 4000 ($50.00!) blew out a sidewall and I had to make it back home. Since it was cut from an old tire it fit perfectly. Clever idea that works great and is free.

Bob

both the front and rear maxxis advantage tires on my bike have some form of plastic bag/boot thingy in them, because knobs have ripped off. both holes are between 1/2 and 2/3 the size of a dime.

dumb, i know, but i hate buying new tires and they have seen some of the most technically difficult trails in the world in the past two months with no issues

the internal tire air pressure will eventually cause the cut to expand and the tire will eventually blow out. A boot is only a temporary repair. Incidentally, 6mm is a pretty long tear. There are definitely several cut caseing threads in a tear that long.

Eventually a booted tire is going to fail. Your choice is between replacing the tire in the comfort of your home or replacing the tire somewhere on the road.

When I still worked in a shop and was too CHEAP to buy training clinchers (I raced on sew-ups) I always rode on casing-cut clincher cast-offs. My customers kept me in Contis and Michelins for years. My boots were made from old sew-ups (silk, sometimes!) with the tread peeled off. No glue, just air pressure and friction to hold them in place. Never a boot related failure in ~30,000 miles.

Only in the last few years has my stash of tires run out. Oh the agony of paying full price for new tires!

Later

Mel