New tube = $5.00 Labor already done when installed and you are back on the road. Running 700c or 27" tires and getting a puncture almost requires superhuman precision to patch one of these skinny tubes even if it's nowhere near a seam or the valve. I tried patching tubes 3 different times and failed everytime. I spent more on patch kits and time trying to fix a split (90% of flats are from a spit tube) than just replacing it. I feel that my 1600 miles last year and 1100 miles the year before of bike riding can justify the waste of a few tubes. Just saying.