Originally Posted by
fuzz2050
If your patches are lasting one minute, you're doing it wrong. I have tubes patches upwards of ten times, (I could patch them more, but I just get lazy after a point), and they are no more likely to fail at a patch than at any other location. A good patch is a permanent repair.
Yup
Originally Posted by
fuzz2050
Of course, you are right about large box stores, and even most small towns will have one bike shop. Plus, chatting with local bike shop owners is a great way to find out about local routes.
Nope. It depends on where you are as to whether or not small towns have a bike shop or not. For example, on the Trans American route, you'll find no bike shops east of Pueblo to the middle of Kansas. There's a shop in Garden City but that's 40 miles off the route and 250 miles from Pueblo. Even though I hate to spend my money at Helmart, that may be the only option. On the other hand, I've purchased presta tubes from Helmart in Kentucky and Arkansas which are not hot beds of presta tube usage