Best tire pressure to get home with damaged tire

[ExBrit]

One of our group hit a sharp metal object that split his Schwalbe Marathon tire and blew the tube out. There was a hole in the tire I could poke my finger through. I used a dollar bill as a tire boot (one advantage over a pound coin), put in a new tube and pumped it up to 50psi (about half normal). I reasoned the low tire pressure would reduce the strain on the boot. Fortunately we were only 6 miles from the cars and we made it back OK.

As we were riding home at 10mph I wondered if the tire pressure mattered. After all, the tire will compress until the weight of the rider matches the internal pressure of the tire. Was I right to complete the ride with low air pressure, or not? Does it matter?

Thanks

 

[ColinJ]

I'm not so sure about the actual pressure. I certainly wouldn't put a lot of pressure in though.

I would be concentrating on patching the hole. I always carry a length of duct/duck tape wrapped round a piece of cardboard in case I ever have to do that. Last year, I finally had to do it. I was doing a group ride and someone's tyre blew out. We were about 10 miles from the nearest bike shop so I used several layers of tape to patch the hole. It held until we got to the shop, where he bought a new tyre.

It struck me later that we could have used a length of the damaged tube instead. Cut a length out of the tube and fold it a couple of times, then put that between the hole and the new tube. I reckon that would hold pretty well?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm not so sure about the actual pressure. I certainly wouldn't put a lot of pressure in though.

I would be concentrating on patching the hole. I always carry a length of duct/duck tape wrapped round a piece of cardboard in case I ever have to do that. Last year, I finally had to do it. I was doing a group ride and someone's tyre blew out. We were about 10 miles from the nearest bike shop so I used several layers of tape to patch the hole. It held until we got to the shop, where he bought a new tyre.

It struck me later that we could have used a length of the damaged tube instead. Cut a length out of the tube and fold it a couple of times, then put that between the hole and the new tube. I reckon that would hold pretty well?

I usually carry a short length cut of an old tyre in my saddle bag in case this happens.

 

[I like Skol]

It struck me later that we could have used a length of the damaged tube instead. Cut a length out of the tube and fold it a couple of times, then put that between the hole and the new tube.

Have done this^^^ and actually used the Stanley knife blade that had caused the damage to slice up the old inner tube

I usually carry a short length cut of an old tyre in my saddle bag in case this happens.

I now do this and carry a 3" section of old tyre with the beads cut off and the tread rubbed off with a grinder so effectively it is just a peice of the required tyre casing which can be slipped into a damaged tyre if needed but is minimal weight and bulk to be carrying around forever and likely never needed......

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Have done this^^^ and actually used the Stanley knife blade that had caused the damage to slice up the old inner tube

I now do this and carry a 3" section of old tyre with the beads cut off and the tread rubbed off with a grinder so effectively it is just a peice of the required tyre casing which can be slipped into a damaged tyre if needed but is minimal weight and bulk to be carrying around forever and likely never needed......

Over the years I've been carrying the piece of tyre I've only needed it once but have bailed out three other people.

 

[si_c]

The new plastic UK notes do appear significantly better for the purpose of acting as a tyre boot than the older kind which is a plus. That being said I would have done no more than the OP, once a boot has been fitted, inflate to the maximum I felt comfortable with given the particular cut in the tyre and then ride either to a bike shop, train station or home depending on which was closest.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Use ideas - thanks

Yet another thing to add to the emergency kit!

 

[All uphill]

I have/had a mini first aid kit that I have carried around with me for years.

When a friend had the carcass of a tyre fail we used the mini scissors from the first aid kit to cut up the little zip up bag it came in to create a boot. It worked fine and I got a new first aid kit!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Been thinking (I do that occasionally) and I would think that wrapping a bit of a plastic bag around the tube a few times would probably be quite good
and you can always find an old plastic bag around somewhere
sticking it on a bit with some rubber solution from the patch repair kit might help keep everything in place as well

 

[Dogtrousers]

I carry Park Tools adhesive tyre boots. I''ve used one once and it worked spiffingly well. I just pumped the tyre up moderately firm / until my arm got tired from pumping because, at the time, I didn't have a pump with a pressure guage.

 

[Juan Kog]

Like Dave r and Mr Skol for many years I have carried a short section of tyre. Following the example of another cycle club member , I also now carry a patch of cut up tooth paste tube .

 

[presta]

I carry a small sheet of leather and a pukka Romac tyre patch, but I've never needed either. I had a tyre split wide open once, but it was held together by the last few strands of bracing like hair combed across a bald head, so I just let out as much air as possible to ease the load for a couple of miles to the nearest bike shop.

 

[Reynard]

Good thinking about the leather @presta I have plenty of scraps lying around that would do the job.

Would much rather have something to hand and not need it than the other way around.

 

[andrew_s]

I usually carry a short length cut of an old tyre in my saddle bag in case this happens.

I do that too - a piece of slick 28 mm road tyre with the tread still on, but the beads cut off.

The tread gets left on in case the cut is in the middle of the tread - the road will wear through a £5 note or other non-tyre boot fairly quickly.
If you leave it in place long enough (months), the step between the inside of the tyre and the bit of tyre being used as a boot will wear through the inner tube and cause a puncture.

If the bulge looks ominous, or it's an impending rim split (as it was in my case), you can ride home on fairly low pressure (40 psi in 28 mm Gatorskins) provided that you take care.

 

[ColinJ]

I think the piece of old tyre is the best suggestion so far. I will have to have a look to see what I have lying about. I usually keep a few worn but unholed tyres for turbo trainer spares. ***




*** I have just remembered that someone suggested this a couple of years ago. I think that there may already be a strip of tyre lurking at the bottom of the backpack that I wear on rides.