A friend of mine is in Tanzania, working at an orphanage. He discovered that the orphanage has a shed full of old kids' bikes, most with punctured tubes. These bikes don't have to work well. If they could be ridden without breaking spokes and denting rims, the kids would be ecstatic. Obviously, there is no LBS.

Do any of you know a MacGyver-like trick for getting tubes to hold air?
Will duct tape work? Super glue? Rubber cement? Anything?

He hasn't told me much, but I'm assuming these are small low pressure wheels. And I'm sure the kids wouldn't mind running them at the lowest possible pressure. Also, sadly, most of the kids weigh very little.

If no one has any good tricks, do you know where I can buy very cheap tubes in large quantities, or know of a benefactor who might donate to a good cause? This assumes that it's even possible to mail stuff to Tanzania.

Rubber cement and a patch made from an old rubber tube has worked for myself.
Joining areas cleaned first.

Rema patches and glue are available in bulk for very reasonable per-unit prices. For example, you can get the 100-pack patch and 8-oz bottle of rubber cement for about $24, making it $0.24 per patch. That 8-oz bottle can probably last 400 patches if you're at all careful so really, it's about $0.17 per patch over 400 patches. As I understand, inner tubes are really cheap in bulk (<US$1 each) but patches are cheaper still and you won't have to worry about getting the correct size(s).

Rubber cement and cutouts from old inner tubes, as toddbiker mentioned, is also workable. But you'll really need to clean those mating surfaces well to make a durable patch.

If the hole is very small, creating a device to pump water into the tubes will work. But I suspect water may be a precious enough resource in many parts of Tanzania that using it to refill tires may not be viable. Along the same lines, I've heard that one can try to stuff dry grass into the tire in lieu of the inner tube to make the bicycle rideable, but I've never done it myself.

Finally, if you're insistent on getting the bikes running again, try contacting bike-centric philanthropic groups like Tom Ritchey's Project Rwanda. Even if they cannot help you, they may know someone who can.

Getting and keeping real air in those tubes is really the only solution.

So, the tubes need to be patched. If cheap patch kits are not in the offing, then I would guess the cheapest and easiest way to deal with it would be a jar of rubber cement and one sacrificial old tube cut up into patches.

jim

Here: https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/174...-Set-of-10.htm

Patches: https://www.amazon.com/Rema-25mm-Roun...5925532&sr=1-1

I'm guessing these bikes would be needing 12/16/20" tubes.

I know most mechanics hate the stuff, but you may want to consider Slime.

Slime has a habit of gluing tubes to the tires (but this is when the tube is so perforated that without the slime they would be unusable) and dripping green gew when you have to get the tube out, but it's availible in cheap bulk containers and for multiple small puntures with require radically less time than applying half a dozen patches.

If the are a lot of bikes with a lot of small holes in the tubes then along with patching or replacing tubes you need to think about how to keep the tubes from getting getting new holes.

You can use strips of old tubes between the tube and tire for "flat strips".

Rubber Cement works well, particularly if combined with Rema patches. These patches can be obtained in boxes of 100 and maybe even larger quantities and in bulk they are pretty cheap.

Get a list of the tire sizes and a range of quantities needed and I'll reach out to my friends in the industry and see if we can put something together. Actually, the goods are only half the battle. The logistics of getting them there at a reasonable cost can be a killer for projects like this.

I might be help here too. My wife and I started a donated goods charity in Mexico a few years back, and have worked out a scheme that brings transport costs down to near zero.

-----------------------------------
Subject: 8.59 Patching Tubes
From: Jobst Brandt <jbrandt@hpl.hp.com>

The question often arises whether tubes can be practically and safely
patched. I suppose the question comes up because some people have had
leaky patches or they consider it an arcane exercise. Either way, it
need not be difficult if simple rules are followed.

Mold release

Tubes are made in metal molds to which they would stick if mold
release were not sprayed into the mold. The release agent is designed
to prevent adhesion and it will do the same for patches because it
remains on and in the surface of the tube. To make a patch stick,
this material must be removed. That means, the sand paper in the
patch kit is not to roughen the surface but to remove it. Not
removing the 'skin' of the tube is a major reason for leaky patches.

Once the mold release has been removed, rubber solution can be applied
with the finger by wiping a thin film over the entire area that the
patch is to cover. After the glue has dried so that no liquid or
jelly remains, leaving the area with a tacky sheen, the patch should
be pressed into place. Patches can be made from tube material but
this must be done carefully following the same procedure as preparing
the tube. The trouble is that butyl tube material, unlike patches, is
impervious to rubber cement solvents and will never cure if the glue
is not completely dry. This presents a substantial problem.

Patches

Patches commonly have a metal foil cover on their sticky side and a
cellophane or impervious paper cover on the other. The foil should be
pulled off to expose the adhesion surface and the patch pressed into
place. The backing paper or cellophane often has perforations that
will break if the tube and patch are stretched. This makes peeling
the cover from inside to outside of the patch possible and prevents
peeling a newly installed patch from its position.

