CX Tires / MTB Tires / Rims / Tubeless Tire Tech
Tubeless Tire Repairs
Tubeless Tires should be Inspected often. Yes, Tires can be Repaired...
This knob has just been repaired. This knob has a slice at the base almost 1/3 of the way through the knob. It would have eventually torn off. This tire had 6 side knobs with slices in them. This is a back tire with over 500 miles on it. The tread has not worn very much even though these tires have been on very rugged trails. Most tires never make it to the end of life because they are torn, or punctured before the tread wears out. Sidewall Slices and Torn Knobs will junk your tire. It is very typical that tires and knobs sustain this type of damage.
For Tubeless Tires this is a big issue. If you tear a side knob off your tire, chances are the sealant will never seal that hole, and you will be stuck on the trail. Some folks carry a spare tube for such emergencies. If not, you are bumming out. Head off this issue by checking your tires every month. This tire had 6 knobs that needed repair. The rubber on the repaired knobs was separated, and the glue meld them back together.
This is not much of an issue with Tubed Tires. You could lose a knob, or even catch a sidewall slice and the tube would hold the air. You may have torn knobs and never know it.
Fixed Knobs
After the Cement Dries, the knob that had slices is now joined back together. When tires are more than $50 each, this is a great way to extend the life.
Best Tire Repair Tool
This is a Life Time Supply of Rubber Cement.
This can maybe more than 10 years old.
Found at your auto-parts store for about $5.00 a can.
Read the instructions for proper use.
It must be dried before applying Patches.
VALVE STEMS have a short life
It is Mid-Winter and a few of my tires are SAD. Could be dried sealant or leaking rim tape. Or could be as simple as the Valve having some defects. Looks fine on the outside. Take a few moments and pull your valve out for a good examination before you pull the tire off the rim. I found 3 worn vales on 3 bikes. Replaced all of them and does not cost a lot. A bag of Valve Stems is 20 for $12.00
Valves OPEN
Takes a little magnification, but you can see the rubber is deformed and contaminated.
Valves Close
With the Valves Closed you can see the older valves severely compressed to the point where you can no longer tighten the valve nut.
That DING in your Rim...
Does not look like a lot of damage, but if you have a ding in your RIM you do want to fix it as soon as you can. The WTB Trail Boss 2.5 that was on this rim never leaked and was sealed very tight. But once I got the tire off, I realized why. Most of the sealant in the tire was centered in the area with the DENT.
So, it was a problem till it self sealed.
A very easy repair, but you do need to strip the wheel down to do it. As suggested in the photo, just take an adjustable wrench, tighten it down on the RIM, and carefully move the wrench at the base. Do not try to bend the whole area back at once. Take the wrench off, reposition it, and bend it in multiple places along the damaged area. Try to bend the rim genitally and evenly. When you are done, you will not know where the bend was unless you marked it.
Busted-Spokes? Just replace it...???
RIM / WHEEL Repair / Spoke Boss Damage
THIS RIM is at the END-OF-LIFE
This Rim has over 4000 very hard miles on it. This rim is from my fully rigid Cross-Bike. As you can see in this photo, this spoke is about to bust free from it's seat.
ALWAYS INSPECT YOUR RIM..! Even on just minor repairs.
This wheel started with just (1) Busted-Spoke, but after careful inspection I have determined this RIM IS CRAP.
It is easy to just replace that (1) Busted-Spoke, but how reliable and how long will this Rim Last? Being stuck 40 miles from your car is not a fun afternoon.
Brass Nipples
These are Brass Nipples. These are much stronger than Alloy Nipples. Alloy Nipples have a tendency to strip the threads out of the center of the Nipple when heavy forces are applied. However with over 4000 Miles of rugged Trail use, the sheering Force was Strong with this One.
If one Nipple has Busted like this, I can 1000% Promise the remainder of nipples are only a few hundred miles to failure too. Throw away all the remaining spokes and nipples. Even if the spokes look good, you can not guarantee the strength of the remaining threads on the spokes. They have all been beyond stressed.
What about the HUB??
4000 Hard Miles / Costs of a new Rim, set of new Brass Nipples, and 32 New Spokes.
These spokes have been abused by the chain being caught between the cassette and the spokes. All these spokes are Trash.
