Derek at FiberFix just sent over this video along with this note: “BikeRumor may consider this a total joke, but I think it’s something to consider (albeit slightly impractical).”
Attention, grabbed, so we watched the video. Pure awesome. A phone call later and we can now tell you how it works:
FiberFix was a Shark Tank success and is essentially a woven fiberglass fiber tape presoaked in a water-activated resin. To use it, simply soak the tape in water for a second, then tightly wrap the object to be fixed. Let it cure for 10-15 minutes and you’re good to go. They say it’s as strong as steel, extremely rigid and waterproof, yet can be sanded and painted. Sounds like a good emergency item to keep in the pack for backcountry rides or touring – it could easily get you back home.
The resin within the tape doesn’t have adhesive properties, so it won’t work as a patch. It needs to be wrapped around the tube to have any strength. Fortunately, bikes use tubes. To make it “stick” and not have the tubes simply slide out, they recommend scoring or sanding them so the resin can grab into the microscopic grooves and grab hold.
It’s recommended for any material – carbon, alloy, steel, titanium, etc. Heck, it can even close off leaking hoses, so if you sliced your brake hose but didn’t lose fluid yet, it could potentially save enough braking power to get you back home without total failure.
At just $6 to $10 for a 40-to 60 inch roll (various widths available), it’s cheap insurance. Rated from -50ºF to +300ºF. Check ’em out at FiberFix.com.
Check out the gallery on their website, too. There’s a carbon/bamboo bike “fix” and plenty of other entertaining projects users have submitted.
