Which is better to fix flint and glass cuts in a tyre - super glue or vulcanising rubber solution? I've been an advocate of the latter - after all, it sticks patches pretty good - but it doesn't seem to stick around () in the cut for long - in fact, whether it's doing any good, I can't tell. It doesn't seem to seal the sides of the cut, or fill any of those star-shaped cracks left by pointy stones. By the next day, you can't tell the rubber solution was ever there. But using superglue? Surely when it hardens, it's the same as having a flint or piece of glass in the tread?
Superglue is brittle. I've used it in the past, but I'm not sure whether it does any good. I now think that the flexing of the tyre in motion would break up and drive out the superglue. Bit of contact adhesive perhaps?
I use superglue but have on occasion had a slow puncture caused by the glue hardening into a point. It's good for proper long cuts, not so great for tapered holes caused by pieces of glass etc as it just hardens into a point and can on occasion push its way though into the tube. I've a few friends who swear by wetsuit repair glue. It's a contact adhesive like superglue but it doesn't harden. Haven't tried it yet myself but at about £5 a tube it's cheaper than binning a tyre and worth a try.
Now that looks nifty... I may have to give that a go. It's just that the cuts and nicks bother me, especially in tyres that ain't that old. The holes have a habit of trapping water (as can be seen if you wipe your tyre with a dry cloth and watch the smears from the cuts as the cloth passes over) - can't be good. An adhesive that stayed flexible but filled the hole to keep water out might be just the thing.
I have used rubber puncture patches on the inside and outside of a badly cut tyre, that worked fine. Super Glue's no use.
These aren't big cuts - biggest is 5mm maybe - but there's plenty of them. The roads around here are grim for having glass on them, especially in the middle of town.
tyres ain't that much are they, I got a £11 Lugano on the front and it's going very well, not sure I'd be happy running on a tyre with cuts like some of you lot seem to be happy running on
I like good tyres. They make a big difference to the handling and grip. £10 tyres just don't cut it IMO (and I've used plenty of them). If I was to buy a new Fortezza Tricomp or Pro Race every time I got a little cut in it I'd be spending hundreds of pounds a year. Cuts in tyres are inevitable and unless they go right through the carcass or are quite large and make the tyre bulge they are perfectly safe to glue up and carry on riding. Even the mechanics of Pro Tour teams with their huge budgets are known to glue up little cuts, and if it's a good enough solution for them it's certainly good enough for me.
This is how I feel about it. Gators aren't the most expensive tyres, but neither do I like chucking tyres away if they are still safe to use!
erm , I was talking about 10mm cuts ans slashes with the tube bulging out gawd I use tyres until they're going flat too often, like everyone else barring bloody Gators which I gave away after three weeks, cut up and skated in the wet, the Luganos have been lovely and I've got a la de da 4000 on the rear so there
The one thing I have used that did work was the black rubber vulcanising solution that's meant for car tyres (the cycle stuff falls out after a few weeks, as did superglue). Didn't want to get the huge bottle, so the garage let me use a little for free The slits are still good (unopened) after 6 months and counting.
Haven't come across this before. What's this stuff called - do they sell it in motor spares shops? Anyone?
It was a 2-part mix (i.e 2 tins that you mix). Similar to this IIRC (scroll down to last item). But a tad expensive! Had my tyres fixed at the local garage - during a car MOT. You could try an auto spares shop though.
If the cuts are small and have not opened up then I don't do anything with them. I do wash the outside of the tyres after most rides (on the roadies not the commute bike) and at the same time look at the cuts but if any start to open then I change the tyre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get a tube of "Copydex" (liquid latex) and some dry graphite powder, the sort used for dry lubricating locks. Mix together, you will have to do some experimenting to get the proportions right, what you want is enough powder that the copydex doesn't solidify until you have got it in the cut. Push the mixture into the cut and smooth level with the tyre. Allow to harden.
