General Cycling Discussion - Awesome flat on my way home yesterday.

I'm riding through this little park I cut through, and just as I turn to go from the gravel path onto the paved one, I cut the corner across the grass.

Guess I shouldn't have :o.

As I go through the grass, all the sudden there's a PSSSSSHHHH and I feel a blast of air start hitting my leg once per wheel rotation. Serious puncture, hissing (SSss..ssSSss..ssSSss.. as the tire goes round and round), was completely flat in about 15 seconds.

I was like... Well... guess I'm not riding any further. I was pretty close to home though so I just walked it the rest of the way, it was faster than changing the tube and riding home would have been (I had to be home by a certain time, of course).

That was the first flat I've had while riding. The others were all come-out-of-work-and-my-tire-is-flat kind of flats.

I patched it, which made me wonder why I wasted money on a patch kit. The kit comes with like 10 patches... BUT it comes with a single tiny tube of rubber cement with no lid! So after you break the seal, it'll dry up and you can't use the other 9 patches. So a patch "kit" is really a single patch... so I might as well just buy new tubes. I know I know I can buy a real tube of cement, and that's what I'll probably do, but still, it just pissed me off.

<snip> I patched it, which made me wonder why I wasted money on a patch kit. The kit comes with like 10 patches... BUT it comes with a single tiny tube of rubber cement with no lid! <snip>


That is dumb. I've never had a patch kit that had a tube with no lid. Rather than never buying another patch kit, you might try another company next time.

The tube of cement should have had a screw on cap.

The tube is supposed to have a cover. I have gone through an entire kit of 12 and still had usable adhesive left.

The tubes usually have a cap that has a cone at the other end. You use the cone to break the seal. Then you just close it off. Easy as 3.141...

I've been using those Park self-adhesive patches. I'm not sure they work as well as the glued patches though.

That tiny tube of cement is plenty enough for 10 patches. Chances are, that tube will dry out before you get to use the rest, even if tightly capped. Best to save all your punctured tubes and patch them up on a rainy day. IOW, carry a spare tire tube with you as well instead of relying solely on your patch kit.

I've been using those Park self-adhesive patches. I'm not sure they work as well as the glued patches though.
There's a couple of glueless instant patches out there. Park Tools' brand seems to work best. And oh yeah, they work, I tried to take one off an old tube and the rubber had bonded with the innertube - or should I say vulcanized, Mr. Spock.

I don't like the tube of cement, there is too much waiting while it dries and here where the wind blows dust, road grit, mosquitos and other debris everywhere, you don't want any sticky clue sitting waiting to catch something.

Like one of the other notes said, the glue will dry out long before you use up your patches. Sometimes you don't get a flat for a season or two. Sometimes you get several in one day!! Don't take the risk that your tube of glue might still be good.

I haven't had as good of luck with the Park self-adhesive patches as with real patches. They do bond, but it takes forever, and even a tiny bit of dirt messes them up. The glue-ons are almost as good as the old melt-on patches, and way easier. Regardless, I carry a spare tube in my wedgepack.

Quick story. I took a girl out for a ride last weekend, and borrowed a friends old Trek for her to ride. We were literally about 100' up the trail, riding on smooth doubletrack, when "psssssttttttt." I check it out for her and see a worn through spot in the sidewall How it happened, I don't know. I guess when I pumped the tube up to 45 psi before the ride, it probably squished the tube through the hole just enough to abrade against the rim and quickly wore a hole. I had a 15 mile ride planned, and didn't want that to happen again, and I didn't have a dollar bill like I've heard of someone else doing in an emergency, so I took the backing off one of my preglued patches (yes I just got done critiquing them, but it's taking me a while to use them up), folded it, and stuck it to the inside of the tire with another patch to cover the hole in the sidewall. It worked like a charm and the rest of the ride was uneventful.

I thought this was going to turn into a "how my spare Trojan saved the day". Good story nonetheless.

Rubber is our friend.

Best to save all your punctured tubes and patch them up on a rainy day.

What a great idea! definitely in the "why the hell didn't I think of that?" category :D

I wound up buying an automotive tire patch kit with a HUGE tube of vulcanizer to do bulk patch jobs-

I'm such a stupid biker, when I 'm fixing flats roadside, the tube I've got in the seatbag has still got a leak in it from the last time I didn't patch it- this has happened twice in the last two weeks- doing a roadside fix, only to discover it doesn't hold air because I forgot to patch it last time.

I feel for you bro, I had two flats on the way home Moday. Two holes in the front and four holes in the back. Goat head patch I couild not stop in time.

There should have been a cap for the glue. Take the kit back to the store and complain about it. Most likely some fool stole the cap and you got stiffed.

Joe

Most likely some fool stole the cap and you got stiffed.

I totally read that as "you got sniffed." Hmmm, suddenly all the stoners are offering cheap tire patching service.


I thought this was going to turn into a "how my spare Trojan saved the day". Good story nonetheless.

Scandalous!

Performan Bike sells a nice patch kit. It's TINY, and the patches are self-stick units - no glue required. I use them more than I'd like but I love 'em. They are cheap, too.