# Can you patch a sidewall cut?



## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

Long story short, I ventured out to do my first metric century and landed up with a small sidewall cut on an otherwise flawless, low mileage Conti 4000s.

Thankfully, while the tub did bulge out the 1-1.5mm side hole a bit, it didn't pop. It noticed it around mile 23 and managed to limp the bike to a friends house around mile 35. There I simply put a piece of black gorilla duct tape on it and it was good to go for the rest of the ride.

My question is...can I take the tire off, patch the inside and ride it? The sidewall cut is small and the actual breach is very small.

....or...should I chuck the tire and get a new one?

Thanks!


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

My legal advice to you would be to buy a new tire, but I've known people who used a tire boot and patched the sidewall (from the inside) then super glued the cut from the outside. It's up to you. However, I'm a tightwad, if that tire is still in really good shape I would patch and glue it if it were my tire.


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

Typetwelve said:


> Long story short, I ventured out to do my first metric century and landed up with a small sidewall cut on an otherwise flawless, low mileage Conti 4000s.
> 
> Thankfully, while the tub did bulge out the 1-1.5mm side hole a bit, it didn't pop. It noticed it around mile 23 and managed to limp the bike to a friends house around mile 35. There I simply put a piece of black gorilla duct tape on it and it was good to go for the rest of the ride.
> 
> ...


I would just get a new tire if I were you. It can be fixed but it's not worth it in my opinion..


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

I just took it off and was pleasantly surprised to see the tire wasn't breached. I guess the "bulge" I noticed was one of the layers of the tire. I put some of the gorilla tape on the inside and reassembled the tire. It's taking air just fine.

For now ill order a new tire and ride the patched one until it arrives...but that was a pretty good slit (hit a piece of metal on the side of the road). Kudos to Conti!


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## Carverbiker (Mar 6, 2013)

If you must ride the tire you might want to move it to the rear. If you are riding and it blows on a descent you can control a rear much easier than a front. I would replace the tire though as it will likely cause you a problem at the worst time. YMMV


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I'm the odd duck here, but I like to ride in remote areas and having a total tire failure would mean a long walk home. Anyway's here my weird suggestion: When you get the new tire use that old tire as spare in your seat bag, then if by some slim chance, and it does happen, you have a major tire failure you have a way to ride home. This odd habit of mine carries over from the old days when I use to ride with tubulars. I've had to personally use my backup clincher twice in 35 years, and once I used it to give to a stranded cyclist who was astonished that I had a tire and extremely grateful.

I just fold the tire very tightly and bind it with two rubber bands, the ones that are found on new tubes.


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## Sisophous (Jun 7, 2010)

As froze mentions, get a tire boot. I ordered it for $5, free shipping on Amazon for an emergency. If I am far from home and get a flat, I do not want to have to walk back home. I recently had a large tear in the sidewall of my tire. I did not realize it and when I replaced the tube, the tube exploded. I replaced a second tube and it exploded again in my face. I took it to the bike shop who told me you can't ride on a tire with such a tear. The tire boot is just a patch with very little adhesive. It should allow you to finish your ride but I would not trust a patch other than to get back home, then replace the tire.


Amazon.com: Park Tool TB-2 Emergency Tire Boot (Pack of 3): Sports & Outdoors


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Sisophous said:


> As froze mentions, get a tire boot. I ordered it for $5, free shipping on Amazon for an emergency. If I am far from home and get a flat, I do not want to have to walk back home. I recently had a large tear in the sidewall of my tire. I did not realize it and when I replaced the tube, the tube exploded. I replaced a second tube and it exploded again in my face. I took it to the bike shop who told me you can't ride on a tire with such a tear. The tire boot is just a patch with very little adhesive. It should allow you to finish your ride but I would not trust a patch other than to get back home, then replace the tire.
> 
> 
> Amazon.com: Park Tool TB-2 Emergency Tire Boot (Pack of 3): Sports & Outdoors


Correct, the adhesive will not stick to the inside of tire for very long, maybe a week or two tops which doesn't mean to keep riding it that long you need to replace the tire asap, it's simply designed to last long enough to get you home. I happen to like the Park Boot better than using some sort of candy wrapper or dollar bill etc because it is thicker and tougher, although in a pinch a candy wrapper or dollar could work. Also I have one full size boot patch and another that I've cut into thirds and use whatever size I need for the hole I've got, thus I'm not wasting a full boot patch on a smaller slice or hole.

Then to reinforce the hole, I fill cut from the outside of the tire with Gorilla Glue Super glue (which is stronger than the other super glues found in retail outlets). The Superglue will hardened in about 5 minutes which is enough to start riding, but sealing the cut helps prevent other crap from penetrating the compromised area and creating another flat.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

Typetwelve said:


> Long story short, I ventured out to do my first metric century and landed up with a small sidewall cut on an otherwise flawless, low mileage Conti 4000s.
> 
> Thankfully, while the tub did bulge out the 1-1.5mm side hole a bit, it didn't pop. It noticed it around mile 23 and managed to limp the bike to a friends house around mile 35. There I simply put a piece of black gorilla duct tape on it and it was good to go for the rest of the ride.
> 
> ...


Bulge test.

If whatever boot you try (duct tape, Tyvek, old tire casing, commercial boot, etc.) leaves the tire without a bulge when you pump it up then you are good to go. You can use Shoe Goo or something like it on the outside to keep things from unraveling. If it bulges then the tire will wear faster at that point because the casing is distorted but if you don't feel the thumping as you're riding (or if it doesn't bother you) then you're good to go.


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## enkidubr8 (Jul 14, 2010)

Try a patch made of a piece of a PET bottle glued with loctite flex. Always works fine with me.


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## Newnan3 (Jul 8, 2011)

I had a hole in a GP4000s from hitting a pothole. The tube never bulged thru but I booted the tire from the inside using a regular tube patch and glue. Several hundred miles later there hasn't been a problem. Ive inspected it a few times and it seems pretty solid. 

If the hole was bigger I would still probably have patched it and carried a spare tire with me.


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