What about the HUB??
Ya, the Hub is about $90, but it does have 4000 miles on it. If it was a front Hub I would say re-use it. The rear hubs are subjected to a lot more Forces and Mechanical stress. Go ahead, re-use the rear hub too, but expect that it will leave you stranded someplace. The Free-Hub is suspect. While it feels like it spins fine and is quiet. How long until the Prawls break? What about the bearings? Is it really worth a new set of Spokes, seating and unseating your tubeless Tire again?
If the hub had less than 3000 miles, I would probably reuse it again. But as a wheel-builder... we hate working on the same wheel again, and again. 4000 miles just seems to sketchy for me and is only a guess. This Rim may have up to 7000 miles on it, I just can not remember. This rim was on another bike with over 6000 miles on it, and that Frame is now retired. Maybe you have a better tolerance for re-using hubs. I would rather put this wheel together and KNOW it is good for another 4000 - 6000 miles.
TUBELESS Tire Repairs + Tire tech
Tight Tire Installer
Tire / Rim Sizes: Some Tires and Rims are not made the same. Different standards and different Tire Bead (hook) designs.
A few years ago a Tubeless Tire Standard was developed, but there are still many tires and rims that do not meet these standards. Tires will be Tight or nearly impossible to install on the Rim.
For these situations, you can use this Tire-Puller. (By Koolstop) A neat tool that will help you install your Tight Tire without Rim or Tire Damage.
Tubeless Trail-Side Puncture Repair:
For Higher Tire Pressures over 30 pounds, some of the other Tire-Plugs would push-out of the hole you just tried to seal. Dyna-Plug claims their metal-tipped plugs solve that issue.
This tool has storage room for 10 Dyna-Plugs inside the Handle. I would guess you are having a really bad day if you ran out of plugs on one-ride.
Fixing that Slice in your Tubeless Tire
Black Gorilla Tape vs Standard Tire Patches. Both work fine, but maybe One is better?
I have found strips of Gorilla Tape to repair a Tire works very well. Even after many rides, I open the tire to check how well the patch is doing.
SHOWN: (29er tire) The Tape will have some Creasing with tire sealant inside, but holds tight. (Stan's Sealant)
A Standard Tire Patch, works good too, but have found they pull off much easier than the tape. Have seen signs of seepage under the patches too. Standard Tire patches will never hold up under tire flex.
I feel the Gorilla Tape is Best. Keep you updated.
Tech Note: Always turn a Tubeless Tire Inside-Out when working on it...
RIM TAPE on the cheap
Scotch 3M 8898 strapping tape.
It is about $4.50 a roll and will Double Wrap 10 - 12 rims. A standard roll of $20 Blue Rim tape will wrap 4 rims if you are lucky. I have over 15 sets of rims wrapped with this stuff. If it did not work, I would have known that a long time ago. This stuff sticks.
ALSO: Remember every time you remove a tire from a rim, you should re-wrap the entire rim. Rim tape at this price makes it a very painless operation.
E6000 General Purpose Tire / Bike Glue
Why do I say Bike Glue? Because this stuff has a cured temperature range from -45f to +180f. It stays flexible and will not crack under duress. Purchase at Home Depot.
BEST for TIRE REPAIRS and other uses. Look how sticky this stuff is. Drys clear and Strong.
Bulk Package Injectors
ALL INJECTORS are considered SINGLE USE.
Thou you may get multiple uses with good care.
I go through 1 or 2 injectors each year.
Getting these things in bulk is a good idea if you are injecting sealant into a lot of tires. Especially when using "Orange" Brand tire sealant. The nozzles get plugged, the plungers wear-out. Use a plunger 3 - 4 times and throw it out.
Bike-Brand plungers are $10 - $20 each.
Buy in bulk and get (5) for $10.
Buy in smarter bulk...
I got (50) plungers and (100) 2" long Luer Lock 8 AWG injection needles for about $40.00
Tubeless Tire : Center Tread Repairs
Gorilla Tape works better than patches. It adheres itself to the tire.
This 38mm CX Tire was repaired from the inside after a nasty slice. This repair extended the life of this tire through another season. Before the start of the next season I opened it up to inspect how well the Gorilla patch was holding.