REMA patches, the most commonly available in north American bicycle
shops, have a peculiarity that not all have. Their black center
section exudes a brown gas that discolors light colored tire casings
in daylight. This causes the brown blotches often seen on sidewalls
of light colored tires.

Leaky Patches

Assuming the patch was properly installed, it will still possibly leak
after a few miles, if used immediately after patching. Because the
tube is generally smaller than the space inside the tire, to prevent
wrinkles on installation, it will stretch when inflated as does the
patch. Although it stretches less than the rest of the tube by the
greater thickness, it resists stretch more than the tube alone. Under
the patch, the stretched tube tends to shrink away from the patch, and
because there is no holding force from inflation pressure at the hole,
the tube can peel away from the patch that is held by air pressure.

If the puncture is a 'snake bite', the chances of a leak are even
greater. Pinch flats from insufficient inflation or overload are
called snake bites because they usually causes a pair of holes that
roughly approximate the fang marks of a snake. These holes are near
the rim where the contour of the tube is nearly a sharp fold. This
location is especially susceptible to the tube separation at the hole
closest to the rim.

In a rolling tire, the patch and tube flex, shrink, and stretch making
it easier for the tube to separate from a partially cured patch. To
test how fast patches cure, a patch can be pulled off easily shortly
after application, while it is practically impossible after a day or
so. For best results, the freshly punctured tube should be patched
and put in reserve, while a reserve tube is installed. This allows
a new patch more time to cure before it is put into service.

A tube can be folded into as small a package as when it was new and
practically airless, by sucking the air out while carefully using the
finger opposite the stem to prevent re-inflation. This is not done by
inhaling but by puckering the cheeks. Although the powders inside the
tube are not poisonous in the mouth, they are not good for the lungs,
but then that's obvious.

Minutia

The difficult part of loose patches is that separation always stops at
the edge of the patch because air pressure prevents further
separation. The annoying intermittent slow leaks that occur, often
close when the tube is inflated outside a tire, so the offending patch
cannot be found. Old tubes to be discarded often reveal partial
failures by cutting through the center of patches with shears.

Tires are less flexible at a patch and will wear slightly faster
there, but patches have no effect on dynamic balance since wheels are
so imbalanced that patches have no effect on the heaviest position of
the wheel. Heat from braking can accelerate separation of a fresh
patch but this generally does not pose a sudden hazard because lifting
patches most often causes only a slow leak.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...35-Tire-liners

If flats are what put these bikes out of comission in the first place pleas give careful thought to how to keep it from happening again. They will probably be better served by a couple bikes they can share for a couple years than by a couple dozen bikes they can ride for a couple days.

Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far. I've seen photos of the children my friend is working with. They are underfed and without parents, but they're smiling in every photo. I really appreciate the efforts you are making to help get those bikes working. For those interested, here are the bikes in question.

- I've sent my friend your advice about chopping up an old tube for use as a patch kit. I hope he has access to rubber cement.

- FBin NY, thanks for your offer. I've asked my friend to let me know what tire/tube sizes he might need and in what quantities he'll need them to create a sustainable riding situation for the kids.

- As some noted, there's no point in fixing everything if the tubes will pop again in a week. I've passed this info along to my friend. Hopefully he'll give us a clearer picture of the riding situation there. The photo linked above shows a lot of bikes. I'm not sure how many of these will suffice.

Again, thanks to you all. I welcome any new ideas (love the idea of filling the tires with grass ) and will continue to provide updates as I get more info. Needless to say, there is a communication lag between the US and Tanzania.

I doubt you need anything radical. The bikes seem to be OK, but probably aren't getting any routine care. Probably all they need for the tires is a few spare tubes, patch kit, tire levers and a floor pump. Then it's just a matter of training someone in basic bike care.

The fact that the bikes are stored indoors in a block building says that these folks are far better off than many others in Africa.

You might also want to check in with the folks at Bikes not Bombs for more insight into what works and what doesn't.

My former Peace Corps friend tells of bike tires stuffed with rags, grass, or other non-pneumatic filler materials.

Take a look at the photo. The bikes are in pristine condition, grips and saddles are undamaged. Even the reflectors are still on. The fact that they're in a painted, room with concrete floor, and even rugs tells me that these folks are far too affluent to be crapping around with straw filled tires.

They can certainly afford a pump and a few patches. I doubt most of these bikes even have flats. Probably all they need is air. If frequent punctures are in fact an issue, then tire liners or slime would help.

Desperate measures are more appropriate to more desperate folks.

From what I know, the bikes are nearly unused and where forgotten about in some shed for years. They were apparently donated a long time ago, but stopped being used soon after when the tires went flat. That's why they look so nice. Despite the appearance of nice conditions, this is an orphanage without enough money for medical care, food, or toys. Kids there are dying, and these beautiful bikes are going to waste because no one knew how to fix them. My friend can't create food or medicine, but he knows how to oil a chain, so he's doing what he can.

