cyrano138

I ran over something sharp, and there is a small hole in the tire. I changed out the tube, but is there anything I can put in between the tire and tube that will keep the tube from coming through? The guy at LBS said I could use a dollar bill, but I didn't know if that was just some weird joke only bike mechanics get.

mtusz

It's called a tire boot. Only a temp fix. What you can do depending on the size of the hole is glue (using rubber cement or a tire specific glue) in a patch of tube or if you have an old worn tire, a patch of tire. How big is the hole?

cobrabyte

It's called a "boot".

You can use a variety of items, including a dollar bill. he wasn't joking, just being informative.

FYI, you could also use a peice of the punctured tube instead of a dollar bill

cobrabyte

oh look we posted at the same time, with the same info

bad news hughes

you should use a 20 dollar bill. it is stronger

mtusz

Well look at that cobra... great minds think alike.

patrick8037

I'd recommend getting some sort of tire liner. I use Mr Tuffy's, and they're saving my ass big time.

cyrano138

Thanks for the info. The tire's inflated and there's nothing poking through, but I guess the real test will be a good ride. If it all goes south, I'll try the dollar bill trick. Just trying to avoid plunking down twenty or thirty dollars on a new tire.


**edit: I just noticed super tire sale at nashbar. I've been meaning to put 23's on my bike anyway. Maybe I'll just buy some. Anyone have any luck with the Nashbar brand tires? They seem reasonably priced at 12.49 apiece.

kmoy2002

When I used a boot, I cut up a small piece of water bottle and slipped it over the hold. The plastic water bottle was stiffer than a dollar bill. It held up very well w/o the tube bulging out.

Essentially, you can use anything you want. I've even heard of cyclist using Power Bar wrappers as a temporary tire boot.

patrick8037

This is the last time I used a dollar bill as a boot.

Ride Among Us

if its a clean puncture hole and not a skid patch, you can fill it with superglue. i use the gel type on all my punctures. it works great. you'll never get another puncture in that exact spot again, so why throw the whole new tire away? just fill the hole while its off the wheel, because you don't want to glue the tire to the tube.

matt wisconsin

not to hijack, but I got my first puncture test riding my new saddle in the basement (first flat since summer).
do you think I have to boot it or will it be fine?

cyrano138

Thanks for all the info, everyone. I'll see how this all pans out and post if anything interesting happens.