Cycle Repairing and Adjusting
With a Chapter on building a Bicycle from a Set of Parts

46 CYCLE REPAIRING on the road. If the cut is not a very large one and no tyre stopping is at hand, a substitute may be used by mixing up some cotton-wool with rubber solution and pressing this in, after the cut has been prepared as described by giving two coats of solution and allowing to dry. A small piece of unvulcanised rubber compound, as used for vul- canised repairs, makes a good stopping for cuts. Many cyclists complain that they cannot get a stopping to stay in the cuts after the machine has been used on the road, and generally blame the material used rather than the want of care in doing the job. It must be clearly under- stood that the cut to be stopped must be perfectly clean before beginning to solution it, and if the edges of the cut are roughened with a small rasp or file it will cause the solution to adhere more firmly. A small curved tyre rasp, very useful for this purpose, can be had for about a shilling or less. One of half-round or oval section with the end curved will be found the most useful pattern. Deep Cuts in Covers.—Where a cut has gone very deep so as to damage the fabric, different treatment from the foregoing must be used. It is quite useless merely to plug up the cut in the outer surface of the cover if the canvas or fabric has been cut, as if this is not attended to quickly a bulge and burst will result. When the rubber is cut through it lets in the wet, and thus rots the fabric. In this case, then, remove the cover from the rim, and repair the inside first. If the cut is small, clean, and recently done, it may not be necessary to take the cover right off, but only where the cut is. The place should be patched with a suitable-sized piece of proofed canvas,