| How To Repair A Torn Tyre |
| Wednesday, 18 July 2007 | |
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Yes you will tear a tyre on a long ride - no really. Sooner or later you'll tear a tyre big time on a long ride. You can help to avoid this by: Sooner or later you'll tear a tyre big time on a long ride. You can help to avoid this by: 1. Replacing your tyres regularly. (old tyres make you crash!) 2. Checking your brakes don't EVER rub on the tyre sidewall. 3. Avoid getting any degreaser or oils on the tyre. (I use a plastic board between the wheel and chain for this). But you'll tear a tyre anyway if you ride rocky trails like I do! What you need: 1. A carpet needle (these can be bought from good sewing shops - how girlie is that?). 2. Some strong linen thread (from the same shop, try not to let any of your friends see you coming out - a brown paper bag will cover the offending items). 3. An empty plastic toothpaste tube (Crest is perfect) with both ends cut off then slit down the side to give a large square (this weighs almost nothing, but is a real ride saver) 3. Keep these in your pack where you can find them in a years time from now. How you do it: 1. Didn't your mum show you how to sew? (what do you mean you're not a girl?, don't you know this is a girl's site?...kidding, or maybe not). 2. Thread the needle then push it through the tyre about 5mm from the rip towards the tread of the tyre. If there isn't enough casing near the bead to thread through here, just loop it right round the bead. New Tip You may need something to help push the needle through the tyre carcass. We have found the end of the well in the back of a Park Tools tyre lever to be ideal for this. 3. For a long tear, tie the ends together every few loops and cut off, then re-thread the needle and start again it's much easier with a two foot piece of thread anyway. 4. Whadda ya mean will this work? of course it works! I do it all the time on my cheapskate worn tyres and the repair is so good it lasts for several rides. 5. Make sure you use a reef knot (Right end over left, then left over right.... weren't you in the scouts?! oh yeah Girl Guides I get it!) 7. When you replace the tyre, slip the piece of toothpaste tube in between the inner tube and the sewn part of the tyre. This will stop the tube from bulging through any gaps in the repair. A small hole can be covered without sewing in this way. The best way to use the tube is to make the largest piece possible when you cut it. Just snip off both ends and slit down one side. Then you can wrap it right around the tube before re-seating the tyre. The tube will hold the plastic in place and no dangerous bulges! |
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