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Patching a Tire with a Dollar Bill
By spokesman | March 24, 2009
The above picture was taken by Dave Miller and is found here on Flickr. I have gotten flats from nails in the road but never had the same nail (or screw) puncture a tire twice. However, a dollar bill can be used as a boot or patch for the tire. It should be able to get you back home or to a bike store.
Actually, I have used a dollar bill patch and then ridden more than a hundred miles on it. I got flat and a hole in the tire when I rode over a nail on a multi-day tour. I replaced the tube and used a folded dollar bill between the tube and tire to prevent another flat due to the puncture in the tire. I picked up a new tire when we reached a bike store, but since we were behind schedule, I figured I would wait until I had another flat or reached our hotel before I changed the tire. We completed 30 more miles that day. Since it was the last day of the tour, I didn’t get around to installing the new tire until I had ridden nearly 100 miles with the dollar bill patch.
To patch a damaged tire, fold the bill and insert it in the tire to cover the thread bare portion or punctured area. If you inflated a tire and see that the tube is coming through the tire, deflate the tube and insert a dollar bill at that point. Tyvex, from a Federal Express envelope will also do the trick, but you are more likely to have a dollar bill handy.
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Topics: Maintenance and Repairs |
June 4th, 2009 at 9:01 am
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