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Puncture repair kits...

Old 05-12-06, 04:54 PM
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Puncture repair kits...

Ok, this sounds stoooopid, but please be leniant...

After all the 'broken chain' hell I went through on wednesday, today, I had a puncture. Booooo..

So i cracked open the PRK, and tried to patch the hole. It was on the seam, which is never a good thing, but it's been so long since I fixed a puncture, I stood there wondering why the heck the patch wouldn't stick properly. It was sliding all over the place, and not really sticking properlu. In the end, I rammed the tube back in, and pumped it up, hoping a 'pressure seal' would be made with it.

So far, so good, but the two questions (this time) i have are.

1) Am I lacking patience? I waited 5 mins (I wanted to get home for poker) and it still wasn't attached
2) If I've got a puncture over the seam, am I best just to buy a new tube, due to the problems that may cause?

With a 10+ mile commute each way, I can't face a flat half way - so any advice, mocking, humour or otheriwse is both entertaining, and appreciated.

And in case you care, I lost at poker. Wine is not good...
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Old 05-12-06, 05:15 PM
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Forgot those glue on patches. Pickup these instead.



Works great. No waiting. Also i'd carry a spare tube or two.
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Old 05-12-06, 06:10 PM
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I always carry a spare tube ready to swap out and go. Seems like the most popular thing to do is to carry a spare tube to swap out on the spot, then patch the tube later when you have more time to make sure and do a good job. Just make sure you check the tire for whatever punctured the tire in the first place before you put the new tube in.

Remember, with the glue-on patches, you need to let the glue dry before placing the patch on. When you do it this way, the tube is ready to re-install as soon as the patch is applied. I like the glue on patches much better than the glueless type for a long lasting fix, but it does take longer to apply them for a good fix.

It seems like the only place I get punctures is right next to the seam. I always sand down or try to trim the seam a bit so the patch can sit flatter. That's another reason I like the glue-ons, the glue seems to fill gaps if the patch can't totally sit flat - like when the hole is on the seam.

Oh, and wine indeed is good, it just doesn't help the poker game too much.
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Old 05-12-06, 06:18 PM
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Rema Tip Top patches. Follow the directions. And don't use too much glue or your patch will slide all over even if you do wait 5 mins.
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Old 05-12-06, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by spinbackle
Rema Tip Top patches. Follow the directions. And don't use too much glue or your patch will slide all over even if you do wait 5 mins.
I agree with the Rema reccomendation.

I also agree that you should fight the urge to slather the tube in glue. Remember that "less is more" when it comes to the glue. The bottom line is that you're only trying to create a thin skin of glue to act as a substrate for the adhesive on the patch.
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Old 05-12-06, 07:13 PM
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I like the glue on patches much better than the glueless type for a long lasting fix, but it does take longer to apply them for a good fix.
This is just retrogrouching. Glueless patches are fast, and they work well and last long. I've ridden on a glueless patched tube for the last thousand km with no abnormalities.
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Old 05-12-06, 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted by operator
This is just retrogrouching. Glueless patches are fast, and they work well and last long. I've ridden on a glueless patched tube for the last thousand km with no abnormalities.
I've not tried the current version of Park's glueless patches and I understand they are much better.

I can tell you from bitter experience the first version was BAD. The apparent problem was that the backing material (polyurethane, I believe) didn't stretch as much as the tube itself and normal flexing during riding would "work" the glue joint until it cracked and air escaped under the patch. The resulting leak was slow but you'd have a flat every morning. After about three of these failures I never used them again.

I bought a box of 100 Rema patches, a bottle of office-type rubber cement and the patches always hold.
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Old 05-12-06, 10:25 PM
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I've had the same problem before w/ the Park glueless patches- it looked like it didn't stretch enough w/ the tube and stared pulling itself loose.

-Will
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Old 05-13-06, 02:54 AM
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Originally Posted by operator
This is just retrogrouching. Glueless patches are fast, and they work well and last long. I've ridden on a glueless patched tube for the last thousand km with no abnormalities.
I've been using the glue-on patches for thirty or more years, since I was a kid riding my Murray Eliminator stingray. The only time I've had a problem was with an old kit that the glue had dried out in. I haven't tried glueless patches for quite a while, probably several years, but they didn't work well for me at the time. They could be much better now. But, since the stuff I use works well for me, I don't have a reason to try a different product.

Is that retrogrouching?
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Old 05-13-06, 04:03 AM
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Originally Posted by operator
This is just retrogrouching. .
I've never heard that word before, and I love it. I think I'll use it in my book about DJ'ing, when it comes to the CD vs Vinyl argument.

Anyway, back on topic, thanks to everyone here for your advice, and also launching into the 'what is better' conversation, which I would probably have posted myself.

It's odd, when I go on rides with the wife, I always take a spare tube, but when I do my commute, I don't. Can't explain it at all - maybe it's because space is limited in my rucksack.

And I'll get a glueless kit for when I need to repair, and see how it works out.

I'm still using the standard tyres that came on my Terrago, nice enough, but no protection. I guess I could upgrade to kevlar insert tyres, especially as the track I ride on has lots of glass on it in places.

Anyway, hope you're all having a good weekend. Thanks again for your help.

John
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