Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Spare tire ?

On a long ride (50 to 100 miles or more), I imagine I should carry a spare tube. And I'll need to carry a frame pump. Does anybody also carry a spare tire ? If yes, how do you carry it while cycling?

On a long ride (50 to 100 miles or more), I imagine I should carry a spare tube. And I'll need to carry a frame pump. Does anybody also carry a spare tire ? If yes, how do you carry it while cycling?

The only one I currently carry is around my midsection.
If I were to bring a folding tire on a ride, I have elastic straps under my seat wedge (Topeak Aerowedge, XL size) and I could put it there, or in my handlebar bag if I bring that one instead.

On a long ride (50 to 100 miles or more), I imagine I should carry a spare tube. And I'll need to carry a frame pump. Does anybody also carry a spare tire ? If yes, how do you carry it while cycling?

I carry a spare folding tire with me all the time, just so I don't forget it when I take off on a LONG (200+ mi) ride. I also ALWAYS carry a pump (Road Morph), 2 or 3 spare tubes and a patch kit. Flats happen, and there isn't always somebody at home if I get a flat.

SP
Bend, OR

Toe-strapped under my saddle - but I haven't carried one for a long while.

for long rides i carry one tire, and one tube, as well as a patch kit.

to carry the tire/tube/other stuff i use a carradice "cape roll," which is really just a fabric wrap that attaches to your seat. i like to have the extra tire just in case i blow one out and it can't be fixed via a boot (which i also carry, in the form of a strip of denim)

you can see my setup here attached to the seat: (jacket was also stuffed in there)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2794636608_4c247c07a9.jpg?v=0

Did a century with a great riding partner. He had a repaired folding tire strapped right under his saddle. It had been patched so he carried it as temp rescue tire. Worked great when I split the side wall on my tire. Good thing he was more than prepared. I did have a support vehicle but was in the century a month challenge. That would have killed it but thanks to his rescue tire!:thumb:

Point it, even an old worn tire will do the trick when needed!

On a long ride (50 to 100 miles or more), I imagine I should carry a spare tube. And I'll need to carry a frame pump. Does anybody also carry a spare tire ? If yes, how do you carry it while cycling?

I carry a folder (Vredestein), I started carrying it after I sliced a tire on a century (3" slice) I had to ride 5 miles on the flat (front) to the rest stop to get another used tire. I finished the ride at 19.8 mph avg (a personal best). We've used my spare 5 times on group rides so far. These were all long (60+ mile) rides.

I carry a spare tire on all brevets, permanents, and any other unsupported long ride.

BTW, in addition to a spare tube, you should carry a patch kit. You might get more than one flat.

If you don't have a gen-u-wine folding tire, here's one way to fold a wire-bead tire....
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/video/tire-folding.html

On a long ride (50 to 100 miles or more), I imagine I should carry a spare tube. And I'll need to carry a frame pump. Does anybody also carry a spare tire ? If yes, how do you carry it while cycling?you should have those things for any ride.
for 50 to a 100 mile rides i don't carry a spare tire. but i always do carry a tire boot made from and old section of tire with the beads cut off. this will repair lots of cuts and many sidewall blowouts.

I'm not normally carrying a spare, but as above a good boot. I use the Park Self Adhesive tire boot - cheap and effective.

When I rode RAIN (www.rainride.org) a 160 mile basically unsupported ride, I did put a good (but used) folding spare in a fanny pack and strap it on the handlebars as a HB bag. Not needed, but great peace of mind as I've had to boot tires far too frequently in the last couple of years. Always on event rides or century + rides.

zzzwillzzz and fholt, I didn't know what you meant by "tire boot", so googled " Park Self Adhesive tire boot" I learned a tire boot is a patch to be cemented inside a tire if the tire gets damaged badly enough to allow the tube to suffer damage. Is the tire sidewall more likely to fail before the tread does? I have a couple of spare tires. I was wondering whether to carry them with me or not. The tire boots (my two tires are different sizes) would be a lot lighter.

