Small cut in sidewall.

freehub
freehub Posts: 4,257
edited May 2011 in Workshop
Hi.

Just wondering if it's still safe to use the tyre, it has a small cut in the sidewall, it only just about goes through to the inside of the tyre as a little hole so wondering if it's safe to use still?

Probably half to three quarters of a centimeter on the outside and just noticeable on the inside, it's not a clean cut.

Comments

  • tremayne
    tremayne Posts: 378
    Chances are you'll be fine. Keep an eye on it and if it changes at all - time to say goodbye. If you are going to keep it, I'd probably think about having it as a rear rather than a front.

    However, some of advice must depend on what riding you are doing. If you live in the pennines for example and are doing some serious speed descents, the thought of a high speed deflation isn't worth saving £20 on a new tyre.

    Another thing to consider is patching the inside of the tyre - not to make it more puncture proof, but simply to eliminate the possibility of suffering a 'hernia'. Some thick gaffer tape would probably do the trick. I've tried with inner tube patches but they don't like sticking to the inside of most cycle tyres.
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    I've had success with a bit of old tyre cut out and superglued over the inside of the hole.

    It can lead to a bulge in the tyre which may not be noticable as you ride; my mkII patch was ground thinner with a bench grinder to take off excess rubber. Seems to work just fine.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    You'll want to put something in there to support the tube in case the tyre carcass continues to unravel, e.g. toothpaste tube is a common ghetto fix. Keep an eye on it when it's pumped up, if it gives the tube will start to poke through.
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  • trieste
    trieste Posts: 10
    As well as patching the tyre I would move it to the rear and have an uncut tyre at the front so that if the repair was to blow you would have greater control.