BruteForce
09-12-2010, 01:50 PM
This area is the most narrow, rugged and off camber double track I've ever ridden.
About half-way through, I hit something and put well over 40+ plugs in my left/front tire. Several of us hit something along the trail, but I suffered at least a 2" gash in my sidewall.
I heard the pop and saw an explosion of green as the "slime" sprayed out of the tire.
Initially, I didn't think plugs would work, so I cut up a foam air filter, wrapped it in plastic wrap (from my sandwich) and crammed that into the gash. The foam filter was too flexible, so didn't hold and just fell out.
I then put the 40+ plugs in and it held for about 10 minutes and two air refills, but after that, they all just fell out and the tire was 100% flat.
We were only half-way through the track (about 27 miles into it). It was a tough ride with 4 good tires, but I was out a front/left tire.. oddly, the one tire that was probably the most required due to the trail leaning that direction.
Suffice it to say that you CAN run a Bighorn flat for 12+ miles over some very hostile terrain. I show an after photo where you can see the sidewall is just trashed after we made it off the mountain.
A few photos and videos:
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt1.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt2.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt3.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt4.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt5.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt9.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt10.JPG
My attempt (was initially successful - You can see there's air in the tire) to plug up the gash.
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt6.JPG
Obviously the plugs came out, and I just made the decision to ride it out. Look at the sidewall. That's what happens when the tire is catching all the rocks because there's no air.
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt7.JPG
Here, Dennis (m74me) is demonstrating in his best Vanna White.
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt8.jpg
[/URL]
http://www.vimeo.com/14904974
http://www.vimeo.com/14902120
Full story plus Garmin tracks available at:
[URL]http://utahbruteforce.com/bruteforce/2010/09/boundary-trail-inkom-idaho.html (http://www.vimeo.com/14904974)
About half-way through, I hit something and put well over 40+ plugs in my left/front tire. Several of us hit something along the trail, but I suffered at least a 2" gash in my sidewall.
I heard the pop and saw an explosion of green as the "slime" sprayed out of the tire.
Initially, I didn't think plugs would work, so I cut up a foam air filter, wrapped it in plastic wrap (from my sandwich) and crammed that into the gash. The foam filter was too flexible, so didn't hold and just fell out.
I then put the 40+ plugs in and it held for about 10 minutes and two air refills, but after that, they all just fell out and the tire was 100% flat.
We were only half-way through the track (about 27 miles into it). It was a tough ride with 4 good tires, but I was out a front/left tire.. oddly, the one tire that was probably the most required due to the trail leaning that direction.
Suffice it to say that you CAN run a Bighorn flat for 12+ miles over some very hostile terrain. I show an after photo where you can see the sidewall is just trashed after we made it off the mountain.
A few photos and videos:
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt1.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt2.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt3.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt4.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt5.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt9.JPG
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt10.JPG
My attempt (was initially successful - You can see there's air in the tire) to plug up the gash.
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt6.JPG
Obviously the plugs came out, and I just made the decision to ride it out. Look at the sidewall. That's what happens when the tire is catching all the rocks because there's no air.
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt7.JPG
Here, Dennis (m74me) is demonstrating in his best Vanna White.
http://www.xmission.com/~jamesk/boundary/bt8.jpg
[/URL]
http://www.vimeo.com/14904974
http://www.vimeo.com/14902120
Full story plus Garmin tracks available at:
[URL]http://utahbruteforce.com/bruteforce/2010/09/boundary-trail-inkom-idaho.html (http://www.vimeo.com/14904974)