HJL,
The most remarkable product I ever used to save a bike tire is MXBON 105 instant industrial glue <http://www.mxbon105.com/category_s/1818.htm>. A few years ago, riding home from work at night, I missed a sharp-edged object on the road, but my front tire did not. There was an immediate 3/4″ cut across the tread, including through reinforcing fabric! After a few bad words, a couple of miles walking, two bus rides, I was home, where I removed and patched the tube, removed the tire, applied MXBON 105 to the cut, pushed the open “wound” shut for a few seconds, sanded the hardened excess glue inside the tire to smooth it, and the tire was repaired. The remounted the tire and tube, inflated to between 60 and 80 psi, have been holding pressure ever since, over some of the most poorly-maintained roads I’ve seen, though I’ve since upgraded my headlight. – AMN
o o o
James,
A good article except a real pepper would invest in solid tubes or better solid tires. I have these on my wife’s 26 inch and will get them for mine soon. At $60 a tire, it’s worth it, as flats are a past memory. This is the website.
HJL Responds: During a TEOTWAWKI event, I might be able to put up with solid tubes, but the weight added makes it a lot more work to ride. A standard, in states where puncture vine (aka goat heads) are common, is “Slime”. Even in high pressure tires (120 psi) the Slime will seal lots of small holes. You must carry a pump with you, as the rotation of the tire is critical to the sealing function and a tire that is stationary for a couple of hours will leak. I have literally seen a tire with thousands of punctures still operate with Slime.