Re-tubing a tubular tyre.

S

shawnb

Senior Retro Guru
I have a pair of these tyres on my latest purchase:

raleighti012.jpg


Whilst the front tyre holds 100psi the rear popped!
I can't seem to find a definative answer searching on here but is it really possible to re-tube a tub?!
22 years ago I vaguely remember unstitching a tub and fixing a puncture but i'm guessing this tube is shot. Can I pull the tape off, unstitch the tyre and remove the old tube? Is it a simple case of placing a new tube inside and carefully re-stitching the tyre up? do I then stick the original tape back on with tub glue?

I really really want to keep these tyres, they have been on the bike since 1982 and very rare and basically unused.
Cheers.
 
I suppose it is theoretically possible but VERY hard to do yourself by hand. It's an awful lot of stitching to get straight and at the correct tension and also depends on whether you can get a tube of the right size. A 'standard' 700c tube is not necessarily the same. Best to bite the bullet and get some new tyres as the tread is probably perished and cracked by now as well.

Ritmos weren't the best tyres anyway, basically a training tyre. Try some new Continental Giros with skinwalls, they look period enough.
 
When I first started out I bought some second hand sprints and tubs for my Carlton..........had to mend a couple of punctures on them due to lack of money for replacements.

Not the easiest thing to do and wouldn't like to actually re-tube one.


Shaun
 
I know it does sound rather pointless but they are the original tyres and actually the tyres themselves do seem ok... I may still attempt it just for the hell of it, I do like to give things like this a go or I'll always be bugged by it!!
Failing that a friend has said there's a guy in the back pages of the comic who repairs tubs cheaply, whether thats simple punctures or re-tubing I will look into.
I've got to be practical as the bike will be ridden but I can't bear the thought of having to replace them and having something fitted that wasn't on it since 1982!
Shawn.
 
Is there a puncture or is it just that it won't hold air?

It might be the valve is leaking, some have a replacement core.

I agree it'll be very difficult if not practically impossible to stitch up a whole tub by hand so it's like new. Even when you do a puncture repair, stitching up a couple of inches is difficult enough to get the thread tension even and straight.

A pro tub repairer might be able to do it, and I guess a tub maker shouldn't have any problems doing it.
 
I remember trying to find a hole in a tub inner tube once and ended up unstitching half the tyre. Stitching it back up wasn't too bad (with nylon fishing line as it pulled through easily) and using the original stitch holes. Using the original holes avoided the tub being twisted.....
I think I used a velox tub repair kit with special needles...
gluing the base tape back on was an issue....tried normal puncture repair glue (no good) and then rim glue (I think)......ooooh, the hours I spent!

Mark
 
fiks":324w9weh said:
A pro tub repairer might be able to do it, and I guess a tub maker shouldn't have any problems doing it.
Click to expand...

Probably cost much more than the cost of a new one. Like I said, Ritmos were not in the top league of tubulars BITD so I don't reckon it's worth considering doing anything else but get new ones.

Mind you, they will be extremely well matured by now....................
 
tubulars

Why not try one of the sealers that are on the market.I do feel though that as soon as you start using them they will deteriorate very quickly due to their age. You are going to have to keep a good watch on them to avoid nasty surprises
regards
Peter
 
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