How to Fix Bicycle Tire Cuts with Shoe Goo

Our last QT was from Coach Rick Schultz, author of Bike Fit 101: Your Toolset for a Great Bike Fit, about using superglue to fix small cuts in tires.

We thought we’d share a couple of follow-ups to Rick’s tip, one from a reader who has had bad results using that technique, and another who’s made use of a product for shoes to accomplish the fix.

The first is from John Steggall, who writes: “Another fix for relatively minor tire slashes (even in the sidewalls) is to clean the inside casing of the tire and coat the slash area with some Shoe Goo. This works best when the tire and Shoe Goo are fairly warm because the Goo will settle onto the tire better instead of forming a mound. Let it cure overnight and you’re good to go.”

Phil Olson wrote the dissenting opinion re: superglue: “I have tried this method of using superglue in the past and have found that it leaves a hard knife-like piece of superglue in the tire that eventually pushes into the inner tube like a thorn.”

If you have an idea for a QT, fire away. We’re always looking for good info we can share with fellow roadies. We would love to hear from you with any suggestions you have. Contact us by clicking Quick Tips Ideas.

—John Marsh & The RBR Team