I removed the black outer layer of the Gorilla Tape, and tested the strength of this bond.
This patch is now part of the tire, It will not be coming off.
Turns out the Gorilla tape repair is way better than I could hope.
While the outside (Black) layer of the tape easily peeled off, the mesh network of glue and fibers (adhesive layer) made a tight bond with the tire surface. The Sub-Zero Orange sealant was the catalyst that bonded it all together.
Update: 9-2018: Have also recently successfully repaired at 4.8" Maxis Fattie-Tire with a large side-wall puncture. Because of Side-Wall Flex, I did not think the patch would hold. After 2 months of use on tough New England Trails, the Inside Gorilla Tape Patch is holding fine.
Full View of the Patch
The reason why this patch is so large, there were actually (2) different punctures in this same area.
One large patch fixed both issues. However, the reason why this tire is open, is for a 1/4 long sidewall rip. Do not feel I can repair this safely. So, this tire will be converted over to a Tube-Only tire.
Sub-Zero Orange Sealant
There is a reason why I keep plugging the Sub-Zero Orange Sealant. The Stuff Works...!
As seen in this photo, the sealant has formed a tight membrane at the tire bead where it hooks into the rim. For some reason, the sealant needed to repair an issue that went unnoticed by the rider. The sealant needed to seal a rim leak. This cured sealant not come off of the tire without a lot of effort, and you still will not get it off.
More Difficult Tire Repairs
Some Tire Repairs are usually Impossible to fix, till now...
Caption for Above Photo: In case it's not obvious, apply patch to inside of tire. Utilize E6000 contact cement beneath and on top of patch. Also, spread the E6000 so it covers the edges of the patch.
2020 Tire Repair Story/Technique by:
Stephen Fortunato
Oops! I did it again!
I cased a bunny-hop over a curb and sliced my front tire. The 2mm gash was too much for the sealant which bubbled pitifully from the wound and leaked onto the sidewalk.
Yeah, it was a really dumb mistake, but I had a valid excuse: I was trying to set a new PR on my commute to work. Primož Roglič better watch out for my screaming KOM on Strava next time!
If you find yourself in a similar predicament, then there is no need to panic. It is possible to repair a tubeless tire with a patch so you will not have to shell out $60+ for a new one. A patch will work on cuts up to 4mm-5mm on the tire tread, so you can run your tire tubeless again! If the tire has a cut on the sidewall or a large gash on the tread, then you will have to use an inner tube or potentially replace the tire. I cannot guarantee that I have found the solution to sidewall gashes.
So far, I have only applied patches for 2mm-4mm gashes to the tire tread or the middle section of the tire. Some of these gashes have been far off-center, but never on the sidewall. Therefore, it's conceivable that a Slime patch with E6000 will hold on the sidewall. The E6000 dries to a rubber like consistency and can flex as the sidewall compresses and expands. I have never tried to patch a sidewall gash, but it's worth a shot
Here are simple step-by-step Tire Repair directions:
1) Remove and clean tire - All the gunk and dried out sealant needs to be removed from your tire. Immerse the tire in a bucket with water and Simple Green or other bike cleaner. You may have to repeat twice. Then, it's time for elbow grease. Use a damp rag as if it were sandpaper and rub off all the sealant encrusted on the inside of the tire. This step is a major pain in the neck and time consuming. Hey, you gotta earn your turns.
2) Let the tire air dry.
3) Use real sandpaper to scour the area where you wish to place the patch on the inside of the tire.
4) Clean target area with isopropyl alcohol.
5) Apply E6000 contact cement and spread so it covers an area slightly larger than patch.
About E6000: This stuff is the real deal, so ditch the weak rubber cement that comes with your patch kit. E6000 maintains strength even submerged in salt water and is resistant to acid. Tubeless sealant won't bother it at all!
I bought the E6000 at Home Depot.
http://eclecticproducts.com/products/e6000/e6000-craft.html
6) Wait 1-2 minutes for E6000 to become tacky.
7) Apply patch. Skip the crummy patches for your inner tubes. If you want to patch a gravel or MTB tire, you'll want a large and tough patch. My favorite patches are from Slime and you can buy a variety pack from Autozone.
8) Remember to remove plastic film from top of patch.
