the Topeak Einstein pump I purchased came with 3 glueless patches. I've used the pump on several occasion and it works great however I haven't had the need (touch wood...)to use the patches yet. Does the inner tube have to be prepared as with normal patches or can the patch be applied directly to it without surface preparation? No sandpaper came with the patches so I am assuming that they can be stuck directly on.
What's the scoop???

prep the area of the tube first then apply the patch directly

thanks for the info punkrock...with any luck, I won;t have to use it soon

happy trails

I have used glue less patches, and frankly, i hate them, maybe i had some bad ones, but they never held air more then a few days. I now ride with a little green patch kit i picked up from a local bike shop for under a buck.

I've used cheapo Schwinn glueless patches with great results. I pick them up at Nashbar; they come enclosed in tire levers (take em or leave em).

I abrade the are around the hole(s) a little before patching. When it's clean and dry, I've had no problems.

ya arnt really supposed to ride with the patch all the time only when you get a flat out riding and ya need to get back home.

I have put two seasons on a patched tube. There is no set lifespan if the patch is applied properly.

Please don't tell my tubes. They think those instant patches are permanent.

I know that some people have great results with glueless patches (sometimes, some brands), but for a lot of us they don't work or only work temporarily. I just use glued patches because they take, what, 30 seconds longer to apply. And they never leak.

Must be nice to be able to buy tubes all the time. I put a Park's glueless patch on my girlfriend's tube 3 years ago
It lasted through several road to offroad tire swaps and countless rides at pressures ranging from around 40 psi to over 80. I only just recently put a new tube in to replace it because of a valve malfunction. The patch served us very well I'd say

I hate the stupid glueless vulcanizing ones or what ever. the rubber cement ones have always worked best for me.

The glue ones are vulcanizing. I think that has something to do with Spock. I use and sell Park Glueless patches, and have never had a complaint. As long as the puncture or cut isn't on a seam, and you clean and scuff the tube a bit, they hold up very well.

Never had one work, ever. Usless pieces of kit IMHO. I carry a tube. Much quicker to do the patching at home, WITH GLUE! Next you'll be telling me to use BandAids

Munchie bought some Park glueless patches from me. He may be a "Belt and suspenders" kind of guy, as he also bought all my Torelli tubes. I guess it could be a while before he uses any patches.

Great idea, but glueless patches just don't work well. They don't really save enough time to make a difference.
Just get a regular patch kit and you'll not have to worry about it.

Glueless is a bit of a misnomer. The patches have an adhesive (or glue) to attach them to the tube. A bit like clipless pedals which have clips to grab the cleats on the shoes...

My briefest experience with instant-fix patches suggests they are not, in fact, a long-term fix. YMMV, as Raiyn's obviously has.

Rubber cement, "vulcanising" patches, and a kitchen table are the best way to go. For roadside puncture repair, the kitchen table's a bit impractical (but not improbable if you're towing a trailer and moving house), so a spare tube as per Berny is the best way to go.

I'm not sure, but I think vulcanising comes from the days when tube patches were set alight to fuse the patch and tube rubber together. I remember watching my father do it several times. There was quite a process involved.

I suppose there is a term for using cold contact cement and the patch, but vulcanise doesn't come to mind. Maybe "coldanise". I don't recall either term being used on the packaging or instructions of ordinary tube repair kits.

No, vulcanizing is the proper term. The cement actually bonds the patch and tube into one piece, if it is done correctly. The same type of chemical bonding process is used at shoe factories to bond the outsole to the midsole.

Hmmm... seek the origin of vulcan. Heat?

The way I see it, this is not the accurate term at all. Contact cement is applied to the tube, and wherein the solvent evaporates, leaving a very thin layer of tacky rubber. The underside of a patch is a smooth *rubber* compound. It may merge or bond when applied, but not through the process of heat or vulcanisation.

You see, you are talking about a *chemical* process, not a process facilitated by heat.

I have the Park glueless patches and it did come w/some sandpaper to prep the tube. The tube MUST be clean. Dust, dirt, baby powder, etc. must be removed otherwise it won't adhere. I've had mixed results, but carry them just in case the one or two tubes I carry are used up. Otherwise I patch the tubes the old fashioned way at home and rotate them back into the camelbak or seat bag.

BTW I think vulcanization is the correct term. Yes, its typically done during manufacturing using heat, but can also be done using liquids, vapors, etc. and is often called cold vulcanization or curing.

Dave

I've tried the Park and Slime brands of glueless patches and both began to leak after a day or overnight. But they are a quick fix to get home.

The Park glue and patch kit in practice is the better, permanent solution for me.

I've had problems with the glueless patches because I use high pressure tires (120psi) and chances are I didn't clean the tube well enough. If you have to clean the tube really well for it to work, it seems like a bad design for something meant as a quick roadside fix. To me, it's not worth the effort to use the stick-on patches - I just carry an extra tube and patch the leaks with a traditional patch kit at home.

I have a set and a tube. If the tube goes down too then I'll use the patch. I had a bad result with a co2 and such patch as it infalted way too fast for the patch or something and started leak.

I must be a belt and suspenders type guy as well. I carry a spare tube and patches.

I've used the Park Glue-less with much success. I sand the area and then wipe with one of my stash of alcohol wipes I keep in my camel-back. I've had several tubes with glue-less patches that have lasted over a year.

However, as a general rule, I replace the tube first (easier and faster) and then patch the tube back home in my garage using the typical patch and GLUE. I save my glue-less (more expensive) for those rare instances when you puncture your spare.

I usually wait until I have about 10 tubes and then spend one evening doing nothing but patches. BTW, I live in an area with LOTS of sand spurs and thornes, so I go through a lot of tubes.

Am I the only one that recognises how incredibly tacky it is to wear suspenders AND a belt? Thats probably worse than wearing a short sleeve shirt with a tie or, $DEITY forbid, socks with flip flops.

Yup, Dave is absolutely correct. Good point. I carry a couple of those pre-packaged alcohol wipes in the bike bag. You can get them in any drug store for ~$2.00/100, so that will last you a long time. Plus, they are nice to have if you get dinged up or get a cut. If you wipe the repair area of the tube with alcohol and give it a few seconds to dry, your repair has a much better chance of becoming permenant.

I see now that a2psyklnut says pretty much the same thing. Sorry to be repetitive, but there seems to be a common thread here.