Had my first flat on a bike about two weeks ago. Ran over a roofing staple and got two small holes quite close to each other. Reamed it into one larger hole and plugged it on the road with a rope style plug kit. Worked fine for the first week, but the repair has developed a slow leak - about 8 lbs/day. The tire is a Michelin Pilot Road 2 (rear). It has about 2000 miles left on it. What's the best way to fix the leak? Should I re-do the plug (tear the original plug out and replace it with a new one), use some Slime (not preferred), just live with filling the tire each day? I know plugs won't last forever - nor are they designed too, but I hear of plugs lasting thousands of miles. I figure I have nothing to lose at this point just re-plugging, but thought I'd ask around in case someone has faced and solved the same problem. What say you?
What say you?
Rope plugs will leak eventually. They are temporary at best.
Slime will corrode the rim and destroy it. Never use it. I know this from vast personal experience because I tried the above in different configurations and various manufacturers.
Replace the tire no if and's or but's.
I dunno Mike, a fresh rubber coated rope plug, properly installed WITH GLUE (when you rasp the hole, coat the rasp with cement and leave it in place while goobering the plug with goo also) will NEVER leak, and you will never be able to pull it out from the inside after the tire wears out and is off the rim....
It's all about the glue dude, and making it work.
I have ridden on at least 20 tires, plugged correctly in the last 35 years, and never once had a leakage or failure of the plug.
I also have a tire I drilled holes into, and repeatedly plugged, to teach folks how to do it correctly, during the Canaan National Rally. I just checked it. It still has 40 psi in it, I had it at 42 psi at the rally, there are 23 plugs in that bald tire.
I dunno Mike, a fresh rubber coated rope plug, properly installed WITH GLUE (when you rasp the hole, coat the rasp with cement and leave it in place while goobering the plug with goo also) will NEVER leak, and you will never be able to pull it out from the inside after the tire wears out and is off the rim....
It's all about the glue dude, and making it work.
I have ridden on at least 20 tires, plugged correctly in the last 35 years, and never once had a leakage or failure of the plug.
I also have a tire I drilled holes into, and repeatedly plugged, to teach folks how to do it correctly, during the Canaan National Rally. I just checked it. It still has 40 psi in it, I had it at 42 psi at the rally, there are 23 plugs in that bald tire.
That's what I'm talking about,. The rubber cement is key to a long lasting non leaking plug.
I had a brand new PR2 rear punctured with an 1" screw a month ago. I was going like hell and the TPMS started flashing-this is the best safety feature ever and probably saved me from going to the hospital or worse. Anyhow, got out my trusty Nealy repair worms, and pumped the tire up with my mini Slime compressor. Down the road and crap- the tire is still slowly leaking. Tried 2 more worms and even more glue- better, but no cigar. It turns out that if the puncture is in the carcass and not in the raised tread area, the belts get broken, and the only fix is taking the tire off the wheel and using an inner patch or plug. Went to a bike shop and cost $60.Really? No bike shop around here or anywhere else that I have asked will touch a tire whether that be plugging or patching a tire for legal reasons.
Every kit I have bought in recent years never came with any glue. I was not aware that I was supposed to use glue.
Just go buy plain old rubber cement? I have the newer fancy kits -- DynoPlug and Stop and Go and those dont have glue or directions to use glue.
I guess I have been in the dark regarding tire plugging info.
Really? No bike shop around here or anywhere else that I have asked will touch a tire whether that be plugging or patching a tire for legal reasons.
My local Kawi dealer won't patch a tire either. He said that it was for liability issues.