I'm not familiar with a sidewall blowout. What causes that?

zzzwillzzz, I'm glad you explained how to make a tire boot from an old tire. Recycling is good. What does cat2-o-meter: 96% mean?

Thanks, all, for your comments. Your comments help me a lot, as my experiences with long-distance cycling can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

sidewalls are usually thinner than the tread, and it seems like the right piece of glass (i've always pictured a piece of a beer bottle) that hits it just right will tear it.

also, a strip of denim, or even a dollar bill, will also work as a tire boot.

PS the cat2-meter thingy means they're 96% on the way to being a category 2 racer(?) or is it almost cat 1? something like that.

I've used a tyre boot, worked fine. I've also heard of sewing the sidewall back together before laying a thin boot along it; I guess this is the same effect as a self-adhesive boot. Also I've heard of using a five buck note (our notes are printed on plastic and are quite tough, I don't know how well it would work with paper notes if you're in the US) or a power bar wrapper.

If you go past a bike shop, just cut a section from some discarded tyres as zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz suggests (sorry it's easier to type if you leave out the middle bit :) ). Use a thin tyre, not a multi-layer-bullet-proof thingie. Easier to fit.

On a long ride (50 to 100 miles or more), I imagine I should carry a spare tube. And I'll need to carry a frame pump. Does anybody also carry a spare tire ? If yes, how do you carry it while cycling?

Get a 'folding' tire (they have a Kevlar, not wire, bead) and are very easy to carry. Also, these tires are often a little harder to get onto the rim, so don't forget your 'tire tools'.

You don't HAVE to have a frame pump. The 'mini-pumps' work perfectly well, although they might take a little longer to get the pressure you want and can be easily carried.

On a long ride (50 to 100 miles or more), I imagine I should carry a spare tube. And I'll need to carry a frame pump. Does anybody also carry a spare tire ? If yes, how do you carry it while cycling?

I had a tire snake and ballon on me after 2,500 miles of wear.
Rode home with the Thump Thump for 30 miles.
When I got home the threads were almost gone.
Boots would Not fix that problem.
I carry Three Spare Tubes, and a Spare Folding Tire.

zzzwillzzz and fholt, I didn't know what you meant by "tire boot", so googled " Park Self Adhesive tire boot" I learned a tire boot is a patch to be cemented inside a tire if the tire gets damaged badly enough to allow the tube to suffer damage. Is the tire sidewall more likely to fail before the tread does? I have a couple of spare tires. I was wondering whether to carry them with me or not. The tire boots (my two tires are different sizes) would be a lot lighter.

I'm not familiar with a sidewall blowout. What causes that?

zzzwillzzz, I'm glad you explained how to make a tire boot from an old tire. Recycling is good. What does cat2-o-meter: 96% mean?

Thanks, all, for your comments. Your comments help me a lot, as my experiences with long-distance cycling can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

as someone noted i am one point away from getting my cat 2 racing license.

sidewall blowouts are usually cased by the casing failing. that can be from old age of the tire or a bad pothole or things like that.

when you have an old tire you will have enough boots for the rest of your life. you do not need to adhere them in place. a 3-5" long piece will stay in place from the pressure of the tube. i use the tire boot because i have not had as good luck with the other methods. i also put a razor blade in my patch kit. that way i can cut my boot into two pieces if necessary or make one out of trash by the side of the road. like an old oil container or plastic bottle.

cave, money is made from linen fibers like clothes are made from, which makes it stronger and why it can run through the washer better than wood based paper

Nice. Good to know it is safe to launder money. :)

I used a Park self-stick tire boot in one of my 26x2.125" tires. Put it in one day, went riding the next and had a flat at the same place. That boot had shifted around in the tire so that the spot was uncovered. So be warned, those things may get you back to the house, but don't try to use them permanently.

