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[deilenberger]

Nice touch... although dunno if I'd put the M/// logo on it. My M3c is really just transportation. The bike is the passion..

[AmostThere]

I rode about 100 miles today with the plug in my back tire from yesterday to repair the screw hole. Anybody have any experience with this sort of thing? Can I just continue to ride with it and have some sort of confidence that it is going to be okay or should I empty the wallet on a new tire?

Sorry, no swimsuits, they all must have been watching the Super Bowl...

[deilenberger]

The "official party line" would be to replace the tire, that your life is more valuable than the cost of a tire. To a great extent this is true.

The exception I'll make to that (personally, and I don't suggest anyone else do this) - is - if the tire is almost new; if the puncture is in the center area of the tread; if a patch-plug is used to repair it.

New means it has enough meat on it to make this worth doing. Having a hole that is off center or anywhere near the sidewall negates the idea since the patch isn't going to hold. Using a patch plug at worst will result in a slow persistant leak. It won't result in a fast deflation.

Doing a patch-plug requires someone who knows what they're doing.

This is the type I use (available at most large auto parts chain stores and NAPA stores):
http://patchboy.com/Merchant2/merchant. ... ode=9-3-39



Installing this sort of patch-plug requires removing the tire from the rim, and then using the correct adhesive on the inside of the tire for the patch (and the plug.) The patch seals the inner air-tight lining of the tire, and prevents air from penetrating into the cords/belts causing seperation. The rubber plug seals the outside - and keeps moisture and crap from getting in through the hole and damaging the cords/belts.

I have used these for many many miles, and when the tire was totally worn out, and being replaced, I tried removing the inside patch from the tire. It was impossible. It had bonded to the inner rubber lining and without using cutting tools, was not coming off.

Anything else I consider a temporary repair good enough to get me to someplace where I can get a new tire.

YMMV, and I don't recommend you do anything - just sayin' what I do.

[AmostThere]

Thanks Don, I appreciate the explanation AND the disclaimer. I've already had a couple of nervous twitters when I was zipping along the freeway and I went over the part where the guy running the rain groove cutting machine got the hiccups so the bike went squiggly for just a microsecond and I thought FLAT TIRE! Not a good feeling in banzai SoCal freewayland.

Okay, next question: when I replace the back tire I would like to change to a valve stem that I can actually use. I see that A & S has a little adapter thingie but somebody somewhere told me that there is an angled valve stem for our bike. Anybody use one? I found Ariete online but they're aluminum and I wondered about dissimilar metals. Maybe there is some other problem with that design and I should just get a different tire gauge and low profile air fill head.