Originally Posted by TromboneAl

First, I try to find the leak without removing the wheel from the bike. If I can, I rejoice, and then unhook the tire from the rim just at the point of the puncture, pull out the tube just at that location, patch it, and put it back. Otherwise I go through the normal tube removal and patching, unless it's raining or I'm in an unaesthetic location. In that case, I put in the spare tube.