Originally Posted by
Arcanum
I don't bother with patches for the most part. I just ride puncture-resistant tires and carry an extra tube with me.
I do the same. I really can't tell the difference in speed between light and heavy tires, I carry a lot of crap anyway.
Originally Posted by
dedhed
+1 Carry a spare tube and patch the bad one at home at my leisure
Same here, I'd do a better job at home and let the glue dry properly.
Originally Posted by
pitchpole
Those solid inner tubes make the ride rough and they put more wear on your bike. All the air in a normal tire acts as a shock absorber. I think normal tires with a liner to prevent flats is a better solution.
Many rim vendors and bike makers advise against those solid tubes. They don't distribute forces of impact over a broad area of the rim as compressed air does but more localized which puts more stress on rims.
Originally Posted by
Arcanum
I'll be honest: I haven't even bothered patching the bad tubes at home. It just hasn't been worth the effort when I can get a new one for $7.
Actually, I don't think I've had an actual puncture since I started running tire liners or puncture-resistant tires all the time....
I do patch mine, 5-7 bucks is still money and at least a couple of times I gave my spare tube away to some unlucky, unprepared cyclist on the road (I usually carry more than one spare). Although, except my two recent mishaps with Conti T&C tires, I get less than 1 flat per year. However, since Fall I've been riding significantly more so the number may go up this year.