Repairing tubular tire

[Mike Kennedy]

Hello,

I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is still in
excellent condition so I hate to write it off.
None of the local shops want to mess with it, so either I do it or could I
send it off to be repaired? Any suggestions or pointers?

Thanks,

Mike Kennedy

Mike, how big is that hole???

"Mike Kennedy" > wrote in message
...
> Hello,
>
> I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
> difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is still
> in
> excellent condition so I hate to write it off.
> None of the local shops want to mess with it, so either I do it or could I
> send it off to be repaired? Any suggestions or pointers?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Kennedy
>
>

Mike, how big is that hole???

"Mike Kennedy" > wrote in message
...
> Hello,
>
> I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
> difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is still
> in
> excellent condition so I hate to write it off.
> None of the local shops want to mess with it, so either I do it or could I
> send it off to be repaired? Any suggestions or pointers?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Kennedy
>
>

[jim beam]

Mike Kennedy wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
> difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is still in
> excellent condition so I hate to write it off.
> None of the local shops want to mess with it, so either I do it or could I
> send it off to be repaired? Any suggestions or pointers?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Kennedy
>
>

unfortunately, as you can see from this image,

http://www.tufo.com/img/big/06b.jpg

tufo's don't have a stitched underseam construction like other tubulars,
so you can't get at the inner tube to repair it. if the special tufo
sealant doesn't do the job, game's over for that tire.

[jim beam]

Mike Kennedy wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
> difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is still in
> excellent condition so I hate to write it off.
> None of the local shops want to mess with it, so either I do it or could I
> send it off to be repaired? Any suggestions or pointers?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Kennedy
>
>

unfortunately, as you can see from this image,

http://www.tufo.com/img/big/06b.jpg

tufo's don't have a stitched underseam construction like other tubulars,
so you can't get at the inner tube to repair it. if the special tufo
sealant doesn't do the job, game's over for that tire.

[David L. Johnson]

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 12:52:29 -0600, Mike Kennedy wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
> difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is still
> in excellent condition so I hate to write it off.

You lose. Tufos are not really made to be repairable. A "real" tubular
could be repaired, and booted if necessary. I used to use tires for
months with a boot in them, and to repair all manner of punctured
tubulars. But there is no way to repair a Tufo, since there is no seam to
open up. It's all layered together.

I don't understand the idea behind this. But people love the tires, and
have to buy new ones every time they have a serious flat. I guess that
explains their business model.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]

[David L. Johnson]

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 12:52:29 -0600, Mike Kennedy wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
> difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is still
> in excellent condition so I hate to write it off.

You lose. Tufos are not really made to be repairable. A "real" tubular
could be repaired, and booted if necessary. I used to use tires for
months with a boot in them, and to repair all manner of punctured
tubulars. But there is no way to repair a Tufo, since there is no seam to
open up. It's all layered together.

I don't understand the idea behind this. But people love the tires, and
have to buy new ones every time they have a serious flat. I guess that
explains their business model.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]

[Calvin Jones]

The comments here are on target regarding the limits of repair when a
tire is not stitched. However, as a point of information, for
stitched tires, without sealant, the best resource I have seen for
repair instructions is in Effective Cycling, by John Forester.

[Calvin Jones]

The comments here are on target regarding the limits of repair when a
tire is not stitched. However, as a point of information, for
stitched tires, without sealant, the best resource I have seen for
repair instructions is in Effective Cycling, by John Forester.

[[email protected]]

Calvin Jones writes:

> The comments here are on target regarding the limits of repair when
> a tire is not stitched. However, as a point of information, for
> stitched tires, without sealant, the best resource I have seen for
> repair instructions is in Effective Cycling, by John Forester.

Have you considered this source:

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.19.html

Jobst Brandt

[[email protected]]

Calvin Jones writes:

> The comments here are on target regarding the limits of repair when
> a tire is not stitched. However, as a point of information, for
> stitched tires, without sealant, the best resource I have seen for
> repair instructions is in Effective Cycling, by John Forester.

