garage sale GT

I'll give my stock tube patching advice. The glue has to be completely dry. If you don't believe it, try leaving the glued patch and tube to dry overnight before putting the patch on. It will be the strongest repair you ever had provided you prep the surface.

SBinNYC

I'm just the opposite. I prefer to patch the tube and continue riding with it, weather and time permitting. I want to find out what caused the flat. I prefer not getting another flat because I did not remove a piece of glass or boot a tire.

SBinNYC

The patch and glue cost about 25 cents per flat. I'm definitely old school a.k.a. cheap.

rm -rf

Yes, silver sharpie pens are really good for a lot of bike marking uses, on any darker surface. I make a long "cross" mark, all the way around the back side of the tube, and at least two inches along the length of the tube. There's plenty of marking left after sanding.

I also mark an arrow on new tubes near the valve, for the rotation direction. And I line up the tires' logo with the valve hole, and usually put a small arrow near the logo on the tire. Then I don't have to keep track of which way the tube was in the tire when I try to match a tube hole with the location on the tire.

I wait until I have at least 3 flatted tubes, then patch all at once with a new tube of glue. Spread the glue out with the folded edge of the glue tube, and wait 5 minutes before sticking on the patch. I press hard on the patch with something rounded and smooth. Then hold it on with a carpentry clamp and two pieces of wood overnight, but I don't really know if that helps at all.

Michelin Aircomp tubes are 8 or 9 dollars. And the patches always hold forever if I do them at home.

noglider 

Some clever ideas here! I like the silver marker idea but don't want to carry yet another thing. I might keep one at home though.

I love the arrow for making my tube directional. Clever!

Gresp15C

I used a Sharpie recently, but instead of a small dot, made a big X. And I didn't sand it away completely. Next day, flat again. According to where the bubbles were coming out, the air was creeping along the line made by the Sharpie, as if it somehow prevented the glue from doing its thing. And of course I couldn't get the patch off, so now I know just how tenacious the Rema patches are.

So now I have another bungee.

RubeRad

Now that's interesting. So then as OP I declare my favorite idea to use binder clips or paper clips to affix the tube to a credit card with the puncture centered. It will give a flat, somewhat firm backing for sanding as well.

ThermionicScott 

You can't be shy about the sanding. I like to use circular motions, so that I have a big uniform area. There's no reason to preserve your "X" because the sanded area will tell you where to apply the glue and patch.

KenshiBiker

Plenty of good advice. As for me:

I carry two tubes and a patch kit on the road, and yes, I've had occasion to use the patch kit on the road.

I accumulate about a dozen tubes and patch at home. Just did this on Saturday night.

Mark the hole location using a RED sharpie, using crosshairs spaced out beyond the edges of the patch. In fact, the cross hairs can completely circumscribe the cross-section of the tube.

Let the glue dry completely (that's one of the advantages of doing a dozen at one time, by the time the last one is marked, scuffed, and the glue applied, the first one is dry and ready for the patch to be applied).

RubeRad

But that's exactly the problem. We were not shy about the sanding, and our sanded area was indeed big, so big we had plenty of room to stick the patch completely within the sanded area and miss the hole.

fietsbob

so did you finally buy a new tube by now?

RubeRad

I found another tube in the garage that (miraculously!) held air and was the right size.