Flat Tire - Replace or Repair ???
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Is this true if the tire was repaired with a patch/plug from the inside?
Do they also fail auto tires that have been patched?
It wasn't so much the stickiness, @sturgeon, but the adhesion to the brass arrowhead. Without that, the licorice stick pulls straight out when you try to seat it after insertion.
EDIT: It’s a long while ago, but the adhesion issue was likely operator error. I think I had in my mind that I needed to pull on the licorice stick after insertion to seat the brass head, but of course that is superfluous - the brass arrowhead is slightly larger diameter than the insertion tube so will naturally seat as the tube is withdrawn.
EDIT: It’s a long while ago, but the adhesion issue was likely operator error. I think I had in my mind that I needed to pull on the licorice stick after insertion to seat the brass head, but of course that is superfluous - the brass arrowhead is slightly larger diameter than the insertion tube so will naturally seat as the tube is withdrawn.
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Here are a few pix of the Stop & Go mushroom plugs. I have an old tyre I practice plugging a tyre now and then (yes, get a life).
Here's the mushroom plug
![Cylinder Wood Household hardware Auto part Metal]()
The mushroom plug pulled through at the top to be trimmed off
![Tire Wheel Vehicle Car Automotive tire]()
The Mushroom plug on the inside of the tyre - good seal and no loss of air once plugged. However, it's not a permanent fix (IMHO) but good enough to keep going on my multiday ride till I get to home base and replace the tyre.
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Here's the mushroom plug
The mushroom plug pulled through at the top to be trimmed off
The Mushroom plug on the inside of the tyre - good seal and no loss of air once plugged. However, it's not a permanent fix (IMHO) but good enough to keep going on my multiday ride till I get to home base and replace the tyre.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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If a plug is visible from the ourside, it's an immediate fail, no questions asked. I honestly don't know if the same rule applies to cars, but I get it that a blowout on two wheels is potentially more dangerous than on four wheels.
Just don't get those two tyres mixed up, Mike.![Tire Wheel Vehicle Car Automotive tire]()
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If they are TPMS safe, it should say so on the label. For TPMS, I’d plug first and consider a sealant only if it’s not holding pressure. I’m sure cleanup between tire changes is a pain to technicians.
Why would a plug lead to a blow out? The worst thing that can happen is that it starts leaking again.
You can pickup a nail and it can start leaking every time you ride...
I wonder if that's because the licorice was stuck to the inside of the insertion tube? You should clean the tubes with denatured alcohol after use, especially if you store the licorice in them; that's why they include a pipe-cleaner (the alcohol is extra!). Also, twisting the thing while you insert the plug into the tire is not a good thing. It helps to wet the licorice before putting it in the tube right before using it, so it slides out more easily. I've never had the arrowhead come off, that I know of. I suppose it might detach after a while, but by then the licorice is fused to the tire. I've repaired tires on my truck, car, motorcycles. Never bothered with bicycles; I've never had tubeless bicycle tires. The only thing I wasn't able to fix was a sidewall punctured by an old-school telescoping car radio antenna. In one side and out the other. I'm happy you don't see those much any more 😂 The biggest source of punctures lately has been those [email protected]^%[email protected] S-hooks on black rubber bungee cords. They're difficult to see and avoid.
This whole thread is starting to sound a bit salacious!
So - a funny (at least to me) G-rated licorice story... when we were young, my first wife and I were both fond of those black licorice "pipes" and "cigars", with red candy sprinkles on the end to look like "fire". We'd buy a couple every once in a while as a treat (we were basically impoverished, this was a big deal at the time). One night we decided to raid our stash, after the kids were in bed. A while later, our eldest daughter, who was about 4 at the time, came downstairs for a drink of water. She walked over to where we were sitting, and said, very accusingly, "Where'd you get the licorice???". I guess she could smell it. It's a been a family joke ever since. She turns 47 this year.
