How do "Bacon Strips" plug tires?

[nickrides]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knztv4YFO_Y

This video goes a long way to show how it works and looks

Nick

[Pauls1150]

Bacon strips? No wonder dogs chase vehicles!

[dieselyoda]

Bacon Strips/tire worms/plugnation/noodles, lots of names for tire plugs and as many names they have, there is the same variety.

I use a plug that is already dry coated in rubber cement.

I use wet rubber cement as the lubricant.

Once dry on the plug and in the hole, I hope, I install the plug.

Leaving about 1/2" of the plug sticking outside, I light it on fire.

Let 'er burn then put the fire out so the wick of the plug melts.

Go ahead, ask me why I do it this way and my answer is, been taught that method, work for my entire career and only ever had one blow out.

[radiofun1]

I coat the bacon strip in vulcanizing cement for good measure. Last year I had to use five bacon strips to plug a large gash. With no place to buy a new tire i ended up riding an entire day, about 350 miles, and the tire held air. I was amazed that the bacon strips worked so well on such a seriously damaged tire.

[GTRider]

Never heard of “bacon strips” but I would never plug a tire using the kit or technique shown in the video. First, because they are reaming the hole to enlarge it, and second because unless the lube they are using is rubber cement the plug has a high likelihood of coming back out.

I have used the oval rubber plugs and tool that BMW used to include with the bikes. They were horrible—the reamer was like a small rat-tail file ready to cut cords in the tire body, and the plugs too big to be easily inserted.

I have used the rubber mushroom plug kits—very difficult to use, require lubrication, and prone to coming out. Expensive, too.

The only repair kits I carry on the bikes anymore are the Nealey kits (https://www.nealeytirerepairkit.com/). Reasons for that are:
1. Inexpensive and neatly packaged
2. Easy to use- no reaming needed, only an insertion and wiggling of the unloaded insertion tool.
3. These are the only kits that use a closed-end tool, so the string is inserted, twisted a turn and a half to form a ball, then the string is withdrawn back through the hole. That means 4 thicknesses of the string in the hole and a ball end that won’t come out and can’t untwist because the string has been pulled back through, essentially creating a knot. Their website explains it best.

I find these kits the fastest and most effective plugs I’ve used. Here’s an inside and outside photo of a tire I recently plugged then rode for over 700 miles before removing and properly patching:
CF461CE6-32B1-4FB2-8297-0D7406AF1AC2.jpeg

D6E7DB6E-2968-40C5-9BEE-8A421736C002.jpeg

Once home, my intent was to plug the tire from the inside using the only type of plug that Michelin recognizes as a valid repair on a tubeless tire, but the Nealey plug did not want to come out so I cut flush the ball on the inside and applied a conventional tire patch.

I have absolutely no connection to, nor financial interest in, the Nealey company. I just really, really like their kits as a fast and effective roadside repair.

Best,
DeVern

[Omega Man]

I have Tech 2-way for some applications-



https://products.techtirerepairs.com...passenger-kit/

And I have 2 sizes of the Safety Seal repair kits-



https://safetyseal.com/product/kap60/

In the ATV I also carry a Speedy Stitcher-



in case I have to sew up a sidewall and use the repair kit to finish it off.

I have had great success with all of the above.

OM

[Pauls1150]

Dunno if it's true, but long ago, I heard of a guy who used dental floss to sew up his sidewall...

[60aviator]

Good info here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm6fTWaj3QE

[brownie0486]

I've been carrying the Nealey kit for 4 years but haven't had to use them. Ordering two more kits to refresh mine and send one to my brother.

[radiofun1]

In addition to carrying the aforementioned repair stuff, I also carry Ride On tire sealant. I have yet to use it, but the company videos are pretty compelling about how well it works. FYI, you need to carry a valve stem remover also.

[PGlaves]

In addition to carrying the aforementioned repair stuff, I also carry Ride On tire sealant. I have yet to use it, but the company videos are pretty compelling about how well it works. FYI, you need to carry a valve stem remover also.

I assume the underlined means a tool to remove the core from the valve stem and not to remove the valve stem from the wheel.

[radiofun1]

Yes, a valve core removal tool. I use one like this Park tool... it's easier to use than the small cap type tools.
https://www.parktool.com/en-us/produ...core-tool-vc-1

[Rainman48]

Never heard of “bacon strips” but I would never plug a tire using the kit or technique shown in the video. First, because they are reaming the hole to enlarge it, and second because unless the lube they are using is rubber cement the plug has a high likelihood of coming back out.

