How To Repair Waterproof Mountain Biking Apparel

Accidents happen. Unfortunately, sometimes they happen when we are wearing expensive clothing that is easily torn. Recently I took a digger on an ice patch while descending on my fat bike, and my backside was raked across a small rock garden. I had a nasty bruise where the sun doesn’t shine (I’ll spare you the photo) and my clothing was torn, including my waterproof Refuge Shell pants from Shower Pass.

Knowing that many of you own similar garments to ride in winter, and that occasionally these get torn, it is far cheaper and easier to repair them yourself than sending them off and paying someone else to do it for you.

Before you get started, you will need a few things that will cost about $20, which you can re-use should you unluckily tear a waterproof garment a second time.

Things you will need before you start this repair:

Tape
Marker
Scissors
Gore Tex patch
Seam Grip
Cotol-10
Small brush
Acetone
Nitrile or latex gloves
A well ventilated area

For about $20 you can buy enough of this stuff for several repairs.

1. Clean your garment. You may have to hand wash the item, as throwing it in a washing machine may rip the puncture/tear more. At the very least, clean the area around the tear thoroughly, even if you do not launder the entire garment.

This was a pretty big, ugly tear about 4 inches by 5 inches with ragged edges — This was a pretty big, ugly tear, about 4 inches by 5 inches, with ragged edges

2. Place a layer of tape on the outside of the garment to hold the torn pieces together. Duck tape bonds well, but painters tape will come off more easily.

This was a ragged repair so I decided to use several small pieces to approxmate it more precisely, then covered all of this with larger pieces of tape to hold it

3. Turn the garment inside out. Locate the tear and ensure the torn pieces are approximated as well as they can be after you taped them. If not, start again.

You can see this is an odd shaped tear with some fabric missing — You can see this is an odd-shaped tear with some fabric missing

4. Mark the area with a marker to make a patch using a guide. Using a roll of tape to make a circle, or something similar, helps. It is best to apply patches that are round, or at least use rectangles with rounded edges, as they are less prone to snag and tear off again.

5. Use the template (i.e. tape roll) to cut a piece of GoreTex or similar material at least 2cm larger than the puncture or tear. The patch or fabric that you use should be identical to the space you marked on your garment.

6. Place the patch over the tear to ensure that the size is correct. Ensure that the patch will adequately cover the tear.

I did not have spare waterproof fabric, so I purchased pre-cut pieces of GoreTex that will work just fine. These had an adhesive backing, but will not hold as well as Seamseal with cycling abuse.

7. Mix Seam Grip and CoTol-10 in a 10:1 ratio in a disposable container in a well-ventilated space. This is your “glue.” It is toxic and potent, so use a respirator if you have one. At the very least, do this in an open space with a fan. Cotol will speed the curing process considerably, but is not mandatory. Seam Grip alone will work, but it takes longer to dry.

Using the plastic packaging form the Seamseal is an odd but effective way to recycle

8. Paint the patch with this mixture. Ensure that you have something underneath the patch while painting so that you do not get your working surface covered in glue.

9. Paint the edges of the tear on the garment with the mixture.

First pass to paint the tear with the Seamseal and Cotol, reminiscent of the smell of model airplane glue.

10. Allow the painted patch to sit for 15 minutes.

Painting the patches (over the adhesive) on the precut GoreTex fabric.

11. Use the knuckle test to check the tackiness of the glue. With a gloved hand, use your knuckle to see if the glued surface is tacky. It should stick, then come away cleanly. If it sticks and you have to peel it off of your knuckle, allow the patch to sit for a few more minutes and test again. If it is completely dry, use acetone to wipe the glue and start over. When it passes the knuckle test, it is ready to use.

Knuckle test on the garmet: perfect — Knuckle test on the garment: perfect.

12. Apply the patch to the garment where you made the markings for the template. Apply from one edge if possible, and roll the patch towards the outside to retard crinkling or air bubbles.

Apply the patches to the garmet where your template was (blue Sharpie lines)--this part can be a little messy — Apply the patches to the garment where your template was (blue Sharpie lines)–this part can be a little messy.

13. Press the patch in all directions on a hard surface to ensure a good seal with no air bubbles. Do this for several minutes and make sure that it lies completely flat with the garment surface.

Using gloves, gently smooth out the patch repair ensuring no air bubbles remain — Using gloves, gently smooth out the patch repair, ensuring no air bubbles remain.

14. Paint the edges of the patch with the Seam Grip/Cotol 10 mixture again. You are sealing the edges and reinforcing the patch. This also helps prevent the edges from rolling or snagging later. Let this coat sit for 10-15 minutes. Apply a second and even a third coat several minutes apart to completely seal the patch.

Paint the patch with a smooth even set of strokes. The thinner it is, the faster it will dry. I applied three coats to this repair. — Paint the patch with a smooth, even set of strokes. The thinner it is, the faster it will dry. I applied three coats to this repair.

15. Allow to cure for approximately 24 hours. Go have coffee. Enjoy life. Let chemistry do its thang.

16. Once dry, turn the garment right side out.

The finished product, on the inside, before turning it right side out.

17. Remove the tape and hope for the best. If the tape sticks, gently work to remove it. Rubbing alcohol or acetone may help, but be careful not to get it inside the patch! You can also use acetone to clean up the mess.