Powerbar Patch

Rode with one of the guys from work, Jeff, in the Union Hills Loop area — from 7th Street & Happy Valley Road to Carefree Hwy and back along trails cut across the desert. But only three miles into the ride, my rear tire went flat, and after replacing it with a spare tube, it flattened again less than a 100 yards farther along.

I inspected the tire a bit more carefully, looking for the sharp object I must have missed earlier, and found a quarter-inch hole dead center in the tread. I still had two more spares, but figured the unprotected piece would probably be immediately punctured again. While munching on a Powerbar and looking at the few supplies and tools I had brought, I remembered reading that it was a good idea to keep a length of duct-tape wrapped around the seat post for occassions such as this — I found myself wishing I had followed that writer’s advice.

I finished off the Powerbar, and after a bit of thought, placed the folded wrapper in the tire between the hole and the tube. It worked beautifully — we continued and finished the ride without any further problems. Afterwards, as I was putting the bike away, I checked out the damaged spot on the tire again and was greeted by the smiling silver/gold circle of wrapper peeking through the tire. The tire probably needs to be replaced, but I’m pretty sure it still has several more miles left in it.

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