So halfway through today's ride, my rear tire (a Continental Contact) picked up a roofing nail.
Weird puncture: The nail entered and exited the sidewall. Looked like something skewering the cheek of a facial-hardware enthusiast. Had to push it out with a tire lever.
it didn't pierce the tube. But I don't carry a spare tire, so I immediately rode home (which is why it happened halfway through the ride). Made it back fine, so maybe I weenied out. Now I'm wondering what to do with the tire. It's hard to even see where the nail was. But maybe the sidewall's integrity is shot.
Would you:
— Dump the tire. It's unsafe at any speed.
— Use it for a spare.
— Keep riding on it. It's probably just a cosmetic issue.