This was like 1/2" diameter piece of wood penetrated the tire and the tube. I rode it 12 miles or so home after fixing the flat, but is this tire done? do I need to replace it or how soon? Thanks.

Yes and a new camera.

Technically, your tire is probably fine. I think I'd replace it though.

Not being on the sidewall, and with it looking like there's a lot of rubber left, I'd probably just make a really good boot for it and use it as a rear tire.

Unless the casing is damaged to the point that the tire is deformed - either visibly or you can feel it while riding - then the tire is probably OK.

I'd carry an extra tube and boot just to be safe.

Boot* it and watch closely for a couple of weeks.



*higher denomination bills work better than singles. I only use twenties.

this forum needs a like button

I wouldn't boot it with a dollar bill, instead get a Park Boot Patch, once you have it booted reinflate and then put some Gorilla Super Glue on the cut from the outside of the tire. You may have to put on several coats of the glue. If the glue cause a bubbly bump you can take a sharp knife and cut the bump off or ride it and let the road take it off.

Go one better, get a Rema Tiptop tire patch and some Rema Blue Glue. Permanent reinforced patch.

That is a better patch.

You were probably joking, but he doesn't need a new camera. The focus is perfect - on his foot instead of the tire.

Just needs to know how to set the focus point.

UP3 is about the right size.

No, he just needs to learn to use the camera he has. How to manual focus or force focus on a specific spot, so we get a photo of the damage rather than his foot.

I've been experimenting with booting tires a bit, but unfortunately still hunting for the best solution.

The Park boots are a thick vinyl boot, not intended as a permanent repair. They are big, and I found it needed to be cut down to prevent bumping. After about 1000 miles the sharp edges of the boot ate through my tube. I taped the edges of the boot with electrical tape, and a few hundred miles later, the boot absolutely disintegrated. However, the other issue was that I was getting debris chewing holes through the boot (2 different tires), and eventually causing a flat.

I'm now experimenting with a radial tire patch (generic from dept store) for internal reinforcement, and a simple rubber patch for external protection for sidewall damage. So far, so good. I have a slight bulge that I'm watching, perhaps due to poor placement of the internal patch.

A deep tread hole as in the case of the OP's tire might still allow sharp debris down to the internal patch/boot.

I'd be tempted to try something like a radial patch on the inside, and shoegoo on the outside (applied with the tire at full pressure).

Oh, the other thing... how much will a flat on your way to work cost you? If you can't mess around with potential flats, toss the tire.

While I do agree that the Park Boot patch is only a temp. solution, it lasted on one my tires about 3 weeks, but the time that it lasted was too short to eat through my tube but I also don't use ultralight tubes I use medium weight tubes at about 119 grams (I use to use ultralight tubes but I get better service out of ones that are slightly heavier). But 3 weeks was plenty long enough because usually if you have to use something like that the tire is on borrowed time anyways...at least mine was since the gash was about an inch. When I used it on a 230 gram tire I only noticed a very slight bump as I rode, nothing that irritated me.

I've found that Shoe Goo does work but it's not as permanent as Gorilla Super Glue which is tougher than other Super Glues I've tried. The Gorilla product dries a lot harder than Shoe Goo and nothing new will penetrate that whereas with Shoe Goo certain things can go through it, and that's why I made the switch away from Shoe Goo. Also Gorilla glue will dry with a bubble on the outside of the tire, you can either scrape it off or simply ride the bike and within a mile the pavement will wear it off.

I did read once that a guy took a plastic bottle and cut a piece about 1/2 larger than the tire cut, then he sanded the edges of the patch so as not to puncture the tube, then he roughened up one side of the piece of plastic, then super glued it to the inside of the tire and waited 10 minutes than rode his bike and never had a problem again. That process seems a little long to be doing on the side of the road but it could work once you got home and had some time. He also filled in the cut from the outside with the same super glue he used on the patch. Another guy i knew years ago would use a piece of his rim tape he would save then would use his Rema glue that he carried for patching to glue the rim tape in place and never had any long term issues; not sure how well that would hold up to larger cuts though like the one I had.

I'm sure there a lot of people who tried various things and they probably mostly worked; but I never found a dollar bill or a candy wrapper to be strong enough, sure they're tough to tear but things pierce that stuff very easily.

OK, here's the drill with the Rema Patches. Flex the tire and squirt some superglue in the cut. Turn the tire inside out so the cut is forced closed while the glue dries and so you can get to the inside of the hole. Abrade the area around the hole to at least 1/4" bigger than the UP, do a good job. They come in a UP3 = 30mm in diameter 1 1/4", 4.5 = 45mm 1 3/4". Apply a good amount of either Rema Blue Glue or Rema Special Cement BL to the abraded area, bigger than the patch. The difference is the Special Cement is non flammable so can be taken on airplanes. No big gobs, just a thin even layer. Allow it to tack off ie not sticky, don't touch the area where the patch will go. Peel off the foil and apply the patch carefully by rolling it on from an edge, don't touch the surface of the patch, use the clear plastic. Next, since you likely won't have a patch roller, use something smooth and hard to pound on the patch with the inside of the tire supported on something hard. Tire shops use a hammer for this. You can also use a coin as a roller. Lots of pressure, this helps the patch vulcanize to the tire so don't miss any. Then flex the patch so the plastic snaps in the middle and you can peel it off from the middle out. Don't peel from the edge, the vulcanizing takes a while, especially if it's cold. Now you can turn the tire back the right way out. SO you end up with a permanent boot, because the patch has crossed cords in it. Note the radial patches only have cords in one direction, like radial tires. The UPs are designed for cross ply tires like old style car tires and bicycles.