I was shot at tonight in lewisham.

[jonny jeez]

I'm torn (pun intentional) between "liking" your post.

If i "like it" it could be misconstrued as liking the fact you had an unfortunate incident.

I like your post.

I'll let you [Jonny] decide whether I should like the original post.

I shan't be offended ...like-away dear boy

 

[jonny jeez]

Buy a new tyre Jonny. That's not economy you need to risk yourself for, especially given the high speeds you do on some of your commute.

Yup...off the the LBS in 5 to do just that. It's a folder so its feasible I can leave the old one (with a boot inserted) in the rucksack as a spare...actually I think I'll just carry a boot, if my tyre is damaged beyond a boot repair i'll call in air support from a mate and just get a lift.

Aren't mates great. I got a text, whilst wandering towards hither green station last night, asking if I was riding tomorrow at which point I explained my story. Next second got a call from another mate telling me he was on the way to collect me, he'd been rung by the first mate and had jumped straight in the car.

 

[Steve Saunders]

Not an inner tube, but I've had a cheapo track pump explode while inflating my tyres once ... in the garage with the door shut ... that was LOUD!!!

 

[biking_fox]

According to a friend the Pro riders used - once upon a time - use a dollar bill as a tyre boot. Specifically a US dollar as they contain a much higher cotten% and so don't distigrate in the wet. I've currently got a thin bit of OH's crafting suede doing the same thing.

In my experience if it works for the 1st couple of miles/puddles it will work for 100s providing it isn't on the upper surface taking direct road wear. The important thing to remember is when you next get a flat that you've re-positioned the tyre boot correctly!

 

[Crankarm]

Gaffer tape the split on the inside, joining it together, then use a piece of old tyre inside of this. I did this on a worn out Bontrager road race tyre which had exploded (130psi) when I went over some gravel on the road in a small village about 30 miles from home about 4 years ago. I used several layers of card from the Schwalbe inner tube box to make an internal patch to get me home which worked just fine.

HTH.