Have not a huge amount fo riding this year, maybe about 60 miles a week but I had my first flat of the season today. However what I wanted to write about was not the flat, but rather what cam after. This was a slow leak so I was able to put air back in the tire and ride home without changing it. When I got home I looked in my toolbox and had one tube left. I don't think I have restocked in a few seasons. The tube I had in my tool box had been patched but that's OK. I fixed the flat and then pulled out my bucket where I toss the tubes that have punctures and a patch kit and went to work restocking my supply. I patched 6 tubes and tossed three away, two had a bent valve and one had a stick on patch that failed. I found that the stickon patches last about 1 year and I don't trust the glue residue to not interfere with a regular patch cement so I did not want to re-patch it, I stopped using them 3 years ago so that tube must have been in the bucket for awhile. I also noticed that some of the repaired tubes had been patched 3 times now. I will probably order some new tubes and a another patch kit. Regular tubes run about $5 and a kit with 6 patches runs about $1.50.

I don't know why I patch old tubes, but it feel like it's the right thing to do. I also don't mind riding on tubes repaired with regular patches, they hold up just fine. But I also don't carry a chain break tool - just say'in.