Tubeless Tire Sidewall Repair

[SVO]

I don't know if you have ever had the pleasure of riding in southern Arizona, but a tubeless system is mandatory and the longer you can keep it going, the better. Slime tubes have typically had poor performance when pitted against a Stan's tubeless system.

And yes, I do take a tube, but those are a last resort.

Yeah, I had exactly the same initial reaction.  Article might have said that this is a solution for areas with notorious puncture threats.  Did no one really ride MTBs there before tubeless?  Also assumes you haven't lost most of your fluid.  I'd be inclined to carry a Stan's syringe to take up the fluid, patch it with this on the inside:
http://www.harborfreight.com/60-piece-radial-tire-patch-kit-97215.html
and put the fluid back in.  Example: http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/fix/tubeless-fix.htm

[stephjo]

Nice article, worth a read..

[Norb]

Great information!  I've got a couple well used tires and plan to get some sewing practice in before executing this repair in the field.

Can you AZT vets/locals offer up an opinion on what tire is least vulnerable to sidewall tears??   Thanks.

[jaymtb]

The idea of pre-charging a tube with Stans sounds great, being a better sealant than Slime.

However, does the Stans dry out over time in  a tube like it does in a tire, if you are careful to push out all the air?   

You could carry a mini-bottle of stans and either put it in the tire or in a tube, if tubes had the removable stem. 
One time on ID Hot Springs route, I had the rim tape start leaking- which required a tube to get going.  So the tubes still have their place.   

RE sewing thread: I have been using some Spectra braid fishing line when on sea kayak trips in Mexico, to get more stronger,  abrasion - resistant line on a smaller  spin reel.

The stuff is really impressive, very small diameter and super tuff.   The 40 lb. line is quite small and  extremely hard to break, even when pulled over a sharp edge.   It seems to sew fairly easily when fixing gear, so should work here too.    It might be worthy of  trying, especially if it would absorb Stans or Super Glue.   

For pushing the curved needle through a tire, a small long-nose multi tool would really help.  It is also good for removing valve stems.

Thanks for the excellent advice and detail here- and  thanks to Scott et al for maintaining  this community.


The Loctite brand of gel glue has been useful for fixing gear, as well as a  bond for skin cuts. 

Jay

[rick miller]

The idea of pre-charging a tube with Stans sounds great, being a better sealant than Slime.

However, does the Stans dry out over time in  a tube like it does in a tire, if you are careful to push out all the air?

I've never had Stan's dry out in spare tubes, even after several months.  I have had tubes develop leaks when carried in my frame pack (a real mess), I can only assume from vibration and abrasion.  I pack them in ziplocks now and am careful where I put them.

[Adam Alphabet]

Tubeless Tire Sidewall Repair: Part 1

Step 1: Get High
Step 2: Look around and want to get higher
Step 3: Put in huge effort to get higher and
Step 4: Check out views. Start looking at ways to scramble around huge knob to continue enticing (later to check on google earth, impossible with bike) ridge traverse.
Step 5: Slash sidewall while scrambling around huge knob that is made of razor sharp rocks. The mountains are telling you something...listen.

Continued in part 2.....

[Adam Alphabet]

Tubeless Tire Sidewall Repair: Part 2

Step 6: Remember this thread   
Step 7: Add Stans   
Step 8: Use all your MYOG skills to sew up sidewall.    
Step 9: Add super glue (didn't work well, later used rubber cement once I got low, worked perfectly!)   
Step 10: Add Gorilla Tape to protect stitches.   
Step 11: Limp down low. Get to a spot where you can reevaluate things and make necessary adjustments.   
Step 12: Ride for 2 more full days and be beyond stoked that your high mountain repair did not end your trip or even really adversely effect it considering the only spare you brought was one 27.5" UL race tube. It held the rest of the trip and is still holding air. Oh yeah!

[Get Mounted]

The link in the original post at the start of this thread no longer works. Is it perhaps possible for some kind soul (with a good memory) to provide a similar alternative or paraphrase the key points?

[bakerjw]

This last Spring I was up on Holston Mountain here in NE. Tennessee and my rear WTB Nanoraptor went down the side of a rock and got a decent 3/8" to 1/2" gash. I wasn't way out in the wilderness and had a tube, so other than a spongy tire it was a non issue. Tire repair like this is a good skill to learn and as with everything, practice helps. If you have an old tire and are running tubeless, take an off day, put a slice in the tire and attempt a repair. Make sure you have a replacement tire handy when you do this "training"

Take pics and pose them for all to see.

[pavementgraveldirt]

And for those of us who are gear forgetful or unprepared or just really unlucky. . .

Out riding the cross bike and managed to put a 2" gash into my rear tire.  "No worries. I have my flat kit and a GU packet to make a boot. We are all good." so I thought.  So, I proceed to remove, clean, put back together. Then I broke the charging lever on the CO2 gun. . .

No one to call and I'm not walking. . .

Take the tube with a hole and cut off the valve. stuff it in the tire. Put in the good tube regularly with no air. fill up the remainder with leaves that I crushed and packed as full as possible.

Was it ideal? hell no. Did it work? HELL YES!
It did trash my rear tire, but I had already done that with the cut. And, it was a slow bumpy ride, but it was way faster than walking and it didn't damage the wheel!

Second pump I've broken over the winter. . . Cold + Plastic + Me = FAIL

[Adam Alphabet]

Nice write up and pics Kurt.
http://www.bikemag.com/fully-loaded-bikepacking/backcountry-bike-repair/?utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=spotim_recirculation&spotim_referrer=recirculation&spot_im_comment_id=sp_pm5OEdGu_128790_c_Z8uuBV#uxQM8h486fDSp37y.97

[Aushiker]

Bumping an old thread. Bikepacking.com have posted a blog post on going tubeless along with a couple of videos. Probably nothing particularly new but for me it has me taking a second look at my repair kit which is not a bad thing.