Hello Tom and Neill -
I second the Tire Savers! I too believe they work. (For Tire Savers, there are passionate believers and non-believers). One pair I have is also 20 years old.
They can be found at loosescrews.com (and probably elsewhere) $3/pair. Item #UB-TS1 They say: "Tire savers mount on the brake pivot bolt, rub on the top of the tire and help clean mud, glass and debris off your tires."
I'm going to start using them on most of my clinchers as well. Four flats in the last 6 rides is not a good average. Too much broken glass on my favorite route.
cheers,
Skip Echert Renton, WA
At 01:08 PM 8/22/02 -0700, Tom James wrote:
>I don't know of any method for fixing very small
>punctures in tubulars except the invasive way. In
>fact, it's those little punctures that do the most
>frequent damage to my tires riding the streets and
>alleys of Chicago. I can generally spot a pothole or
>large shards of glass in enough time to avoid them,
>but it's those near invisible pin-head sized
>razor-sharp gems that stick to a rock-hard and wet
>tire surface on a rainy day, take a couple of spins
>around and work their way right through whatever
>protective armor the manufacturer advertized - kevlar
>for instance. The best defense is a good offense, or
>is it the other way round? What works best for me is
>what I have always known as "tire savers" - a little
>piece of looped wire that rides on the tires surface
>and flicks the specks of glass off of the tire before
>they make a second pass under your weight and into the
>tire surface. Only problem is finding them. I have
>only one left - from over 20 years back - they do
>eventually wear out, and dispite my best feeble
>efforts here in the Chicagoland market anyway, can't
>find them any more.
>--- Neill Currie <neill1234@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Hi
> > I have "inherited" several decent quality Tubular
> > tires which have plenty of life left in them, but
> > suffer solely from having very small punctures.
> > I am loath to rip them apart to repair them, if
> > there is an easier, quicker fix, that is less
> > "invasive" (considering the terminology I am
> > using, maybe I see the tires as patients, rather
> > than simply tires ;-)
> >
> > Has anyone had success fixing similar small
> > holes? Slime, Tufo sealant, old milk??? If so,
> > can you describe how (I have tried Slime, but it
> > seems too glutinous to get through the presta
> > valve.....maybe there is a better application
> > method though?)
> >
> > Many thanks.
> > Neill "rubber fingers" Currie, Portland, Me
> >
> > =====
> > Neill Currie, Portland, Me 04102, USA.