Weisse Luft said:David L. Johnson said:On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 20:20:32 +0000, John Everett wrote:
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:Quoted message said:I remember when one used to be able to buy casing patches, the last
ones I got were from The Third Hand/Loose Screws many years ago. I
haven't seen them since.
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:They come with some patch kits. I had an old silk track tire that I
cut
up for a lifetime supply of boots. IMO there is nothing better.
But the follow-up response suggesting that the tire will be "good as
new"
is wrong. I used to apply boots in sew-ups and use them for a while,
but
even then (when I was cheap) I knew that it was not a great idea.
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:Replacing a tire is cheap insurance against accidents. Toss out the
cut
tire.
Quoted message said:No, they are as good as new. Contact cement bonds the casings and
generous overlap (3/4" from cut) ensures all casing stress is carried
over the break in the patch. Shoe Goo and strapping tape keeps the
tread bond line thin enough to assure long term stability.
I have had tires last over 2000 miles after repair with no ill
effects.
I agree. Booting is safe and permanent, as long as you use the right stuff and
do it correctly. I've booted plenty of tires, and ridden them until the cords
showed. Torn casings are inevitable if you ride mountain bikes on rocky
terrain, etc.
The main concern is using material strong enough to bridge the hole without
blowing out, and a bond strong enough so air pressure doesn't push the whole
patch out the hole. Also, the material should be thin and flexible enough that
it doesn't go "bump" with every tire revolution.
For short term boots, to get you home, you can use dollar bills, duct tape, a
piece of canvas, or the new favorite, Tyvek envelope material. Sometimes it's
hard to get duct tape stickum off to make a more permanent patch, but nothing
beats duct tape for easy wilderness repairs while mountain biking. Most
old-time mountain bikers have a couple feet of duct tape stuck to their bike
somewhere.
The best stuff I've found for permanent repairs is heavy duty sail repair tape,
with the cords on the bias to match the tire casing. This makes any tire as
good as new. I've ridden road tires to the cords with this stuff, without ever
feeling the patch. I've fixed 2" tears in mountain bike tires with no problems.
It's expensive, so unless you're already a sailor, it's probably not worth
buying to patch tires with (just buy a new tire).
Next would be the traditonal nylon reinforced rubber rubber patch, either from a
tire patch kit, or an inflatable boat repair kit. Pieces of old tires work fine
too, they're just bulky and stiff. Pieces of canvas work fine, but seal the
canvas well with Shoe Goo -- cotton loses strength if it gets wet. Use rubber
contact cement for all your gluing, and roll the patch well to get a good bond.
Seal the outside of the hole with Shoe Goo, to prevent any further fraying of
the casing. Trim with a razor blade anything sticking out after sealing, then
smear on a final coat for good measure.
I learned all this stuff during the early days of mountain biking, when gear was
relatively more expensive. We didn't have OEM liquidations, discount stores, or
the internet, or zillions of tire models, and manufacturers vying for our
business. If you tore a MTB tire on a rock, you had to go to your LBS and pay
$40-50 for a new one -- unless you could fix it.
These days, you can go to Nashbar or Performance's websites, or one of Supergo's
stores, and get great tires for under $20, or sometimes less than half that. If
booting is a lost art, this is probably why.
Matt O.
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