Would You Replace the Tire If...

[kfergos]

...you found a 1/4" slit in it?

The slit goes all the way through the rubber but not the casing underneath; I can see fabric through the slit. I have Gatorskins, if that makes any difference.

They have about 6,000 miles on them, as best I can estimate.

[tulip]

Yes, because a blowout could take me down. I don't need any more bumps on the head that can be prevented. But that's just me.

[Aggie_Ama]

Yes because of what Tulip said. Better to spend $50 on a new Gatorskin then hundreds in the ER because you wrecked.

Surface knicks no biggie but that is more than I would trust myself on.

[OakLeaf]

Yes if you can see the casing.

[aicabsolut]

Depends. I definitely would if the threads had been punctured. Depending on the age of the tire, I might just put a folded up $1 bill between the tube and the part of the tire with the slit in it for another layer of protection. If it's kind of old, then I'd be more inclined to change it, b/c 1/4" is pretty big. I would still keep it as a backup tire, though, which can be used in a pinch with the dollar trick.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You could definitely have a blow out from that. I often go 35mph on highways- would I want a blowout that might throw me into a telephone pole or hurl me under some truck, just to save $50?
I don't think so.

[Aggie_Ama]

I had a blow out at 20 mph on my bike and it was really scary. Luckily it was a day when I ride a shoulder that is as wide as an entire lane so heading into traffic was unlikely. Luckily I was able to control the bike and stop it before an intersection, luckily the poles on this road are 20-30 feet off the road, luckily I sensed it might happen (the tire was rubbing). I wouldn't test my luck again and change my tires if I see a significant cut.

Whoa! 6,000 miles?! You got your moneys worth out of that.

[ridebikeme]

With a one word answer YES!!!

A dollar bill, boot, whatever you might stick in this slit, may not hold when you are riding over roots, rocks, or anything you may encounter in the woods. I wouldn't take the risk.... I always remind people that an injury from something like this is WAY more expensive than replacing a tire/tube.

[Mr. Bloom]

It's interesting to ponder how this happens.

Silver just rolled over 10,000 on her 2 year old Madone. Today, she's riding from Illinois to Louisville.

When checking tires last night, she found gashes in her Vittoria Corso's.

My question: How do we get gashes like this without flats? Is it underscoring the value of our kevlar lined tires?

[Aggie_Ama]

I think why we flat based on a gash is much more complicated than a puncture. I usally change my tires when they are noticeably not rounded, has a visible large gash or explode (eek). I have changed some I thought looked a little sad and found gashes but never flatted.

On a side note, I don't get more than 3,000 miles because I have the depth perception of a drunken armadillo and run over all kinds of stuff. DH said after the cut tire in Taos I can only ride Gatorskins or Armadillos from now on. If I were fast I might care but whats a little extra weight on a turtle? I will work on dropping pounds not grams from the engine (me).

[chicago]

absolutely... no questions asked.

[Mr. SR500]

I would likely stick some duct tape on the inside, at least 2 layers, but given the mileage, I would give it a close inspection, might be time to replace.

[kfergos]

Thanks for all your input! I replaced it with an Armadillo with reflective sidewalls. Now I have obviously mismatched tires, but fortunately I don't really care that much.

I'll be honest: I really did want an excuse to try this reflective sidewall thing out, and I've heard good things about Armadillos. Handy! But I didn't get the slash on purpose, and I would've probably just lived with it, except I found that when I rode to work on Friday, the knowledge of that cut in my tire made me feel nervous and unsafe the whole time. Since I rarely take risks I can avoid, I replaced the tire that night before the bulk of my commute.

Now seeing all the struggle the LBS people had getting it on -- they have thumbs of steel and they needed a tool to get it on, and even that was a struggle -- I'm not convinced I'll ever get it off to fix any flats. Hopefully I don't get many!

[PscyclePath]

If the slit is in the sidewall, absolutely... replace the tire. If it's in the tread, and you're wanting to eke out a few more miles, put one of the long, rectangular vulcanized patches over the hole from the inside of the tire (like a boot), then a strip of duct tape over that for a little security.

I booted one of the Vittorias on my road bike like that yesterday when a piece of glass punched an annoying little hole through the tread. I'll keep an eye on it for awhile while I look for a matching tire... It's only got about 2700 miles on it so far... ;-)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If the slit is in the sidewall, absolutely... replace the tire. If it's in the tread, and you're wanting to eke out a few more miles, put one of the long, rectangular vulcanized patches over the hole from the inside of the tire (like a boot), then a strip of duct tape over that for a little security.

Well I did just that this morning.
I have some very expensive Continental Grand Prix 4 season tires with only 1,000 miles on them. The other day I saw a little piece of glass just a moment too late to avoid it, and I heard a creepy snapping sound as I went over it.
I found the glass had punched a little 1/8" slit in my rubber right in the center, and I could see the mesh belt if I gently pulled the slit open. DAMN!
I rode an easy 20 mile ride after that with no problem and the tire is not losing air, but I felt uneasy.
So yesterday I first put some epoxy into the slit on the outside and let that dry overnight.
This morning I took the tire off, lightly sanded the inside trouble area, and applied a long 1"x1/2" tire patch from my patch kit. I put a layer of duct tape smoothed on over that. I feel way safer now.

I must add however that if this tire had had 3,000 or more miles on it already, I would have definitely just replaced it with a new tire.

PsyclePath- I had thought of doing a boot, but thanks for spelling out the details.