9) Apply a second layer of E6000 on top of patch, making sure the E6000 thoroughly coats the edges of the patch.
10) Wait 24 hours for E6000 to cure.
11) Ok, now you are ready to set-up your tires tubeless again. Be more careful on your next ride!
RESULTS:
I have repaired 3 tires (700 x 35) with E6000 contact cement and Slime patches. All tires have worked perfectly well with sealant and was I able to enjoy the tires for several more hundred miles over rough terrain.
CLEAN UP & SAFETY TIPS:
1) Have a bottle of isopropyl alcohol handy to clean up any spills
2) Be smart and apply the E6000 outside or in a well ventilated area.
3) Use nitrile gloves and protect your hands.
E6000 Super Cement
A box of Slime patches and a tube of E6000, which will last you years
Slime Patches
The slime patches come in assorted sizes and shapes
BEST TUBELESS SEALANT Period
SUBZERO ORANGE Tubeless Sealant
This is the only stuff that really works. Stan's does not work anymore, they lost the recipe. This stuff works when it is cold, and this stuff will seal that new tire that refuses to seal.
Whenever I mention sealant, it is always SUBZERO ORANGE.
About Sealant: Sealant is added to a tire to help seal the tire to the rim, and to seal any punctures the tire may incur.
Sealant is not maintenance free. Let a bike sit stationary for too long and the sealant will pool up at the bottom of the tire, and start to solidify. Tubeless tires must be rotated at least every 2-4 weeks. After an entire season of use, the sealant may be mostly cured, so an extra 2 oz is probably needed at the start of the next season.
How Much Sealant do I have? It is impossible to know how much sealant you have in your tire without opening the tire. Avoid separating the tire from the rim if you can. Let a tire stay seated and sealed unless you have to fix a puncture. This is one of those situations where if you touch it, you may wreck it. If you do take a tire off the rim, chances are you will need to re-wrap the rim tape. If you don't re-wrap the rim tape, you will reassemble teh tire add sealant, then figure out you have a rim tape leak. Now you just made a wet sticky mess of replacing the rim tape.
Always replace the Rim Tape when you completely unseat a Tubeless Tire.
**************************************************************************************
How to tell if your Sealant inside a Tire is dry.
- Align the air valve stem to the bottom of your tire, closest to the ground.
- Release the air pressure.
- Remove the center of the valve stem.
- Let any fluid that maybe in the tire settle to the bottom for a minute or two.
- Try to hold the tire up so it has a rounded bottom profile, not sitting flat on the ground.
- Insert a long tooth pick down into the valve stem.
- Pull it out and check if it is wet or dry.
- If it is dry, add another 2 ounces.
- If it is wet, there is no way to tell how much you have.
- Add some more if you like, up to you.
Sealant Injectors:: Do not leave this stuff in your sealant injector for too long or you will need to throw it away. Within a minute of filling your tire, you must purge the remaining fluid. I suggest a small cup of water. Draw the clean water into the syring and squirt it out into the trash. Do this a few times till it is clear and clean.
Hidden Performance found in the Rim Width
What is Rim Width?
Rim width is a direct mechanical measurement of the inside of the wheel rim. A tire must be off the rim to make this measurement. Rim width affects how much tire is in contact with the road or trail surface. All bicycles benefit from having a proper size rim width. Tubeless is another benefit to performance. It reduces the rotational weight of the wheel assembly, often up to 1 pound for each wheel.
Why is Rim Width Important?
A tire will achieve more surface contact and the tire surface becomes more square to the ground as Rim Width increases. Good for Trails, Bad for Roads.
Road tires want as little contact with the road as possible. A narrow rim helps reduce weight and it keeps the tire round to have just the center of the tire in contact with the ground.
NOTE: The Road-Tire contact pattern thoughts are currently in dispute. See the attached link to the video below: Road Tire Pattern
MTB's like as much width as possible. A 27mm wide rim can increase the amount of tire contact with the trail. Want more traction, go wider. Want a faster trail tire, keep a rounder tire with a narrower 23mm rim.
Your ride can be greatly affected by Rim Width. A wide MTB tire (2.3 inches) on a narrow 19mm rim is an unstable tire combination. It will have bad cornering, over steering, and a loss of traction. Some MTB's have 21mm to 23mm rim width, which is still too narrow. A 2.3 inch tire should have between 25mm and 30mm inside Rim Width for best tire performance.
