TJx

Hi
I discovered this damage to my rear tire today when I was doing some periodic maintenance on my Trek Valencia. These are Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case in 700 x 32C. Not sure how long it has been there, it is kind of hard to pick up unless you clean the tire and are in a well lit area.
My questions are:
I'm assuming they need to be replaced.
In the mean time, based on the pictures, which came out pretty good, can I maybe just stick some rubber cement inside the tears and maybe throw a patch on the outside to get me through until I can get a new tire on there? I have a set of new Kenda Kwik Cyclocross tires but from what I'm reading they don't have the best puncture resistance. I also have a newer Continental Country Ride but I know they suck, I had at least 2 flats in the 1st hundred miles so I don't have much interest in putting that on.
Am I better off leaving the Bontrager on with the fixes I mentioned and maybe carry the Kenda with me?
I commute 10 miles each way.
Is Schwalbe the answer? In fairness to the Bontrager, I do ride through a lot of glass unavoidably plus this could have come from the many wooden bike path bridges I cross, some of the planks are deteriorating and may have hardware sticking out in places?
Thanks for your help!

imi

gah broken glass and wooden splinters pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus would certainly help... sure, glue and patch 'em up 'til you can change tyres (a few days??), and ride gently... just in case... make sure that any external repairs don't have any chance of coming loose and getting caught up in your brakes... this can lead to a very hasty lesson in aviation (don't ask me how I know, it's slightly embarrassing) hihi

prathmann

Doesn't look like either of those spots penetrate the tire cord layer. I'd just put some silicone sealer, like 'Shoe Goo,' in there to keep out any glass or sharp rocks and keep riding them. Get a spare tire to have on hand if these, or other, tears get worse.

Timber_8

I would just run it, this is why you have these tires. I am curious to see how long it will last

JeffS

I'd just ride it - unless you just want to buy something else.

I had a cut all the way through the tire, twice that long that I rode with a tire boot for several months.

prathmann

For reference, here's a tire that I'm still using which has been delaminating for hundreds of miles. It's along the sidewall so debris is unlikely to get in under the tread and it doesn't show any signs of rapid deterioration so I'm just keeping an eye on it.

late

Fix it, as suggested.

Then start looking for your next tire.

I'd go up a size, and up a level in quality. Or two.

In midsized tires the light ones are around 300 grams and the rugged ones are over 400 grams. Sounds like you need the rugged category.

Panaracer has a new tire that looks like it would be really rugged call Ribmo.

Schwalbe has a bunch of rugged tires of varying flavors. I tried the Marathon Racers a couple years ago. Schwalbes Marathons are very rugged, not fast.

What I would look for is a rugged tire that costs over $30. Most in that price range will be. Conti, Michelin, Panaracer, Schwalbe all make tires that would fill the bill.

Here's the tricky part. Do you want a belted sidewall? I don't like them, they give a harsher ride. But you may want to consider it.

I am planning on getting some new wheels for commuting and using a 35c tire, prob the Ribmo.

Giro

Its the rear tire so a blowout is a lot less likely to crash you and as prathmann notes, the cords do not seem to be cut. In addition to gluing/patching the outside (as much cosmetic as anything), I'd do the "belt & suspenders" approach and put a tire boot on the inside and keep riding it.

From what I've read, the Schwalbe Marathon Plus is very puncture resistant with the inevitable trade-offs of heavy/slow (but faster than a flat!) and pricey. Per Peter White Cycle's site, it can be a challenge to mount because it is stiff and one length of the tire will spring out of the rim while you are working on another part. Maybe a second pair of hands would help. He adds that once you get them on, you are unlikely to need to take them off until they wear out.

CliftonGK1

I'm with Giro: Boot the inside, glue the outside back down and ride that sucker 'til it dies.

TJx

I glued down the loose part, put a patch on the outside, rode it today on my commute with no problems.
I went ahead and ordered a Schwalbe Marathon Supreme in 700 x 35C from Wallingford. It seemed like a good compromise between rolling resistance and puncture protection.
I may just carry the new one in my Arkel for awhile or maybe put it on and keep the damaged one for the front eventually were I can keep a better eye on it or save it for a beater bike.
I still think the Hard Case is a good tire, it didn't go flat and whatever I ran over (the side of a exposed bolt on wooden bridge?) may have damaged any tire.

Kojak

Thanks for picking up the Marathon Supremes, I think you'll like them.

As for the tire in the picture, from what I can see, it appears to be salvagable. I'd use some shoe goo, or perhaps some crazy glue to close the little flap, and then boot it from the inside. Park Tool makes a clear plastic tire boot with adhesive on one side. They work pretty well. So long as the carcass of the tire is intact (no tears or holes), you should be able to use it.