Have you considered this source:

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.19.html

Jobst Brandt

[Mike Kennedy]

The hole is 6-8 mm. I tried using superglue to seal the outer cut and added
more or the sealant to the tube, added some air and hung over night with the
hole at the bottom. When I tried to pumping up to 45psi, the sealant started
leaking out.
I did not realize that these tires were not sewn, even though they had been
great performers I will not buy them again.





> wrote in message
news:3M%cd.388883$mD.61041@attbi_s02...
> Mike, how big is that hole???
>
> "Mike Kennedy" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> > front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it
very
> > difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is
still
> > in
> > excellent condition so I hate to write it off.
> > None of the local shops want to mess with it, so either I do it or could
I
> > send it off to be repaired? Any suggestions or pointers?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Mike Kennedy
> >
> >
>
>

[Mike Kennedy]

The hole is 6-8 mm. I tried using superglue to seal the outer cut and added
more or the sealant to the tube, added some air and hung over night with the
hole at the bottom. When I tried to pumping up to 45psi, the sealant started
leaking out.
I did not realize that these tires were not sewn, even though they had been
great performers I will not buy them again.





> wrote in message
news:3M%cd.388883$mD.61041@attbi_s02...
> Mike, how big is that hole???
>
> "Mike Kennedy" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
> > front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it
very
> > difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? The tire is
still
> > in
> > excellent condition so I hate to write it off.
> > None of the local shops want to mess with it, so either I do it or could
I
> > send it off to be repaired? Any suggestions or pointers?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Mike Kennedy
> >
> >
>
>

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

mike-<< I hit something yesterday during a cross race and put a nice hole in my
front TUFO tubular tire. The sealant is not going to fix this. Is it very
difficult to try and patch and possibly boot this hole? >><BR><BR>

Not 'hard'.... Not possible since it doesn't have a tube. No way to open, boot
and reseal. Why Tufos are not a great idea, tubie wise, IMO.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

[David L. Johnson]

On Sat, 23 Oct 2004 14:10:49 +0000, Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

> Not 'hard'.... Not possible since it doesn't have a tube. No way to open,
> boot and reseal. Why Tufos are not a great idea, tubie wise, IMO.

Technically, although their ad copy says otherwise, they do have a tube.
They call it a "bladder", but it's a tube. What they don't have is casing
that is stitched together, so it can be opened.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Arguing with an engineer is like mud wrestling with a pig... You
_`\(,_ | soon find out the pig likes it!
(_)/ (_) |

[Greg Hall]

"David L. Johnson" > wrote in message >...
> Technically, although their ad copy says otherwise, they do have a tube.
> They call it a "bladder", but it's a tube. What they don't have is casing
> that is stitched together, so it can be opened.

Tufo tire diagram: http://www.tufo.com/index.php?lg=en&co=produkce
The inside airtight layer ('bladder') is made of a special
butyl-rubber compound that is bonded to the casing.

I have been unable to determine the location of leaking air on some
flatted tubulars (most likely pinholes from flakey Vittoria latex tube
defects). As a last resort I'm going to try pouring some Tufo sealant
into the tube. A knowledgeable mechanic has attempted this, with mixed
results, and reports that the tire has to be kept somewhat inflated to
prevent the insides of the tube from sticking together.

Greg 'Patches' Hall

[David L. Johnson]

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 07:37:23 -0700, Greg Hall wrote:

> "David L. Johnson" > wrote in message
> >...
>> Technically, although their ad copy says otherwise, they do have a tube.
>> They call it a "bladder", but it's a tube. What they don't have is
>> casing that is stitched together, so it can be opened.
>
> Tufo tire diagram: http://www.tufo.com/index.php?lg=en&co=produkce The
> inside airtight layer ('bladder') is made of a special butyl-rubber
> compound that is bonded to the casing.

