UsedToBeFaster

Hi,


This thread is not about how to prevent flats in the first place, but what are the ramifications of fixing them with just superglue rather than a traditional patch

Where I live there are lots of goat head thorns which leave tiny pin holes in tubes. Removing the tire, tube and patching them takes a bit of time so lately I've been just removing that portion of the tube where the thorn is (they conveniently stay fixed to the tire to locate the hole after which they are removed) and stretching the tube and applying some super glue. Thirty seconds later I pop it back onto the rim and "Bob's your uncle" as they say in England!
So far my tubes have held up quite well.

Anyone else had experience with doing this. Good, bad, ugly experiences are welcome!

WizardOfBoz

So you leave the goat head in? And this process works?

The one downside I see is that if the goathead sticks in the tire and your put the tube back in and the prikker on the goathead pops a new hole.

Back in the day in the shop, we'd remove the tire, invert it, feel carefully for any remaining sharp edges, remove them, and then fix or replace the tube.

Bu to your point, one flat fixing kit for tubeless tires suggests that you superglue any cut on the tire exterior and then patch the inside of the tire.

UsedToBeFaster

Of course not! It's just so I know where the hole is in the tube. Once the tube is patched I of course remove the goat head and any other debris near the hole.

WizardOfBoz

Don't be so incredulous. I think that in some cases leaving the goat head in might be a good idea (at least for a tubeless tire). If someone stabs you, don't pull the knife out - wait til you get to the hospital and let the doc pull the knife out.

AnkleWork

Great to see this forum getting back in track rather than continued spinning into ever widening spirals of ridiculousness.

pdlamb

Curious what kind of tire and pressure you're running? I'd think the flex of a low pressure would crack the relatively inflexible glue patch, and of course high pressure would be even more difficult for the glue "patch" to hold.

UsedToBeFaster

There are various youtube videos on this and I decided to try this after a century and getting a flat on the way home. Couldn't be bothered waiting so did the superglue trick and made it home the last 2 miles.

Then I forgot I did it and road for a few weeks and it was fine.

I'm just using standard tubes not latex or anything fancy.

WizardOfBoz

Ridiculousness is what I live for, AnkleWork.

cyccommute 

Got to disagree. For a regular tube without sealant, this is a fairly good course of action. The goad head acts as a plug and keeps some air in the tube (or tire). But when using sealant...whether in tubes or in tubeless...the sealant is there to plug the hole. If you leave the goat head in place, it flexes and breaks that seal constantly which means that the sealant is just along for the ride. Remove whatever is puncturing a tubeless tire (or sealant filled tube) and let the sealant do its job.

WizardOfBoz

I was being flip and, hence, unclear. I agree. In any case, once you get back home, you should remove the goat head from the tire and tube (tire inspection most easily done by first removing stuff from the outside of the tire, then inverting the tire inside-out and carefully feeling for any sharp protrusions). The patch the tube and reinstall.

Also I understand it, if you get stabbed, you're supposed to leave the knife in and let the doc take it out. Same reason as the goat head: the knife acts as a plug.

cyccommute 

Again, only if you aren't using sealant. And even then it's a risky proposition. The goat head is just about as likely to fall out as it is to stay in.

Yes with the knife and with the goat head in normal situations. But if you had blood that coagulated faster, you'd be better off removing the knife. That's what sealant does. Also...and being a bit graphic and morbid here...leaving the knife in would depend on the knife. If it has blood channels in it, it would be better to remove it so that blood can coagulate. That's somewhat analogous to sealant and goatheads. Removing the goathead would be better so that the sealant could do its job instead of leaving it there so that the seal is constantly broken and reformed.

Alex Atkinson

Some month ago I bought some tools for my bike and there was a small tube with glue(together with that tools). I dropped it in my cycling bag(just in case) and it's still there. Hope I'll never need it.

UsedToBeFaster

I am just using this bike now for cycling in my neighborhood. So i am going to see how long the super glue holds air.

So far 20 days

Tusk

Sorry, but next time you go out, you will now need it. Let us know how it goes.

rm -rf

The patch glue will dry up even if it's never been opened. I'm guessing it would be good for maybe a year.

Glued patches are the most reliable. I'm usually running tubes with a patch, and never worry about them leaking.

I use my spare tube on the road, then save the punctured tube. I'll buy a new patch kit and fix 3-5 tubes at once, at home. When using one of those tubes, or putting it in my bag as a spare, I test it on the bike overnight.

Superglue
I'm very surprised that superglue works at all. It's kind of stiff and brittle. I tried filling small cuts in my tires with superglue, and it popped out on the next ride.

I didn't think that superglue would hold on a stretching tube

UsedToBeFaster

I know, but there are lots of youtube videos to patch tube this way and my one (on the front wheel to be clear) is holding on after 3 weeks.

Alex Atkinson

I guess, you'r right about superglue