Originally Posted by
Beach Bob
Saw a good trick on the road a few weeks ago. Fellow had worn a hole right through the tire which left the tube exposed. A passing rider stopped to help the guy out with the tube replacement and told him to fold up a dollar bill to slide over the hole to protect the tube so he could ride back to his car/bike shop/whatever for a new tire.
Filed the trick in the memory bank in case I saw a similar breakdown...
A dollar bill works well as an emergency boot because it has threads in it to keep it from just tearing and letting the new tube protrude through the hole. I found these neat little patches from Park tools that I think work a little better, especially since they have an adhesive back to keep them in place. Depending on the size of the hole, you may be able to use these as permanent tire patches:
Park Tool TB-2 Emergency Tire Boot (Pack of 3)