B1KE

Hey everyone,

I was checking my tires and I notice I have a puncture in my side wall, the tires are still relatively new(1200 miles) and it's my first road bike so I'm not sure if I can repair them or I have to replace them. Any advice/ tips appreciated.






Thanks

caloso

It looks like it's also bulging. I would toss that tire.

10 Wheels

Get a new one soon.

RPK79

I have a much less noticeable puncture from a nail in a tire that had <50 miles on it. I set it aside for trainer duty. I don't trust it anymore. Sure, I might be able to repair it and ride for thousands of miles, but I would always have that niggling sensation in my mind as I was plunging down a fast descent...

FLvector

Looks more like a cut that went through a layer of threads. I wouldn't risk riding on it.

B1KE

Agreed, I think my plan will be to replace both at the same time and keep the good one as a trainer tire.

B1KE

Is there any reason to change the tube as well or should I just change the tire?

cale

How'd you do that? Parking? Haha

Seriously, I would have thought that a huge pinch flat (the tire got caught between the rim and the object) would have been most memorable. Seriously, the best tip I can offer is, after you replace the damaged tire, keep your tires fully inflated and don't run over curb or other road obstacles. If your previous bike was a mountain or hybrid, your inexperience with high pressure clincher tires is very understandable.

hueyhoolihan

i wouldn't consider it risky for me to ride that tire. but i would have to accept the fact that there is a much greater possibility of getting a flat. i'd probably boot it from the inside though with a good sized section of an old tube or something even more substantial. remember, this is coming from a guy that habitually runs his tires down to where the casing is visible.

there is a point where a bulge, when inflated, of a certain dimension has me thinking seriously about a new tire though.

B1KE

I think it started when my LBS over inflated my tires. The tires are Specialized Espoir sport 700 x30(same ones as on diverge) so I figured they are pretty bullet proof. They have a PSI of 85-95 but the idiot at the shop pumped them up to 110 and when I took it for a spin I also hit a nasty pothole and heard a loud clunking noise as I rode through it which made matters worse. When I got home I checked the PSi and it said 110. Which makes sense that it would cause the hole and create a big bulge.

It's a shame I have to change tires but I think I will play it safe and buy 2 new replacements.

richietables 

Maybe the LBS that put in 110 will work with you on the replacement tire? At least at cost would be nice.

milkbaby

It's not the 110 psi versus 90 psi pressure itself that is causing a bulge in my opnion, but it looks like the casing is broken in spots which leads to bulging. The woven casing under the rubber tread is really what gives the tire shape and holds it together. It looks like something ripped into the sidewall to tear it up, a big pothole hit is more likely to cause a pinch flat.

If it's only one tire that's damaged like that, you don't need to replace both tires. I just replaced a tire with the casing cords showing, so what I did was put the newest tire on the front and the older tire on the rear. A front blowout is much more likely to lead to a crash than a rear blowout, and you're also much more likely to be able to ride out a rear skid than a front skid (I've lost the rear a few times and have always recovered without going down).

Wilfred Laurier

I would be very surprised to find a tire rated to 95 psi that couldn't safely go to 110 psi. That looks like something cut it - either the edge of a pothole or something else.

SpeshulEd 

This. Sidewall cuts happen, I'm surprised the tube didn't blow out considering the way that looks. If the tube is fine, you don't have to replace it, just the tire. You could probably boot it and use it as a trainer tire, of course, I tried that once and ended up getting a flat on the trainer.

B1KE

Th

Thanks for your detailed reply. Wouldn't it be better to replace both so they wear at the same rate? Would I notice any difference in speed/handling/feel if I have one tire with 1100 miles and 1 brand new one? I guess it just doesn't "feel" right to me.

SpeshulEd 

Put the new one in the back and you won't notice the difference after a few days...week...month, depending on how much you ride.

Black wallnut 

The problem is they do not wear at the same rate. You will wear out two rear tires to every front. Replace the damaged tire and move on.

milkbaby

+1

OP, the rear tire definitely wears out much quicker than the front. As soon as you pile on a number of miles, the two tires are already quite different. Don't go by your "feelings", if you did, you'd still think the earth was flat and the sun revolves around the earth!

catonec 

tires are consumables, replace it.

CliffordK

No.
30mm tires are pretty big tires, but you won't notice the difference. It is not uncommon for a person to wear down the rear to the threads while the front is virtually new.

It would be mainly cosmetic if you buy a different brand/color of tire.

Lots of debate on that. Some people suggest putting the best tire up front.

I rarely grind all the way down to the threads before replacing, but I've been trying to even out the wear a bit, but would probably put the oldest tire on the back so it would wear out and be replaced quicker.

a1penguin

"Do you feel lucky?" Just like car tires, sidewalls are thin and if damaged, the tire should be replaced. I would not risk a catastrophic tire failure on a 35+ mph downhill. Or even on a 20 mph flat.

Ice41000

In the garbage it should go.

indyfabz

One year back in the 90s there was a Philly edition of Interbike. I got a couple of free passes from a bike advocate friend of mine and attended the show with a buddy. A Continental rep. in attendance told us the max pressure rating on their tires was 50% of what the tires are designed to withstand. That figure was insisted on by the lawyers.

FLvector

It's not like a car where you need to replace both front or rear tires at the same time for better handling. The wear rate of the rear tire for me is about 3x the front, so you only need to replace the damaged tire for now. And as you go forward replace only the tire that shows significant wear. You don't need to replace both at the same time. Inspect the inside of the damaged tire to see if there's any damage. If not, then the tube should be fine to reuse again.

seymour1910

This. Exactly this, anyone saying it's no big deal is playing with fire here. It baffles me how cyclist have no issue paying 2k+ for a bike, high prices for wheels, but risk everything trying to avoid spending $30 on a tire.