Cable Ties Save the Ride!

How long do you think a rear tire would last if held together with four cable ties and some duct tape? A mile? Two miles? 

What if I told you it survived for 126 miles and was still rideable? 

To rewind a little, I had organized a Sunday ride for some of the guys from the local trail riding club, and eight brave souls had signed up. I’d mapped out a route of 114 miles based around the route of the Fosse Way, an ancient Roman road that runs from the southwest to the northeast of England. 

Our bit of the road was to the east of Bristol in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds. This area features some truly stunning countryside and wonderful off-road riding. 

An Unexpected Obstacle

With a rendezvous planned for 9 a.m. sharp at a local gas station seven miles from my home, I set off bright and early to be there in time to brief the troops. I’d just fitted a new front tire, but the rear still looked like it had plenty of life in it. 

As I rode across town, though, I noticed things were starting to feel a bit squirrely. 

Once I got to the station and was busy filling the tank for the day ahead, I noticed the reason for the odd handling. To my horror, the rear Dunlop—a road-legal motocross tire—had split in two separate places, with a pair of three-inch long cracks between the tread blocks.