I have used the oval rubber plugs and tool that BMW used to include with the bikes. They were horrible—the reamer was like a small rat-tail file ready to cut cords in the tire body, and the plugs too big to be easily inserted.

I have used the rubber mushroom plug kits—very difficult to use, require lubrication, and prone to coming out. Expensive, too.

The only repair kits I carry on the bikes anymore are the Nealey kits (https://www.nealeytirerepairkit.com/). Reasons for that are:
1. Inexpensive and neatly packaged
2. Easy to use- no reaming needed, only an insertion and wiggling of the unloaded insertion tool.
3. These are the only kits that use a closed-end tool, so the string is inserted, twisted a turn and a half to form a ball, then the string is withdrawn back through the hole. That means 4 thicknesses of the string in the hole and a ball end that won’t come out and can’t untwist because the string has been pulled back through, essentially creating a knot. Their website explains it best.

I find these kits the fastest and most effective plugs I’ve used. Here’s an inside and outside photo of a tire I recently plugged then rode for over 700 miles before removing and properly patching:

Once home, my intent was to plug the tire from the inside using the only type of plug that Michelin recognizes as a valid repair on a tubeless tire, but the Nealey plug did not want to come out so I cut flush the ball on the inside and applied a conventional tire patch.

I have absolutely no connection to, nor financial interest in, the Nealey company. I just really, really like their kits as a fast and effective roadside repair.

Best,
DeVern

Thanks for the review and the link to the "new management" Nealey company.

I initially believed these reviews back in November, 2019 and ordered a kit.
It turned out to be THE most unresponsive order I'd ever placed in my life. E-mails never returned, phone calls never answered, product never shipped. In spite of the fact Paypal was the way I had sent them my money (only way I believe?) I never pursued getting it back, I just plain wrote them off as a bad business. It was just $20 so live and learn. Even the Paypal receipt had a bogus phone number for them that ended with a double zero. Anybody else have a failed order back in that time frame?

Seeing something has changed, I think I'll ring the "new management" up and see if they will honor my order from back then. Might even try a second order if not. People seem to think theirs is it's the best "bacon strips".

[brownie0486]

Thanks for the review and the link to the "new management" Nealey company.

I initially believed these reviews back in November, 2019 and ordered a kit.
It turned out to be THE most unresponsive order I'd ever placed in my life. E-mails never returned, phone calls never answered, product never shipped. In spite of the fact Paypal was the way I had sent them my money (only way I believe?) I never pursued getting it back, I just plain wrote them off as a bad business. It was just $20 so live and learn. Even the Paypal receipt had a bogus phone number for them that ended with a double zero. Anybody else have a failed order back in that time frame?

Seeing something has changed, I think I'll ring the "new management" up and see if they will honor my order from back then. Might even try a second order if not. People seem to think theirs is it's the best "bacon strips".

Didn't have the problem you had a year earlier. I looked at more kits last year and saw they were inactive on their site. Good heads up by the guy whop posted the link, they are back in business under new owners. I don't expect I'll have a problem ordering two more kits Monday

[lkraus]

Thanks for the review and the link to the "new management" Nealey company.

I initially believed these reviews back in November, 2019 and ordered a kit.
It turned out to be THE most unresponsive order I'd ever placed in my life. E-mails never returned, phone calls never answered, product never shipped. In spite of the fact Paypal was the way I had sent them my money (only way I believe?) I never pursued getting it back, I just plain wrote them off as a bad business. It was just $20 so live and learn. Even the Paypal receipt had a bogus phone number for them that ended with a double zero. Anybody else have a failed order back in that time frame?

Seeing something has changed, I think I'll ring the "new management" up and see if they will honor my order from back then. Might even try a second order if not. People seem to think theirs is it's the best "bacon strips".

Looked it up, my last kit was ordered October 10, 2019. Arrived about three weeks later, no issues. I think Nealey was just selling these as part-time income. The repair strings and tools are from Chemi Cure, which apparently sells them to repair shops. Nealey was just repackaging them in smaller quantities for individuals. A Google search for Chemi Cure will find several companies that can provide the strings, but they are usually in packages of 80 or more. I hope to never need that many plugs.

I've only used two Nealey strings, both installed easily and are still holding air. Unlike the dozen or so other sticky strings I've used, no worries about dried out tubes of cement and no mess. The kit and my Slime pump live on the bike except when we take a long road trip by car - we have spare tires and AAA for any local flats.