Hello!

So I'm the bike mechanic in the family, and my husband's tire suffered abrasion on the sidewall, as in these photos. The thing is, he's in another hemisphere right now so I have to make suggestions with only these pictures.





He reports a subtle bulge in the rubber, and though he hasn't actually looked at the interior, he says he doesn't think the inner side of the sidewall is visibly damaged.

Do you think there's a risk of blowout considering there is a very slight rubber bulge? Should the surface be treated? Since he's not in a developed country and I had to bring these nice Japanese Panaracers to him by plane, it's not easy to get a nice new tire.

Thanks!

usually i'm pretty cavalier about this sort of thing. but, IME, it's just a matter of time till the tire prematurely blows out. of course, whether you want to do it now or later, i can't say.

Thanks for your input, hueyhoolihan.

I should mention he lives in a very violent, dangerous city where it's not good to blowout, and he is routinely doing races on this thing for several dozens of kilometers.

Sidewall abrasion is OK until the cords are cut into and begin to fray. Now your husband is like Wily Coyote hanging on a cartoon rope and headed for the bottom, as the strands break apart one by one. The bulge is a clear sign that the process is well on the way and it's only a matter of time, and not much at that.

I don't know his skill level, though it seems low, but if a new tire isn't readily available, he could boot it from the inside to buy time.

Only if it sits in the house and is not ridden again..

Is there a way to keep it from fraying more for the short term, such as applying a glue?

As I said, booting it with a fabric patch on the inside is the right way. I have seen boots applied to the outside, but it's a very short term solution, though it might last a bit longer than doing nothing.

The beast answer is situational. Years ago, on a tour I fixed a similar problem with cloth adhesive tape wrapped around the tire and rim. It was a quick fix, and meant the loss of the brake, but I had a train to catch, and this made it possible.

Normally, I don't consider blowouts or any tire failure especially dangerous, so I'd endorse a makeshift repair. But if the area where your husband is is really as bad as you describe, the risk of being stranded rules out an unreliable repair, unless there's absolutely no other choice.

There's also the skill question, makeshift repairs other than the tape require some skill in execution. If your husband had to email you the photos to get an opinion, I doubt we could explain to him how to do something he could trust.

It's really about options and choices, and not knowing the details of the situation, I can't say what the smartest course would be.

Thank you, your insights are all valuable to me.

So ready to blow. Suicidal damage if you keep riding on it. Not worth the pain ;-)

The moderate cost of replacing the tire should drive the decision to do it now. It far outweighs the savings to be realized by pushing ones luck. bk

Every decision has to be driven by the situation. I suspect that if there were a bike shop at hand with the right tire available, there wouldn't have been the OP in the first place. In any case, blowouts aren't convenient, but not especially dangerous. They're a common enough event, that have been happening for almost a century.

However the OP is more concerned about being stranded, an inconvenience for most, but a dangerous condition where he is.

So the situation involves more complicated choices than simply spending a few dollars on a tire.

That tire is fatally damaged and the only question is where and when it will die. As FB noted a strong internal boot (heavy nylon fabric, Tyvec, etc.) may get it by a bit longer but the real answer is replacement and sooner not later. Your husbands local situation strongly argues for a new tire.

Thanks, all. I told him how to boot the tire, and I think he's going to try to hold out for a little while until I can go over there with a new one. Of course, if it blows out prematurely he'll need a new one.

Thanks again, over and out.

If he can get a piece of 1/32" reinforced gasket material and glue it to the inside of the tire it should last quite a while. I would mount it on the back wheel.

Am I the only one who really wants to know where her husband is?

BOOTING IS JUST TO GET YOU IN FROM THE BOONIES , HOME.

If you can send a picture you can buy a tire. over the same interwebs.

[OK reading the OP, she may have to Mail Him the tire ]

Based on your description of his location and situation, needing a new tire after a blowout my be the least of his problems.

Based on the content of your post, you might consider challenging your initial assumptions.

Sorry, it's classified.

Revolver pistol, only one round in there .. spin the revolving part.. pull the trigger .. is it safe?

mathematics of probability just gives the Odds ..

That tire is toast...... It's deformed!

+1...it seems not many folks see that. That may end up like that. OP will be lucky if it happens while riding very slow or when bike is parked like on the video...
[MENTION=100075]2:1[/MENTION]8 https://youtu.be/9Sz1OfmcS20?t=2m18s

There is the dollar bill trick but I think this level of damage requires a Jackson or two.

I think it requires a CC at this point ;-)

Abrasion suggests the wheel is out of whack and that was the high spot in the bent rim
touching inside the left chainstay .