Originally Posted by
FBinNY
One of the most important steps is to "stitch" the patch down. You can't do this with gentle finger pressure, you need intense local pressure to work the patch into the tube and make a proper bond. They make
tire stitchers, which are basically wheels on a stick specifically for this job. You don't need to go out and buy one though. Anything that will let you massage the two together will work. I use the rounded end of a 6" adjustable wrench on a table top, using a rocking motion to do the job, you can improvise with anything, but take a minute and stitch the patch down, especially at the edges and you'll have better results.
BTW- if you use patches like Rema, you're also supposed to remove the cellophane on the outside after you've stitched the patch. The cellophane inhibits the curing process (according to Rema) and prevents good bonding.
BTW- there's also a bit of chemistry involved, and there are slightly different formulations of the butyl in tubes. IME- every once in a while you'll run into a mismatch that won't bond no matter how hard you try. In Germany, Rema offers patches of different material and glue for various types of tubes, but only one (the basic butyl) is sold here in the USA
This is really good advice. I have used a wooden roller intended for sealing wallpaper seams. And the comment about Rema is right on too, execpt it is a catch-22. Sure you should use Rema, but getting the cellophane off causes me to spoil more patch applications than I can count. Pulling off the cellophane too early or too roughly is a prime cause of a poor seal; it undoes all you hard work.
Having said all that about technique, I am going to go out on a limb and risk some ridicule. It is wasteful I know and not very bike-macho, but if you can afford to toss the tube, just do it. The is no glory in always worrying about your tubes leaking or failing on a ride due to a bad patch. For $4-6 on sale, after riding road bikes for over 30 years, I just don't need the aggravation any more. If you can't afford it, I certainly do understand. Been there too. In that case all this other advice is right on, but you will be happier if you can just blow it off. What I do is carry the glueless patches for an emergency just to get me home in case I really screw up and go through my couple of spare tubes (like not checking for sharp objects in the tire casing). When I get the patched tube home, it goes into the wastebasket. Done and done.
Robert