Originally Posted by Andy_K

I tend to do this too. The only time I ever patch a tire on the road is if I've already used the spare tube and then got another flat (and that hasn't happened yet). I keep a pile of tubes that were punctured and then when I've got some free time and nothing better to do I patch the old tubes, put them in baggies and toss them in my spare tube container.

I bought some tubes recently because I somehow found myself in a position where most of my spare tubes had valves that were too short for the rims that I use on most of my bikes. It also didn't help that I bought a bunch of frames last year and built them up. I feel like I shouldn't ever need new tubes, but somehow I keep finding myself going through the pile of spares and not finding any that I'm happy with. On the other hand, I have a great supply of tubes that don't fit any tire I still own...