Got a flat on a rental ATV out in Moab last fall

I was out near Poison Spider Mesa in Moab last October, about 20 miles from town, when the rear tire just went flat. No warning, just a slow hiss and then it was done. I had to ride back on the rim for like 2 miles because I didn't pack a patch kit (dumb move, I know). Turns out a sharp rock sliced the sidewall, not even the tread. The rental company charged me $75 for the damage, which stung. Has anyone else dealt with sidewall cuts on rocky trails out west?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah_palmer4218d ago

Those sidewall slices are brutal out there... they're almost always a rim ride back to town. Sounds like you limped that tire harder than most people would. $75 is actually pretty cheap for that kind of abuse, they usually charge more for rim damage.

maryadams18d ago

Did @noah_palmer42 ever try patching one of those sidewall slices from the inside? I had a buddy who swore by booting them with an old tube and some rubber cement, swore it'd get you home. Tried it once on a trail out near Moab, ended up limping 10 miles with a tire that looked more like a patchwork quilt than a tire. The thing ballooned out so bad I thought it was gonna blow right in my face, but somehow it held. By the time I got back, the rim was so bent I had to pound it straight with a rock, which I'm pretty sure isn't in the repair manual. $75 sounds like a deal compared to buying a whole new wheelset.