So, it's a tube glued to the tire casing.
>
> I have been unable to determine the location of leaking air on some
> flatted tubulars (most likely pinholes from flakey Vittoria latex tube
> defects). As a last resort I'm going to try pouring some Tufo sealant into
> the tube. A knowledgeable mechanic has attempted this, with mixed results,
> and reports that the tire has to be kept somewhat inflated to prevent the
> insides of the tube from sticking together.

If that doesn't work, the tires are very expensive, and you don't want to
try this yourself, there is a company somewhere on-line that will replace
the tube and re-stitch the entire casing. Extreme, but if, say, you have
nice old silk tires with rotted tubes, it might be worth it. You can also
replace a tube yourself without completely re-stitching the casing. Cut a
new tube in half, thread it through the casing after cutting a normal
opening, lap-seam the tube back together, and pray. Not for the safety
conscious, since it will probably fail.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And what if you track down these men and kill them, what if you
_`\(,_ | killed all of us? From every corner of Europe, hundreds,
(_)/ (_) | thousands would rise up to take our places. Even Nazis can't
kill that fast. -- Paul Henreid (Casablanca).

[A Muzi]

> "David L. Johnson" > wrote in message >...
>>Technically, although their ad copy says otherwise, they do have a tube.
>>They call it a "bladder", but it's a tube. What they don't have is casing
>>that is stitched together, so it can be opened.

Greg Hall wrote:
> Tufo tire diagram: http://www.tufo.com/index.php?lg=en&co=produkce
> The inside airtight layer ('bladder') is made of a special
> butyl-rubber compound that is bonded to the casing.
>
Greg Hall wrote:
> I have been unable to determine the location of leaking air on some
> flatted tubulars (most likely pinholes from flakey Vittoria latex tube
> defects). As a last resort I'm going to try pouring some Tufo sealant
> into the tube. A knowledgeable mechanic has attempted this, with mixed
> results, and reports that the tire has to be kept somewhat inflated to
> prevent the insides of the tube from sticking together.

I did that,too. A not-Tufo one week old tire with a staple
in it. I squirted some Tufo sealant in it, aired it to 110,
pulled out the staple and rode through the neighborhod to
fling the sealant to the outside edge of the tube. That was
August of 2003 and I'm still riding that tubular,
uneventfully, on the front of my bie.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

[Tim McNamara]

A Muzi > writes:

> A not-Tufo one week old tire with a staple in it. I squirted some
> Tufo sealant in it, aired it to 110, pulled out the staple and rode
> through the neighborhod to fling the sealant to the outside edge of
> the tube. That was August of 2003 and I'm still riding that
> tubular, uneventfully, on the front of my bie.

The only guy I know who rides tubulars almost all the time- he's a
bricklayer and commutes to job sites by bike- had a Tufo tub that he
rode down to the casing and a little beyond. He was riding home from
work on a dry day, felt something wet spraying on his leg, and
discovered it was sealant from the Tufo, and that he'd ridden well
down into the cords. It held air and got him to my house to show me
the tire on his way home. There was exposed cord in an almost
contiguous stripe all the way around the tire. So I guess this stuff
works fairly well...

[Greg Hall]

Tim McNamara > wrote in message >...
> The only guy I know who rides tubulars almost all the time- he's a
> bricklayer and commutes to job sites by bike- had a Tufo tub that he
> rode down to the casing and a little beyond. He was riding home from
> work on a dry day, felt something wet spraying on his leg, and
> discovered it was sealant from the Tufo, and that he'd ridden well
> down into the cords. It held air and got him to my house to show me
> the tire on his way home. There was exposed cord in an almost
> contiguous stripe all the way around the tire. So I guess this stuff
> works fairly well...

Found a product that will allow for an easier, measured injection of
sealant: http://www.notubes.com/accessories.htm

This is looking more an more like a viable solution for my problem
tires. The notubes.com product is a good price vs Tufo sealant. Thanks
for the responses.

Greg Hall