Road Cycling - tube repair and purchase-- ignorance is bliss

just got my first flat this weekend... two parallel openings/cuts, each about 4mm length, located on the side of the tube... have no idea what caused this (perhaps a bump on the road?) as no sharp suspects were found... proceeded to fix the two openings with one glueless patch (yes, i have now realized how clueless i was)... attempted to inflate but adhesion is not sufficient to hold... can anyone recommend a brand tube repair kit that works for him/her... thanks

also, where do you guys normally purchase tubes at a somewhat bargain price?
thanks again

Snake bite flat. Caused by too little air in the tire, tube got pinched between the rim and road.

I buy my tubes at Performance. I buy their Thornproof tubes (ignoring nay sayers now) they are the only place that still has thornproof tubes that I have found. 26" and 700 C sizes. Yes they weigh more than standard tubes, but I get a lot less flats.

Any good glue patch kit should work fine. If the tube is dirty it won't hold, you need to clean it on the road (just wipe it) then sand it (don't touch it after that) appy the glue let it set and then press the patch. Look on the web at www.parktools.com I think they walk you through the process.

They make glueless patchs and they really sound great but I'm clueless how they work...Mine never have...LOL (we all have something to learn)

If you touch the sanded tube with a oily finger...nothing will make it stick well. I have had patched road tubes last 2000 more miles.

Spin skins or Mr. Tuffy tire protectors can really help if you are getting thorn, glass type punctures. They saved me big in the dessert.

Best money you can spend on tubes to stop snake bite flats is a good floor pump with gauge and pump them up every day.!

Also, never inflate the tube with a newly applied patch (glued or glueless) to see if it holds. Always put it back in the tire first. I know it's tempting but don't do it. It will expand a lot more out of the tire than in it. Enough to break almost any adhesion.

thanks for the fast replies... you guys are pretty knowledgeable as far as diagnosis over the internet goes... up until now, i've been using an old floor pump that has been leaky... i have never been able to achieve high pressure in these tires... as a matter of fact, i just received my road morph pump today... i knew i needed a dedicated pump with a gauge for my road bike... thought that i could get away without one for a couple of days... but the inevitable moment arrived-- my first flat... oh well, good lesson... better to learn the art of removing/patching/installing a tube sooner than later...
thanks

Glueless patches are, in a way, "Super" stickers. Just peeling them off the backing is a pain so I can only imagine how difficult it would be to remove one from a rubber tube. My rear tube is currently patched with a glueless patch after some road construction caused a flat (not sure what caused the small hole as I couldn't even find a puncture mark on my tire). It's held for at least 250 miles now at 130 psi. I have faith in glueless. And when you think about it, even if you don't get it pressed on all that well, once the tire is mounted and tube is inflated, there is a huge amount of pressure now on that patch holding it in place. I can't see why the patch wouldn't hold for as long as the tube lasts.

The Road Morph is a decent frame pump, but you also need a good floor pump at home or in your car. Frame pumps will get you home after a flat, but the floor pump will let you FILL YOUR TIRES BEFORE EVERY RIDE. That will keep you from getting the pinch flat, or snakebite, that caused your flat tire in the first place.