Tubular tyre puncture repair

Hi everyone.

I borrowed a friends old bike yesterday and of course managed to get a puncture. They’re really old 23c tubular tyres and the puncture is 2mm from a small piece of glass.

Does anyone know an easy way to repair tubs? Is Vittoria Pit Stop worth a try? Superglue? They’re such old wheels I’d be kind of annoyed if I had to sink £40+install on a new tub but it’s not my bike so have to do what’s right if needs be.

Thanks!

What is the make / brand of tubular? You could try finding a replacement on Retrobike. Not sure anyone does a tubular repair service in the UK anymore – depends again on the tubular – some like Tufo and some Contis don’t have a separate inner tube.

Thanks for the reply.
Looks like a conti sprinter gatorskin…
Do you think PitStop might give it a bit of a second life? Think the wheels need to be put to rest.

Couple of guys still offer repairs but it’s only worth it for stuff like race cyclocross or time trial tubs that are expensive and don’t see many miles (ie not a worn out conti sprinter).

I have sealed a couple with tufo extreme sealant, vittoria pitstop is also meant to work OK. But it’s more of a temp, get me home, fix as the seal won’t hold well when you want to re-inflate to 90psi.

You could try and repair it yourself if you’re of a crafty disposition – I’ve never done it but it’s just needle and thread? Otherwise offer to make things right – wouldn’t expect a mate to take £40 off you in this situation, tbh, but it has to be offered.

You bend it, you mend it…

Sound advice. Really appreciate it! My partners a leatherworker so I’ll put her to work, and offer a replacement it is doesn’t hold.

I’ve never done it but it’s just needle and thread?

I’ve always thought about it and then thought the odds of me being able to stitch it up without puncturing it again and doing it well enough to hold 100+ psi were next to zero, so never tried….

Last used Tubs in the 80s, takes me right back….

From my 1 ride experience, there is a good reason they’re not the done thing anymore.

I’ve always thought about it and then thought the odds of me being able to stitch it up without puncturing it again and doing it well enough to hold 100+ psi were next to zero, so never tried….

Yeah the stitch back up sounds like the hard part – how do you do that without puncturing the inner?

I commuted on tubs for a couple of years just recently, did a few sportives – use them all day over tubes but hard to justify on the road now over a good tubeless set-up.

You never know, the glass might’ve been embedded in the tread and you were just the one who pushed it through.

I’ve never run anything other than tubs on road, so my tuppen’orth:

Sealant works about 50% of the time. If it does, and they are latex tubes (Corsas, Veloflex etc), they’ll deflate as usual after a few days but the sealant can stick them together inside, meaning the next time they’re pumped up, they tear. If it’s a Sprinter it’s a butyl tube, might work better.

Repairing is straightforward enough, I can’t sew a button on but I’ve done loads of tubs. Velox do a little sewing kit. You don’t puncture the tube with the needle, once you get the basetape off it’s apparent that you can’t do that unless you’re trying to.

Decathlon have, or had, a Vittoria tub for about 15 quid. You could glue one of those on and hope he doesn’t notice 😉

Check the construction of the tyre – if it has a glued-on base tape and if you peel it off a little has stitching underneath then it can be repaired. Conti Sprinters use butyl inners so can be repaired using a regular puncture repair patch. Plenty of videos online, or buy a Vittoria Rally tub and replace it.

I fix a few tubs, have done a few conti sprinters, prefer cross tubs. If it’s had sealant in its usually a write off as it’s stuck together especially if a latex tube. As a last resort you can cut a brand new latex tube and pull it in the glue it back together, that’s an expensive fix.

If it’s a simple fix, no sealant inside, you post it to me, I’ll post it back to you for £20.

Email in profile.

Don’t all rush 😉

I run tubs on my nice road bike

Sealant works most of the time, Vittoria Pitstop works well out on the road as its Co2 and sealant in one can

For a puncture fix whilst at home i just use normal bike sealant (Hutchinson’s is my fav)

If the tub is unrepairable then look at Vittoria Rally’s they can be had from Decathlon for around £13