Flats

[bunsen_h]

Another flat tire, this time on my way home from work. On the plus side, it happened shortly before I passed the Canadian Tire store, so it wasn't even much of a detour to get a replacement inner tube.

Because I was pretty sure that the old tube was shot.  Note to self, for when civilization goes kablooey: drywall nails make effective caltrops.  Even if they don't land point-up when dropped, a tire running over one can flip it over, point-upwards, then puncture.  And the ridges on the nail rip quite a good hole in a tire.  For a bike tire, you get a big entry puncture and a smaller puncture on the other side of the tube, and if you continue to roll on for a few wheel rotations, you can even get a small but deep ding on the inside of the rim.

The previous flat was a bit less than a week ago, when a patch applied a number of months ago gave way.  The new patches, small self-adhesive squares, are certainly much more convenient than the older rubber patches that had to be glued on.  But they're a lot less sturdy, and the adhesive is much less durable than the rubber cement of the old patches.

I'm glad I'm taking tomorrow off work.  I can use a break, and a bit of catching up on sleep.

Comments

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

I don't trust the new patches for anything but emergency on-road repairs. I'd rather carry a good spare tube and patch the punctured tube properly at home.

Did you have to replace your tire, too? What a pain, even if it was relatively well located.

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

Did you have to replace your tire, too?

I don't know what the criteria are, so to speak. There's a small hole through it, of course. This doesn't significantly reduce its structural integrity. If I continue to use it, the likelihood of encountering something sharp at exactly that point on the tire is pretty low. I could try plugging the hole with a bit of caulking, I suppose. Do you recommend replacing the tire for something like this? The tires are otherwise in pretty good shape: not a lot of wear, and quite flexible.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

I'd probably cement in a "boot" inside the tire -- what this is a piece of old rubber (usually from a worn-out tire) that's large enough to cover the hole. Generally it's safer to fill in the hole so you don't get water or sand or other detritus inside.

I think I have an old tire in the house that I hadn't got around to throwing out yet.

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

I've got a couple of old tires in the basement, the usual "in case of emergencies, it's not quite dead" thing. I'll give that a try, thanks.