Author Topic: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?  (Read 2780 times)

Offline ratguzzi

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lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« on: July 05, 2016, 03:14:30 PM »
Getting my 04 Ti ready for work travel and I am stuck with steel spoked wheels on it. I would like to bring just one tube with in case of an emergency. Of course, I will have a tube patch kit but in case it didn't work............... .....
I am leaning toward the 17". I have had more rear flats than fronts. And if I had to change it on the road, I wouldn't have to redo it once I got to a bike shop. Front would be easier to swap out later.
JB
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Offline fotoguzzi

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2016, 03:17:13 PM »
my flats always were the rear tire.
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Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2016, 03:22:00 PM »
I've done "too small in a larger tire" and it didn't end well.  My vote would therefore be "too large in a smaller tire."

Offline RayB

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2016, 03:23:38 PM »
I'd go with the 17. The larger tube will be creased if used in tear...more heat from flex, etc
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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2016, 03:23:38 PM »

Offline ITSec

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2016, 03:47:24 PM »
I tend towards the 'replace at rear, patch at front' concept, though I haven't had to deal with this for a long time. My DRZ had same sized wheels for Super-Motard configuration, and the dirt wheels were so different there would have been no way to use the same tube even in an emergency. It was more a matter of the effort involved if a patched rear needed further attention.
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2016, 03:54:05 PM »
Convert to tubeless with the application of silicone sealant over the nipples.
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Offline ITSec

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2016, 04:01:00 PM »
Convert to tubeless with the application of silicone sealant over the nipples.

Wouldn't that also raise the question of the rim's bead seating area and its ability to hold a seal?
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2016, 04:15:58 PM »
Wouldn't that also raise the question of the rim's bead seating area and its ability to hold a seal?

Well I guess it would but it works for my 72 Eldorado, a 46 Indian a friend owns and all his Jap bikes.
It could also be argued that the cast wheels on my California II are not tubeless either just don't tell it.

The only problem I have had is due to cheap silicone that won't bond well to the aluminum rims.
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Offline FGO

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2016, 04:18:31 PM »
You can buy the correct tube for the cost of two bottles of your hotsauce :)
Jon

Offline ratguzzi

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2016, 09:10:52 AM »
Decided to add saddle bags over the gas tank like I used to do on my raT-3. I can easily carry both tubes now.
JB

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Online Wayne Orwig

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2016, 09:23:41 AM »
Decided to add saddle bags over the gas tank like I used to do on my raT-3. I can easily carry both tubes now.
JB

Even better.

I would never take a smaller tube and stretch it over a larger rim. I have had them fail from being stretched.
I'm sure that a large tube on a small rim might wrinkle, and that may not be great, but I'll bet it would get you home.
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Offline Idontwantapickle

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2016, 03:53:58 PM »
Stelvio.
Problem solved.
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Offline ratguzzi

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2016, 07:38:30 PM »
Stelvio.
Problem solved.
$10k later and can't do much more than a rough dirt road!!
JB
John Boettcher
Wonder Lake, IL


"I'll quit riding when they pry the handgrips out of my cold dead fingers"

Offline rocker59

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2016, 08:08:17 AM »
Wouldn't that also raise the question of the rim's bead seating area and its ability to hold a seal?

Not on modern DOT MC wheels. 
« Last Edit: July 08, 2016, 08:09:35 AM by rocker59 »
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Offline rocker59

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Re: lesser evil: 18" tube in 17" tire or 17" tube in 18" tire?
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2016, 08:13:21 AM »
You can buy the correct tube for the cost of two bottles of your hotsauce :)

Yeah, but if you're packing light, two tubes does take up space...

Though, I used to carry two tubes, when travelling on the Quota.
Michael T.
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