On your long journeys have any of you had a flat tire whereby your tire plug kit was inadequate to plug the hole? I.e. Hole too large.

Did you in this case have tubes available or did you (can you) lever the tyre off and patch it from the inside with the patches that come with tire repair kits?

What about stitching a tire with fishing line? Is this a solution perhaps?

I'm asking the question because I'm wondering if it's necessary to carry spare tubes, tire irons and bead breaker on my across Australia trip or whether a tire repair kit with the plug inserts is adequate enough?

Cheers

Ben

A breakdown recovery chap fixed a puncture repair on a mates old british bike a few years back using 3 plugs to fill one hole! This was just an emergancy fix to get him home and recommended max speed was 30 MPH... not recommended for a long term fix though

In Africa I've seen tyres with rips in the sidewall being stitched back together again at the side of the road using what looked like string. One of these was on a mini bus with about 15 people hanging around waiting so they probably expected (hoped) it would work. It probably wouldn't be the repair method of choice in the middle of Sydney but in the outback ...

Personally I wouldn't have thought fishing line would have been the best stuff to use as it's very thin for its tensile strength and could tear through the rubber when it flexes but as I've never tried it I don't know.

Whatever backup options you decide upon make sure you personally can get the tyre off the rim. You're not going to be able to do any bodge repairs if you can't do that.

Plugs don't always work. Carry a tube (and the means and skills to use it).

I was once riding a bicycle rented from a local in a remote corner of Mozambique (long story) when the tire went flat. The local guy surveyed the bushes at the edge of the track--landmines in the fields, so not wise to roam widely--and chose one not apparently different from the others. He stripped some bark, which came off long and threadlike, using that and a thorn to stitch the rent tube. We made it to the next village, proving....something or other, I forget exactly what.

Good luck.

Mark

Most of Australia more than 30km from a town has little or no roadside service - unless you go for something like RACV premium cover so you can be on your own. Once you get off the bitumen is is quite common to end up with sidewalls staked.

I've ridden a quadbike with about 30 plugs in a big hole and that lasted three days until mustering was over - but of course quadbikes run at pretty low tyre pressures.

Probably worth getting some tyre patches (heavier than tube patches) and adhesive from a tyre place, or carry a tube. Then of course you need to carry a pump as well.
Or wait until a 4WD comes along and hope they are carrying all the right gear.

We helped a bike rider who came into Dalhousie Springs with the front bearing collapsed and the front wheel wobbling all over the place. I made up a steel bush that was guaranteed to fail quickly, but it got him another 50 km

He rang RACV on a satphone and they would have come and carried him out except we were totally bogged in. They told him if he could get himself to Mt Dare, they would get him to Alice. He managed to get there and Mt dare truck took him to Alice. Cost to RACV was about $1500. To him, zero

BTW a cross-Australia trip can be all-bitumen or nearly all dirt, so level of independence needed varies a lot. First case there will always be someone along, second you need water, fuel and an emergency beacon.

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Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

30 plugs in one hole - god damn that is a lot! - how did they all stay in there and hold there place?!

Thanks for the advice.

Would it be fair to say that if I carry a tube then I would only carry 1 tube and that would be the larger of the 2? I have a 19" front and a 17" rear. I hear people say that a 19" would work in the rear but not a 17" in the front even if I stretched it to fit around the wheel.

After reading this and working on my flat roof a few week's back. I was thinking. What about some roofing felt. Heat up the inside until it is runny. Then press over rip or hole. No idea if it would work. But the stuff stick's to my roof. The problem is, would it take the flexing that a tyre will give it? An inner tube as extra support may help. As would some kind of cloth backing, like an old "T" shirt. Stop's the corner's of the felt holing the tube. No idea, but could help.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

Provided you can get the tyre off, vulcanize it. A practice many are well versed with in countries where resources are scarce.

I had a 4" long slash patched in Ethiopia. The guy used pieces of old truck tyres adn vulcanizing glue.

The chance of getting such a cut are VERY VERY rare indeed.

And if you've never used tyre plugs before, then practice about 20 times before because they can be a bloody nightmare.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

[QUOTE=*Touring Ted*;503634
And if you've never used tyre plugs before, then practice about 20 times before because they can be a bloody nightmare.[/QUOTE]

It's a doddle Ted if you have this kit. As demonstrated at many a hubb meet.
I've fixed more car punctures with this than bike ones!

Very much depends in the kit. There are many many variations. Some are shite. I've used them many times. Not used the one you posted though. Then again, all my bikes have tubes and that's the way I like it

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Having, in an earlyer life, worked in a tire shop my tire repair kit includes a small "section" patch about 2.5 inches by 4 inches, has cord in it. With this and a tube I can make it out with a 1 inch slice, maybe bigger. As for plugs, they all should be considered "temporary for emergency use only". Proper repair of any hole requires the tire to be removed and a patch put on the inside. Now someone will say they put a plug in their tire and went another 10,000 miles, good for you, but I am not going to count on it riding the outback. If you want you should be able to carry just one tube, half way in size between the front and rear and make it work to get you to fix it shop.
Another aid in tire/tube patching is "liquid buffer", a chemical cleaner that will make the patch stick much better. My first try at carrying a small bottle of this did not work as it melted the plastic lid but if you can find a small glass bottle with good lid it can be very valuable in the kit.
Bob

Most people in Australia who may need such a repair carry a tube. This not only patches a tyre but also a rim with a dent it it. You will need the tools to remove the tyre too, so you can put in a tube or patch!

Repairing a tyre carcass with a very large tear ... well you 'd need a patch at least as long as the tear. A good bit of cloth (you did not really need those jeans, did you?) to cover the tear then the tube and your good to the next place where you can get a tyre (and probably a tube and jeans too).

For tubeless tyre repairs I like the string type (some call it a rope type, the outback truckies use it so it must be good) - much easier to apply and you don't need to let all the air out. I have had two give a slow leak, easily fixed with a new tyre, others have been leak free and run to the end of the tyre life. Your life, your risk .. you make your own choice here as to how long and what speed you run the "emergency repair".

I have 'staked' a tyre - where a bit of wood goes through the tyre ... did not even try a repair .. tube straight in. Bit of cotton from a tee shirt to cover the hole from the inside IIRC.

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One further thing about Australia .. the cell phone companies advertise "covers 90% of Australia" .. but that is 90% of the population .. actually about 10% of the country by area! Do NOT count on cell phone coverage! EPIRBs/PLBs work anywhere, cost less than $400 and have no on going fees.

If you stick to well trafficked routes then you can count on the help of passing traffic. Normally they would expect you to be able to fix a flat tyre, unless the tyre is badly damaged .. like a tear. If the tube/tools get too much then you should be ok with the tubless patches in most situations, you only really need the tube and tools for things like crossing the Simpson, maybe the Sandover and Plenty Highways too.

If you only going to carry one spare tube .. for a 21" front and 18" or 17" rear most people carry the 21" front tube as a spare. No experience with other sizes. However .. the vast majority of my flats have been rears.

Thanks very much for the post Warin.

Such an ass to remove a tyre from a BMW with tyre levers - did it the other day for practice. Was going to put a tube in it but then didn't want to fluff around and remove the tire pressure monitoring system that sticks out from the tire valve inside the wheel.

Got the front changed (eventually) and the rear - well I broke my ratchet tool trying to do that today because the bolts were so damn tight - going to the shop to get the guys to do it - meanwhile I have to make a trip to Bunnings to get myself another tool.

As far as comms go - I've got a sat phone, mobile phone and spot tracker - feel pretty safe now!

Thanks again.

Ben