Important Note: You can go too wide on a rim size. What will happen is the tire bead will not seat correctly, and the tire will pop off the rim, which is a very bad situation.
Look for Max Rim Width information on some tires.
Road Bike Rim Width
Road Bikes have tires that range from 23mm to 32mm wide. Max Rim Width for a road bike is 19mm. A rounded tire profile is preferred. Road bikes want as little tire/road contact as possible to reduce road resistance.
CX Bike Rim Width
CX Bikes have tire sizes from 30mm to 42mm. Most CX bikes have braking + traction issues on dirt trails, so you want the tire to sit as square as possible on the trail. MAX Rim Width is 23mm for CX tires 30mm to 35mm. If you are running 35mm to 42mm tires you can go up to 27mm inside width.
Mountain Bike Rim Width
Mountain Bike tire sizes run from 1.9" to 2.5". Mountain bikes have greatly improved steering, braking, and handling performance with wider rims. Proper rim width for these tires is 25mm to 29mm.
Plus-Bike Rim Width
At the moment, 27.5 / Plus Bikes seem to have just (2) Tire sizes. 2.8" and 3.0" wide. I have both 45mm and 50mm wide rims with 3.0 tires. Honestly 3.0 tires are so good for traction and handling, I can not tell the difference between the 45mm and 50mm rims. So, I would say, save some weight and go with the 45mm rims.
Fat Bike Rim Width
Rims on Fat Bikes range from 63mm to 83mm . Tire sizes range from 4.0 inches to 5.0 inches. Once again, with the huge width of the tires on Fat Bikes, Fat Bikes will never have traction problems. The Tires will always have Weight Problems. The Tires will always have surface contact resistance problems. But some folks Love-Them... so that is what really matters.
ICE READY 27.5 Plus
Ice ready 27.5 Plus
Thick Sidewalls and Big Knobs
Thick Sidewalls and Big Knobs
Perfect Knob Spacing for studs. I have seen some studded tires totally loaded up on too many studs. This pattern only uses 60 studs per tire. Though on tubeless rims, I went with tubes. If a stud pulls out, sealant may not be able to seal that hole.
Because of the rounded tire pattern, when these tires are pumped up to 40 pounds there is almost no stud contact with the ground. However just drop that pressure to 25 pounds, and the tire flattens out for full stud contact.
Thick Sidewalls and Big Knobs
Thick Sidewalls and Big Knobs
Thick Sidewalls and Big Knobs
Found these sweeties for $32 each. 62 TPI sidewall and Big Knobs to hold the Auger Studs. Perfect Snow Tires. I picked the 2.8" size to keep the tire narrow for better snow traction.
After riding a Fattie for 5 years in the snow, I have learned that a wide tire is not always best. Trying to stay on top of the snow takes a lot of work. A thinner tire has the ability to cut through the top-fluff and find solid traction underneath.
Tungsten Auger Studs
Stud Installation Depth
Stud Installation Depth
These studs were used for 2 Winters on 2 different tires. These studs are reusable. This is the Third Installation. These buggers are expensive at $1.00 each. But they are Tungsten so they should last forever. I also put a few in my Riding Boots. If you put your foot down on Ice, you will want the grip.
SEE THE SNOW VIDEOs BELOW
Stud Installation Depth
Stud Installation Depth
Stud Installation Depth
Shown is an Auger Stud installed properly on a tire knob. As with any studded tire, you can expect to lose studs on rides. These studs really stay put. Only one time when I had to ride on the road for a bit did I lose a couple of studs. You do not want to ride on pavement with studded tires... trust me... plan around that.
Ka-BLAM
What is This?
You are looking at a 2.8" tire with a pressure rating of 17 - 38 pounds.
This photo was taken after 50 pounds of air-pressure was applied.
YIKES!
The Loudest Noise I have heard in a long time.
Ka-Blam...!
Worse part was the Tire Sealant. It vaporized and exploded out in a mist-cloud. The first time I blinked my eyes, I knew I was in trouble.
Makes a good hair gel too.
YIKES AGAIN...!
62 TPI tires are very thick.
This was one hell of an explosion.
Be very careful.