Rippedtyre

A ripped tyre is a double blow, as it often means that the inner tube is also punctured, leaving you with two repairs to deal with. Unlike repairing a punctured inner tube, which is a permanent fix, mending your tyre is only a temporary solution to help you get home. You will need to replace the tyre.

To repair the tyre, remove the wheel, then take off the tyre and inner tube. If the inner tube is punctured set it aside for now, as there’s no point repairing it until you know that the tyre can be patched.

Check inside the tyre to see the extent of the damage and remove any debris from whatever caused the rip, most commonly broken glass. Also, check that there are no sharp cords exposed from the tyre casing that could re-puncture the inner tube.

Unless you carry a proprietary tyre patch, you’ll need to find a piece of flexible and durable material to line the inside of the rip to prevent the inner tube herniating through. A piece of thin plastic works best (like the wrapper from an energy gel), as it won’t lose strength if it gets wet.

Position the tyre so that the damage is nearest the ground and place the patch over the hole. Make sure the patch overlaps the edges of the hole and extends to both beads.

With the patch in place, refit the tyre to the wheel and insert the inner tube, having repaired any punctures first. Slowly inflate the inner tube to about 50 per cent of its normal pressure, and watch to ensure that the patch stays in place. Assuming that the patch holds, refit the wheel and ride home carefully.