slit in tyre should it be changed?

aripallaris

hey all, as i was riding today i noticed a slit a few mm's in length running across the top of the tyre (horizontally). it doesnt look very on initial inspection. also near it there seems to be something embedded but i cant get to it. is it safe to run on these? i run 25mm gator ultra.

Wooliferkins

Get the embedded item out, eyebrow tweezers are good for this. Has it cut through to threads? All tyres get a bit cut but it's how deep that will be the problem if it picks up glass/flint etc it will eventually worm its way through if the cut is deep.

Underscore

If you had to throw away tyres after a cut like that, my Gatorskins would hardly have lasted 100 miles! I very much doubt that you need to throw your tyre away - sorry, I meant responsibly recycle your tyre - but, as Neil said, make sure you get any embedded item out before it can burrow in any deeper.

Gators do seem very prone to cutting up - I've got Kenda Kriterions on my road bike and, after almost 2000 miles, there isn't a single cut on them despite riding the same roads as with the Gators...

_

symo

If you have a concern put a park patch over the back of the slit area.

BigDonn

A small slice in top of wheel isn't going to cause any trouble - my conti ultra sports have loads and they're running fine. As people have said, just make sure there's nothing left embedded in the tyre!

To hijack this post slightly, what are people's views on using a park tyre boot longer term? I got a small cut in side wall of my front tyre - it's cut a couple of threads but hasn't gone through. I reckon it's around 5mm long. Do I need to replace or would I be able to run it after reionforcing with the tyre boot? Tyre's done about 2500 miles and reasonable amount of life left in it.

desweller

I put a cut into a GP4Seasons tyre after a couple of hundred miles. Wrapped a strip of toothpaste tube around the inner tube in the affected area and ran it like that until the tyre was worn through to the carcass.

So I reckon you'll be OK with your carlos-fandango Park Tools tyre boots.

beverick

I agree with Underscore's comments on both the length a tyre would last and Gatorskin's susceptibility to cuts.

I get worried if the cut has gone through the webbing on the inside of the tyre. Anything more than 2-3mm and the tyre gets junked.

I have had to dispose of a tyre within a week of fitting it.

Bob

desweller

beverick wrote:

I get worried if the cut has gone through the webbing on the inside of the tyre. Anything more than 2-3mm and the tyre gets junked.

I have had to dispose of a tyre within a week of fitting it.

Bob

I know people like to play it safe these days, but really if you get something in there to support the tube it'll be fine with quite big cuts...

beverick

beverick wrote:

I agree with Underscore's comments on both the length a tyre would last and Gatorskin's susceptibility to cuts.

I get worried if the cut has gone through the webbing on the inside of the tyre. Anything more than 2-3mm and the tyre gets junked.

I have had to dispose of a tyre within a week of fitting it.

Bob

Spookily, I managed to write-off a 28c Armadillo "All Condition" on the way home on Friday. I put a 1cm gash diagonally across the centre of the tyre tread. Amazingly the object (I assume glass) had just "nicked" the tube, which was clearly visible in the cut, without puncturing it (I did patch it just in case though).

Bob

russello

A related query re: cut tyres.

I have tried to apply a park tyre boot to the inside of a conti 4000s trye, and it just wont stick.

Apart from the toothpaste tube method above, does anyone have any ideas on the best way to patch up a 2-3mm cut that has gone all the way through the tyre? The tyre has done less than 100miles, and I'd be gutted if I had to scrap it.

I thought about a strip of two of ducktape on the inside, as this DIY saviour, but given the state of my DIY skills, I'm having second thoughts.....

gilesjuk

Mastic?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0013B1NZQ/r ... B0013B1NZQ

desweller

A patch of denim or some other strong cloth would probably do the trick, since you don't want to use toothpaste tubes.

cougie

I'd take tyre off to check it and if it's not gone right through - just close it with superglue.

russello

Thanks for the advice.

Took the scissors to my better half's jeans last night, and then gave her some mastic, with a smiley face.

Then cleaned my teeth.

Job done!

mudcow007

i got some really scary slices in my Marathon pluses, some are even down to the blue "tough" layer within the tyre

i just clean the slices every few days an carry on. if i start getting flats i will swap the tyre

jomoj

i have a pair of marathons and they've both cut up really badly, one got slit right through the alleged puncture proof area so I got ride of it, I'm really not impressed with them at all. Also had gatorksins and although they do cut up they seem much less prone to punctures and deep cuts, I suspect the deeper rubber and tread on the marathons make glass more likely to get lodged in and eventually saw its way through.

shouldbeinbed

a bit of heavy duty plastic bag, garden rubble sack or duck tape works nicely enough if the family like that toothpaste in the hard plastic cannister device (grr). I can't imagine a road surface that doesn't cut tyres up to quite some degree nowadays.

+1 to all those that have said get the offending sharp out as your first priority.

then if in doubt on the tyre integrity consult the manufacturers guidance.........




then let it get twice as bad before considering thinking about the possibility of mulling over the idea of starting to look round for replacements sometime soon ish.