wphamilton

Yes, they still suck but I still carry them around, along with the spare tube and real patches. Mostly as backup or if you're in a real hurry and patch without taking the wheel off.

hhnngg1

If you're going through more than 2 tubes in a single ride, you're doing something wrong. But by all means, feel free to carry preglued patches as extra backup. It's certainly no weight penalty. I myself would much more entrust the reliability of an unopened glue container to a preglued patch of unknown age, but I could see the argument if you're enough of a cheapskate that you're carrying an opened glue container as your backup patch solution.

If you're patching at home (I have never patched on the road despite being a huge patch fan) then you should always have good glue. Patch kits are cheap enough that if you batch patch 5-6 at a time, it's ok to open, use the new glue, and then throw it away.

Patching is VERY cost effective for some as well. I have a 60mm carbon front wheel and it requires an 80mm valve if you want to avoid a valve extender. Those tubes are typically $10-11 each. Well worth patching those.

Walter

Am having a harder time finding good glue kits offline. Don't like to buy stuff that small online. I have patched a number and would resume the practice gladly.

Some do get cut up to use as tire boots too.

* Edit: I'm old enough to remember the "real" vulcanizing patches. The ones where you lit the glue with a match and you had a real fusion between patch and tube. Those seem to be extinct now. *

Homebrew01

Do the glueless patches come with sandpaper ??
With glueable patches, I always sand down any high spot along the seam in the tube. The seam seems like a place that could prevent good contact between patch & tube.

himespau 

I have a kit with both kinds in it that I carry in my bag as a back up to the two spare tubes, but I don't know how much use it'll be as I've never patched a tire. Probably should do one some time at home just to practice.

pallen

I loved those as a kid. I'm probably going to die from lung cancer because of them, but they were cool. I've read that the modern "glue" type are actually vulcanizing as well. There is actually a chemical process that breaks down the rubber and fuses it to the patch. Its not just a simple adhesive.

bigfred 

I'm another that has had excellent luck with Lezyne patches.

I carry a single spare tube, a few glueless patches and a small hand pump. I save the CO2 for events, when I'll be in a hurry. For training, just pump the thing up. It only takes a few minutes and allows me to achieve greater pressure for the remaining ride. The most common reason for being forced into using the patches is missing the offending object on the first reinstall. In these cases I'll leave the patched tube in place until I have some other reason to remove the tire or it starts leaking. At which point I'll put a new tube in. I've had the glueless patches last as few as a few days before leaking and as long as wearing the tire out several weeks to a month later without any further issues.

I've still got some vucanizing glue in the garage and will from time to time patch otherwise decent tubes that I know only have a small puncture. But, more times than not they go to the cycle co-op who view them as near gold. For some reason I get a little warm fuzzy karma glow from giving stuff to the cycle co-op rather than eaking every last mile out of everything or flogging stuff at auction on $1 reserves. Last time I visited, they saw me coming and guys ran out to "help me" with the box I was carrying.

But, yes, +1 to glueless patches (at least the Lezynes) functioning perfectly fine as a short term repair that is easily carried and used.

Duece

I find the Slime press work well for me. Just picked up a pack of Lezynes glueless patches to try.

JohnJ80

Park ones do. And they work great.

Park Tool Co. » GP-2 : Super Patch Kit : Tube & Tire

J.

DXchulo

I use the Park ones and I've had pretty good luck with them. I'm still riding on one on my rear tire that's been on there for over a month (over 1,000 miles). I have had a few fail on me over time, though, so they aren't perfect. However, I've never had one fail on me on the ride home.

It's so much more convenient than carrying a patch kit that it's worth the tradeoff. If you really want, you can remove the glueless patch after you get home and use the old-fashioned patch kit for a "permanent" fix.

wphamilton

A year later, and they still suck.

I keep some in my bag in case I'm lazy or there's something wrong with my spare tube and I want a quick fix. But they suck for that also after a few months of humid weather and a rain storm or two.