So - a funny (at least to me) G-rated licorice story... when we were young, my first wife and I were both fond of those black licorice "pipes" and "cigars", with red candy sprinkles on the end to look like "fire". We'd buy a couple every once in a while as a treat (we were basically impoverished, this was a big deal at the time). One night we decided to raid our stash, after the kids were in bed. A while later, our eldest daughter, who was about 4 at the time, came downstairs for a drink of water. She walked over to where we were sitting, and said, very accusingly, "Where'd you get the licorice???". I guess she could smell it. It's a been a family joke ever since. She turns 47 this year.
@sturgeon, I t’s a long while ago, but the adhesion issue was likely operator error. I think I had in my mind that I needed to pull on the licorice stick after insertion to seat the brass head, but of course that is superfluous - the brass arrowhead is slightly larger diameter than the insertion tube so will naturally seat as the tube is withdrawn. I’ve added this note to the earlier post.
But they do dry out.
The other issue I have with them, though, is that the brass head doesn’t contribute to sealing, whereas the Plug n Go at least has a rubber mushroom head pulled against the inner surface of the tyre. A few years back I helped a friend plug a rear tyre. Two Dynaplugs weren’t enough to fully seal it, as it turned out, and it went down again before he could ride to a tyre place. I think Plug n Go is a more reliable solution.
But they do dry out.
The other issue I have with them, though, is that the brass head doesn’t contribute to sealing, whereas the Plug n Go at least has a rubber mushroom head pulled against the inner surface of the tyre. A few years back I helped a friend plug a rear tyre. Two Dynaplugs weren’t enough to fully seal it, as it turned out, and it went down again before he could ride to a tyre place. I think Plug n Go is a more reliable solution.
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Friend of a friend, an old tire guy who runs his own auto tire & repair shop, patched the tire for ten bucks.
He used a liner patch -- roughed up the inner tire liner just enough to eliminate the texture (not too deep), cleaned the liner area with solvent to remove all the silicone mold release, applied cement and let it dry, stuck the liner patch and stitched it using a roller to firmly press it down. He also said he used fire somehow at some point to remove oxygen, though I wasn't clear exactly how or whether this was truly necessary.
He said he's patched many tires this way, and as long as it holds air once mounted it should be good for the life of the tire.
I've also seen recommended, as a good idea for steel belted tires, to fill the hole with a rubber stem to keep water from getting into the belts, though typically little damage has been found from unfilled holes in failed tires. I'm thinking maybe put a little glob of tire cement in the hole and let it dry just to add that measure of safety.
Still a good idea to keep an eye on the tire after that, but us riders do that anyway.
Since I've already got a new tire mounted and installed, I'll keep this one as a backup or for the next tire replacement. It'll be nice to get more than 300 miles out of this otherwise brand new Road 6!
Cheers! Dave
![Tire Wheel Automotive tire Tread Bicycle wheel rim]()
He used a liner patch -- roughed up the inner tire liner just enough to eliminate the texture (not too deep), cleaned the liner area with solvent to remove all the silicone mold release, applied cement and let it dry, stuck the liner patch and stitched it using a roller to firmly press it down. He also said he used fire somehow at some point to remove oxygen, though I wasn't clear exactly how or whether this was truly necessary.
He said he's patched many tires this way, and as long as it holds air once mounted it should be good for the life of the tire.
I've also seen recommended, as a good idea for steel belted tires, to fill the hole with a rubber stem to keep water from getting into the belts, though typically little damage has been found from unfilled holes in failed tires. I'm thinking maybe put a little glob of tire cement in the hole and let it dry just to add that measure of safety.
Still a good idea to keep an eye on the tire after that, but us riders do that anyway.
Since I've already got a new tire mounted and installed, I'll keep this one as a backup or for the next tire replacement. It'll be nice to get more than 300 miles out of this otherwise brand new Road 6!
Cheers! Dave
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Yes. While we can discuss the techniques and merits of riding on a plugged tire, the decision whether to do so is an individual one.
Nothing in this thread or on this forum should be construed as recommending, condoning, endorsing or encouraging riding on a plugged tire.
If there is ANY doubt about doing so, don't do it.
Hope that is sufficiently clear.
Best, Dave
Nothing in this thread or on this forum should be construed as recommending, condoning, endorsing or encouraging riding on a plugged tire.
If there is ANY doubt about doing so, don't do it.
Hope that is sufficiently clear.
Best, Dave
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