Who carries a spare folding tyre?

NIGEL_ASH

I was out riding local bridleways this morning and about 2 miles from home, after doing my regular 20 mile loop, the rear tyre slid of a rock and received a large cut. The inner popped out immediately and caught itself in the frame nearly throwing me off.
I had to remove the inner and walk the two miles home, if it had happened further from home i'd have been calling for a taxi! (GF drives an MX5, not much use even if she was available to rescue me)
Seriously thinking of carrying a folding tyre now after this, I already carry a spare inner. Does anyone else carry spare tyres or is this a very rare one off I have experienced?

dodgy

If you carried a spare for everything that could break on the trail, you'd get a pretty good workout.
The vast majorities of trailside mechanicals are constrained to punctures, they can be dealt with by a spare tube or a puncture kit. Even damaged tyres can be repaired enough to get you home (Park tyre boot for instance). But to carry a spare tyre is pretty excessive.

NIGEL_ASH

Understood, i'll have a look at the 'tyre boots' then. Forgive me for being thick though, but why do manufacturers produce 'folding' tyres? Surely they are designed to be carried for use as a spare otherwise why bother?
I agree you can't carry a spare everything, but to be caught out 10-15 miles from home wouldn't be very nice.

Does nobody really bother carrying a spare tyre? I've only covered around 600 miles since taking this pastime up 4 months ago and for this to happen, it has got me thinking.... 'what if?'

dodgy

Manufacturers make folding tyres for a few reasons. They're perceived as lighter, and usually are due to not using metal beads in them. They're also easier to ship because they take up less space and are letter box friendly Despite this, they cost more

dave_hill

There's plenty of alternatives to carrying a complete tyre.

The aim of the game with a torn tyre is to prevent the inner tube from bulging out through the hole. A home-made tyre boot can be made very simply from an old washing up liquid bottle or a "squeezy" type plastic toothpaste tube.

Simply remove the top and bottom ends of the tube, wash it out (obviously) and then slit it along it's length. Pop it in your backpack and it's there for emergencies.

To use it, slip it inside the tyre where the tear is, oriented so that the slit edge is towards the rim. Inflate the tyre carefully and it will stop the tube from bulging out. Additional security can be gained by wrapping cable-ties round the tyre and rimt o keep it seated once it's inflated (obviously you can't do this if you're using rim brakes).

Banned!

wind some duct tape around your seatpost, assuming you have it high enough. a torn tyre can be trail fixed with a few layers of that.

put it on the inside, obv.

hoff

You could just replace the inner tube and use the remains of the burst one to wrap around the gash, cheaper and easier than anything else.

Northwind

I suppose if you were doing a long rocky ride it'd make more sense. But then it'd make even more sense to use tougher tyres I guess. It's years since I had to deal with one of these, I took the ripped inner tube and sliced it open, and folded it over a few times, then stuck that across the tear and dropped a new tube in. Ride home was interesting but it did work.

canada16

I can picture it now.

Some guy with a wire tyre around his neck on a DH course just in case it tears

No making fun as I would have prob thought of that, just had a nice picture.

owenlars

I carry a folding road tyre on long rides as I don't fancy walking in shoes with Look cleats on them and frankly to carry a folding 700C 23mm tyre is not a big deal it fits in one of my pockets. I don't bother on local circuits or if I am wearing SPDs. I would think that carrying a chunky MTB knobbly might be rather more intrusive though.

cougie

Duct tape tip is a good one ! I like it !

I never carry tyres with me - but a tyre boot is something I should get sorted.

Yeti Jon

I personally have some duct tape wrapped round the barrel of my mini pump. Useful to have in emergencies although touch wood I have never needed it yet.

ThanksBye

Could you not just cut a piece of sidewall off an old tyre? instead of buying a boot

ThanksBye

Could you not just cut a piece of sidewall off an old tyre? instead of buying a boot

ride_whenever

Roll of duck tape perpetually in my bag, use it all the time for rowing.

Northwind

That'd be RUBBISH for rowing, there's a big hole in the middle.