Instant puncture fix

Since discovering how well gorilla tape works at fixing puncture I haven't cycled anywhere without it, especially as I get lots of punctures as I do a lot of off-road cycling. With normal puncture repair kits it takes ages to fix a puncture as you have to find the puncture, then rough up the area around it, put the glue on, wait for it to go tacky, put the patch on and wait for the glue to set. Whereas with using gorilla tape you just find the puncture and put a bit of tape over it and off you go. Its that simple! It reduces the time taken to fix a puncture from 15 to 30 minutes to about 5 (depending on how fast you can find the puncture).

Step 1: Stuff You'll need

This is a very short list:
Inner tube with puncture
Pump or compressor
Scissors
Gorilla tape
(relevant tools to remove innertube from wheel)

Comments

[karston12]

what kind of bike is it?

[Jamie bagn]

It's a Diamondback Sortie 1, a trail racing bike. http://www.diamondback.co.uk/MTB/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=10&pg=7972

[Yard Sale Dale]

I have found it much easier to find the hole by dunking the tube in the bath or mop bucket. You can usually find the air hole pretty fast by pumping up the tube till it stretches, then putting a section under your shirt, and rotating it till you feel the air leak. This shields it from the wind, and amuses your co riders. hahaha Also, the part of your face just under the nose is very sensitive for finding the air leak. (don't breathe the talc powder from the tube).

[Yard Sale Dale]

Cool. I am a fan of Gorilla tape. I use it for custom rim strips. They last for years and a roll does plenty of wheels for the money. It sucks for handlebar tape though. I think this would do for a get-out-of-dodge fix, but I always put patches on my tubes at home if not on the trail. I sometimes get free tubes from the trash, with just a pinhole in one.

[MartijnD]

Add an additional innertube, simply drill an extra hole, mark the spare one with duct tape. Once the outer runs flat, inflate spare and you are ready to go in 30 seconds

[Jamie bagn]

The only problem that I can see with this is that it'll reduce the structural integrity of the rim. One week spot is OK in a circle but 2 provides somewhere for it to collapse. Otherwise its a great idea.

[Xenophon]

Would you consider this a permanent solution? I would think that the tape would eventually come loose from heat/friction over time. The whole reason the glue from a patch kit takes time to set up is that it is creating a permanent bond that will last years.

Even if it was a temporary fix, it would still be a useful method of getting it home from a remote place if you carry the tape.

[Jamie bagn]

I don't know, the pressure of the inner tube on the tyre would hold it in place and on the inner tube, the pressure in the inner tube forces the inner tube onto the tyre which pushes back with the same force so the tape is only providing a good seal. So far I haven had any problems but it hasn't rely been long enough to judge whether it can be classed as permanent or not.

[l8nite]

have to give this a try

[TurboFish]

Good idea but i wouldn't want to use it as a permanent solution i would imagine it would leak over time but as a temporary fix it is a perfect

[audreyobscura]

SWEET! I live in a place that is fairly urban (i.e. broken glass everywhere!) I am going to start carrying a roll of this stuff around the stem of my bike seat.