I have no advice to give, but I would just like to send out a heart-felt thank you to your friend As long as he's doing what he can, God will bless him in every way possible. I wish him all the best!

That's what I assumed to be the case. I suspect that many of these might only need pumping, and others can be patched. So here we have a wonderful resource going to waste for lack of something involving small dollars and a bit of human skill. It's a classic example of "for want of a nail.....a war was lost.

I don't think they should resort to desperate measures because while it might get these bikes rolling, it'll be at the cost of more serious problems later. Ask your friend if he needs a decent floor pump (I'll donate that, a shop patch kit (can glue, bulk patches) , and some Chain oil (duh).

Ask what else he needs then we can work on how to get it where it needs to be.

Beyond that he can inventory what other tools or parts are needed, such as cables and develop a long term plan to keep the bikes in service for the kids. Hopefully involving a training a local as a basic mechanic so there's a future capability in place for when your friend moves on.

BTW- his situation isn't unique in the third world. It isn't rare to see nice hospitals built with foreign grants, yet not have any means of funding the medicines and supplies needed for them to treat patients.

I wonder what kinds of tires/tubes the Kona Africabike program is using? Maybe they could offer some support or advice.

I have an update from my friend. Firstly, it seems that I can't ship supplies to him.

"As for the donation, the biggest issue would be getting it all here. There isn't really a way to ship packages here... well, technically there is, but it will be opened and all the contents stolen and then it will be lost..."

Also, as some of you suspected, there is a good reason why all of these bikes look brand new but have punctured tires.

"There are literally billions of thorns here. Pretty much every plant has them. They are everywhere. So in the back of my mind I know that patching tires will be an endless mission."

So, what he needs is a way to reinforce these tires and tubes. It has to be with some method that can be done with very basic supplies. He's going to try the rubber cement and old tubes for patches idea. He's also going to try using the old tubes as tire liners. I mentioned the idea of stuffing the tires with grass, but told him I would try to find better solutions.

Are there more tricks to help make these tires tougher, without using any exotic supplies?

As I said in the earlier post, I have experience in getting donated goods into 3rd countries cheaply and without loss. PM me your phone number and I'll explain how it's done.

As for the thorns, the best solution is in something like slime or tire liners. If he resorts to stuffing the tires with rags, grass or other stuff, he'll pay for it later in wheel problems.

Duct tape (if available) can be used to secure the strips of rubber in the tire, keeping them separate from the tube, preventing them from shifting around, and adding a little more protection.

I've ridden in really thorny country and have a health respect for Slime. The bulk containers are pretty affordable, and it probably is the best option. Your friend can put tape over the holes, let the air out, add the slime, and pump it back up. The tape only needs to hold (at low pressure) long enough to distribute the slime. For small punctures the slime will seal the tube. He'll need to patch any large holes first).

If Slime is unavailable or cost prohibitive (for the number of bikes in the picture it shouldn't be) a reasonable equivalent can be made with latex mold builder, but these mixes frequently use ammonia and anti-freeze, both of which I would try to avoid. Vegetable based propylene glycerol can be used, but again there is an availability issue.
Do a search for "ghetto tubeless" and it should turn up the relevant info.

I used to ride in an area so covered with goat's head thorns that I couldn't ride a hundred yards without getting two flats. With slime and thick tubes I managed to ride 5 to 6 days a week for two years with only one flat. The one time I did get a flat I removed about two dozen thorns, pumped the tire up, spun it, waited til it stopped hissing, aired it up the rest of the way and finished riding to work. For all the issues slime has it definitely has it's place.

If thorns are the problem, tyre liners are the solution.
The commercial version is Mr Tuffy.
You can improvise with old, thinner tyres cut to length. Use a diagonal cut to give some adjustment for the exact length.
You can get an industrial heat-sealed tape, the kind used to hold newspapers or pallets of goods together. This is far tougher than ductape and may be available at a factory. You just need used bits that would get thrown out.

Okay. I've done a (very) little reading on Tanzania. I don't know anything about the orphanage or your friend, so this may not be a useful suggestions, but has your friend considered reaching out to the LDS Church?

I'm not a Mormon, but I've know many of them. They're big on charitable works (most religious groups are) and a majority of them (that I've encountered) are cyclists.
If there are Mormon missionaries there it's a safe bet there are bike supplies, and people with the knowledge, ability, and willingness to use them.

I've never know anyone to use heat sealed tape for improvised tire liners, but I can imagine this working well. I've got the supplies at home; I may just have to set this up and ride over some cactus just to try it out.

I tried some commercial tire liners (not Mr. Tuffy brand) before resorting to slime and found them far less effective, but I'm 280lbs and the goat's head thorns were long, hard, and plentiful, your millage may very.


FB,
would you be willing to post information on some of the organizations you're connected with, and what people here can do to contribute?