Fifty Plus (50+) - Holly Perferation Batman!

Do you patch or replace?

I just purchased a new under the seat bag, came with a CO2 setup, tire levers and a patch kit. I have gotten in the habit of replacing the tube all the time but on my most recent flat which was caused by a pinch when replacing a tube with a broken off valve stem, I decided to patch instead - besides it was a brand new tube anyway. It is holding nicely, and it took no time at all to stick it on. Why replace - isn't greener to just patch or am I getting too depression era for this crowd?

Do you patch or replace?

I just purchased a new under the seat bag, came with a CO2 setup, tire levers and a patch kit. I have gotten in the habit of replacing the tube all the time but on my most recent flat which was caused by a pinch when replacing a tube with a broken off valve stem, I decided to patch instead - besides it was a brand new tube anyway. It is holding nicely, and it took no time at all to stick it on. Why replace - isn't greener to just patch or am I getting too depression era for this crowd?

Well, well, I had thought to ask the same thing.

CO2 and a spare tube got me home yesterday, and I tossed the old tube. I always put a new one in.
At the cost per year for 2 or 3 tubes, I don't worry about the patch holding.

Oh, come on. If you were really depression era, you'd use a frame pump, not CO2. Actually, you wouldn't have bought that seat bag, or not even the new bike.

I always replace in the field (uh, I mean road), then patch when I get home to my workshop.

Do you patch or replace?

Why replace - isn't greener to just patch or am I getting too depression era for this crowd?

You mean you can patch those things? Now where'll I get my slingshots?

And after you get half dozen patches on a tube . . . it still holds air. Fabulous!

I carry a spare tube and patches for when I have more than one flat. I've never had more than one, but people in my riding group have. I don't like to run patched tubes. When I have done sag duty for a charity ride, I've brought a boxful of patched tubes. When I fix flats on the road, I give them a patched tube out of my box and take their punctured one. I tell them that the tube they are getting has a patch so they can replace it later if they wish. When I drive to a ride (yes, it's a weird concept) I carry patched tubes with me. More than once, someone else has shown up with a flat tire and no spares, and I give them one. I don't think that patched tubes are bad, I think they hold up just fine (at least with the standard Rema patches). It's a psychological thing - I think I can feel the bump as I ride and it bothers me.

-soma5

I still laugh at the flat fairy.

I still laugh at the flat fairy.

You're tempting fate. It isn't nice to mess with the flat fairy:D

:p

I have put my bike on a low flat diet.

I probably have 2 dozen tubes. One or two are still boxed. About half are hanging on a nail marked "bad" waiting to be patched. The others are on a nail maked "good." When I see the good side getting low, I spend a half-hour patching. on longer rides I carry 2 tubes, either patched or new. I also carry a patch kit and CO2 equipment.

I have been on one ride where goat heads got me 4 times.

I got three flats on the same tire on one ride a couple of weeks ago. On the 2nd and 3rd flats, I thought it was a previous repair(s) leaking...but no, all three flats were "originals!"

There's no consistancy to my tube repairs. Some last months without leaking, others leak immediately. I try to keep unrepaired tubes in my wheels if I can. It just feels better.

Do you patch or replace?

I just purchased a new under the seat bag, came with a CO2 setup, tire levers and a patch kit. I have gotten in the habit of replacing the tube all the time but on my most recent flat which was caused by a pinch when replacing a tube with a broken off valve stem, I decided to patch instead - besides it was a brand new tube anyway. It is holding nicely, and it took no time at all to stick it on. Why replace - isn't greener to just patch or am I getting too depression era for this crowd?

I normally don't retire a tube till it has 10-12 patches on it. Seems foolish to replace a tube when 99.999% of it is okay.

In a way- I date mark my tubes as I buy them in batches and never get the same make twice. Have just retired the 6 or so Latex tubes on the MTB's. Thick latex and very expensive but theses were bought on an offer with wheels at half price. Reason for retiring? They had so many patches on them- There was more butyl than Latex and I started getting Punctures on the patches. They were bought in 2003 When I bought the first set of Downhill wheels for the Tandem.

:p

I have put my bike on a low flat diet.

Well once I switched to Gatorskins my bike has much less flat u lance.

Whew! I thought this was going to be a thread on colonoscopy again.

Yep I patch or replace. Trying to ride home without doing either is not much fun. It depends, to a large degree, on what the weather is like. Rain, snow, excessive heat, I replace. Nice day and good for sitting around, I patch.

Ok, I feel a conversion coming on, someone name a good patch kit, or, are they all the same?

Whew! I thought this was going to be a thread on colonoscopy again.

I thought it would be about crashing into a thorny bush. :rolleyes:

Ok, I feel a conversion coming on, someone name a good patch kit, or, are they all the same?

Rema (http://www.bikepro.com/products/tubes/tubes-patchkit.html) is the best (http://www.wallbike.com/tires/tiptoppatchkit.html).

I agree Rema is best, but I've had good results with all of the imitators.

I agree Rema is best, but I've had good results with all of the imitators.

True, but how often can you buy "the best" for $2 ?

True, but how often can you buy "the best" for $2 ?
Absolutely. Trouble is...can't always find Rema, so I just pick up whatever they have. So far, so good. :o

If you have a lot of flats, you can probably make use of the deal at Loose Screws. They have 100 Rema patches for something like $13. :lol:

I opened this thread because I thought it was a continuation of the colonoscopy thread we had earlier. :eek: Glad it wasn't. :)

Flat = replaced and thrown out inner tube for me.

Ok, I feel a conversion coming on, someone name a good patch kit, or, are they all the same?

Never found a great deal of difference in kits but I try to make certain that it is in a small enough container to fit inside the wedge.

I used to used the "No glue" Patches and never found any problem on the MTB's. I haven't had much joy with the higher pressures involved on the road bikes though. It only takes a minute or so to let the glue dry with conventional patches so it gives me time to wipe my fingers clean of the adhesive that I have got on them.

Replace when riding, patch the punctured tube when I get home, then use the patched tube as my spare. I've used lots of different brands of glued patches, haven't had a problem with any of them. I carry a spare tube and a patch kit with a CO2 inflator, never had 2 flats on the same ride, but ya never know (probably just jinxed myself!)

I always replace in the field (uh, I mean road), then patch when I get home to my workshop.+1. Much easier to replace on the road. Much easier to patch at home.

Yep I patch or replace. Trying to ride home without doing either is not much fun. It depends, to a large degree, on what the weather is like. Rain, snow, excessive heat, I replace. Nice day and good for sitting around, I patch.

+1

Absolutely. Trouble is...can't always find Rema, so I just pick up whatever they have. So far, so good. :o


Amazon has Rema patch kits.

I carry 2 spare tubes. I have gotten a flat in each wheel on one ride. I replace and then wait until I have 2 or more tubes at home with holes before I pull out the patch kit.

I don't carry spare tubes or tires. Just a patch kit. Fixing a flat takes an extra 10 minutes, but the fix is inexpensive and permanent.

Agree, Rema is the best, but I've also had good luck with Performance's kits. Glueless patches are convenient, but they're only good for limping home. I've never had one last more than 30 miles.