Biggest bit of glass I have seem so far....s**t (5mm deep); and a hole in my trye

[knonist]

Got out of work 90mins late (18:30PM), as soon as I got out the gate, I felt the rear tyre was a bit bumpy, so did a quick check, and found out the tyre was flat, but it was too dark and too cold to do a proper check. I tried pumping it up to enusre it is not a value issue and heard a slow leak.

So I pump it much as much as I can with my hand pump, and cycle to the train station instead of the usual commute (1.5miles away), and top it up again in the train station and then did another 2miles to home.

Found the biggest bit of glass ever in my marathon plus, instead of a sharp puncture, it dug a hole in my tyre, exposing the blue rubbery layer.

Taking the tyre off the rim was a nightmare; it took me almost 25 mins (and a few biscuits), and I found out I have to use 2 tyre lever at the same time whilst I push the tyre off the rim.

On the other hand, putting the tyre back on was very easy, until the last bit where I had to push the final bit of bead back into the rim. And I broke one of the two tyre lever I have. I was panicking until I saw a thin bit of glass fibre (30mm*100mm*1mm) I had from work the other day and thought: this bit of material is very stiff yet very difficult to snap, therefore I gave it a try, and it works like a treat. Popped the tyre back in within 20 second and no damage to the material.

The material is thin enough to slip to act as a tyre lever, flexible enough not to break and pinch the tyre, but also stiff enough for me to apply the force to pop the tyre in! What a wonderful bit of material.

As a little project, I’m thinking to make a few more glass fibre tyre lever in the future, and wonder if anyone interested in them.

If glass is not stiff enough then I might switch to carbon, but then it might to too stiff and pinch the tyre.

Just a thought.

PS, since the tyre got a hole on the surface, it is still ok for road use or it will cause alot more p**cture?

 

[gaz]

Just use steel tyre levels, or re-inforced plastic levers.
They come with the handy hook that clips to your spoke whilst you use the other to run around the beed.

 

[knonist]

Just use steel tyre levels, or re-inforced plastic levers.
They come with the handy hook that clips to your spoke whilst you use the other to run around the beed.

steel might pinch the tyre or damage the rim.
reinforced plastic = glass fibre or carbon fibre (that's where the name GRP and CRP came from)

 

[hackbike 666]

Yes,that's a piece of glass,That'll learn you to gutter hug.

 

[swee'pea99]

I've used metal for years - I've never damaged a rim. (Plastic ones are useless - they just break.) I have pinched. If glass fibre or carbon would do the job as well as metal, without pinching, I'd certainly be interested. But like I say, metal's the only type that I've ever found resists simply snapping when the going gets tough.

 

[knonist]

I'm thinking of making a triangle one, as I only used an angle of it and it gives better grip. I remember a accessories manufacturer made a similar one which I cant remember whom.

 

[hackbike 666]

Last few I've had have been,

1) A nail
2) A screw.

 

[knonist]

Last few I've had have been,

1) A nail
2) A screw.

you managed to keep the tyre after the puncture?
or you have to throw it away?

 

[buddha]

Soma tyre levers - metal inside, plastic on the outside. About a fiver for two, but they are pretty tough.

 

[knonist]

Soma tyre levers - metal inside, plastic on the outside. About a fiver for two, but they are pretty tough.

mutidirectional fibres can do a better job, stiff but still flexiable yet light...but more costly then metal + plastic.

Havent thought about the cost but even if I managed to make some, I wont be be making masses of it, so each one will be hand made.....
It shouldnt be massively expensive but unlikely be as chaeap as fiver for two

 

[gaz]

will you create them with the hook to attach them to the spokes?

 

[hackbike 666]

you managed to keep the tyre after the puncture?
or you have to throw it away?

Yes.The first time was an armadillo and the second time was a greentyre.

I now have two (shoehorn type) tyre levers (plastic type) which came with/for fitting the greentyre.Guess they'd be ok for fitting normal tyres.

 

[knonist]

will you create them with the hook to attach them to the spokes?

Probably not as this bit could be done by a normal lever.
The purpuse of this lever is to pull out / push in a larger section of bead, especially the final bit where it is the tightest. From tonight's experience, it did the job of two (or more) levers in one go.

 

[knonist]

Made a pair of prototype this morning,

The head (the bit that insert between the tyre and the rim) is around 28mm wide,
The bud is 56mm wide to give a comfortable grip,
The thickness is 1.15mm, so it is thin enough to insert into the tyre.
Length is 130mm.

Will attach pictures tonight.

Will give it a try in the next few weeks (i'm going to holdiay next week), but if someone want to try them out during x'mas, I'm happy to send them away.

All the edges are rounded off, and I think it should work pretty well

 

[Norm]

will you create them with the hook to attach them to the spokes?

Funny how you can read something a couple of times before thinking to yourself "Oh, so that is what the hook is for!"