I went to Pep Boys Automotive, and they had some small boots for car tires that i used. Maybe 2" square or so. Of course, you couldn't use those in a thin tire without trimming it down, but it is actually rubber and once stuck in, stays there, unlike that self-stick boot.

sidewalls are usually thinner than the tread, and it seems like the right piece of glass (i've always pictured a piece of a beer bottle) that hits it just right will tear it.

also, a strip of denim, or even a dollar bill, will also work as a tire boot.
I've had this happen with the beer bottle you picture as well as with strange shaped metal. However, I would never consider taking a spare tire on a 100 mile ride. 3 tubes, sure. Patch kit, sure. But if I'm that worried about my tires, I'd switch to something heavier.

People rave about Armadillos, but they have the worst ride and grip of any tire I've ridden. And I have had things cut right through them. Schwalbe Marathon Plus is as close to indestructible as it gets though they're insanely heavy.

If you're going long distances, a reasonably flat resistant tire is enough. If the cut is so bad the dollar bill trick doesn't work, you can always stuff grass and other junk in your tire so you can limp in without destroying your rims. Happily, I've never had to do that. Frankly, I think you're far more likely to end your ride in a crash than to have a tire rendered utterly unrideable.

Yes, I carry a Hutchison folder in my trunk bag on long rides.

And I have used my folders on long rides.

I always carry a spare folding tire that's actually narrower then what I ride on, but that's because I need to save space and it's only for emergencies anyway's. If I have a rear tire destroyed then I would put the front tire to the rear and put the narrower spare tire on the front.

The last time I booted with a dollar bill (at mile 92 of a 105 mile ride) I had trouble - probably due to fatigue - getting it all back together. When I got home and took it back apart I found that it was nearly shredded. It may have gotten me 13 miles, but I doubt it would have gone 20.

I like the park because it's adhesive, so it will stay put, and it's fairly thick as well. As to the poster who lamented the next day - that's not what I use a boot for. I expect if the boot is needed, the tire is dead as soon as I get home.

I previously carried a cut down section of tire as was also suggested. However the only time I attempted to use it (on a big dead center tread blowout) I did manage to get the boot to hold, but the new tube then flatted in 1/2 mile.

I never carry a spare tire and have never needed one. Once only, a friend had his sidewall torn and we repaired it with duct tape. Worked OK, at least to bring him home. On long rides I carry 1-2 tubes and a patch kit.

^^^ you carry duct tape on your rides???

I had a friend stop at a convenience store on the way back from a long ride to get a drink and he heard a POW! sound while in the store. He came out to find a hole in his tire. He never knew what caused it. His tire was destroyed. No boot would have worked. Fortunately, he was in a town that had a bike shop and he was able to walk 1 mile with his bike to get a new tire.

My take on all this: Tires, spokes, chain links -- to me if you are touring solo and have absolutely no one to call, you carry all this stuff. If doing rides from home with family/friends a phone call away, or on supported rides with emergency numbers, you don't bother carrying all this stuff. Once I get stuck 70 miles from home, I may change my tune, though.

No, I don't carry duct tape! But another group member does, he had it wrapped around a plastic container where he kept his patch kit.

I keep duct tape and self vulvanising rubber tape wrapped around my seatpost. The duct tape has come in very handy on a couple of occasions.

I always carry a spare folding 700c x 23mm tire. My normal tires are not folding and are 25 mm. I also carry 2 or 3 spare tubes (latex are not so strong). Come in handy in the mountains or when the conditions are very bad. Plus of course all appropriate tools, tire patch and repair kit for tubes

^^^ you carry duct tape on your rides???

You don't???

This past weekend I had a new Vittoria Rubin Pro (with kevlar bead) fail on mile "5" of a century ride. Luckily a volunteer called a nearby LBS and they delivered me a new tire. It was a bit expensive and not as fancy as the one that failed, but if I had been 50 miles into the cascade foothills, I could've been in deep $@#!. I won't rant any further about how a new tire with ~100 miles unraveled itself during a 35mph descent :(

Lesson learned, I'm going to carry a folding 23mm with me from now on.