I've been fairly lucky with regards to flats but last week I went to get my bike out of the garage and noticed the rear tire was completely without air. Turns out there was a pin hole on the outer (riding) side of the tube. It was near a slight ridge in the tube (looked sort of like a seam). No holes in the tire that I could see.

Patching tubes has yielded mixed results for me in the past. Maybe I'm using a bad patch kit or I just suck at it.

Do most commuters successfully patch their tubes or do they just toss them and use another one after a flat? I hate to throw something away needlessly but I don't want to have to deal with a leaking patch either.

Thanks!

Carry a spare trube whebn riding. Got a flat? Check inside of tire with fingers for pointed objects (glass, thorn, tiny piece of metal from steel belted radials, etc) and put in new tube and proceed.
At home patch tube and double check if patch is holding.
Proper technique for patching is essential. Find leak/puncture in tube; scuff area with that little piece of sandpaper; apply the glue; put match/lighter to glue and then immediately put on the patch.

Patching a tube with a hole very close to or on a seam is more difficult, but not impossible.

I patch... some of my tubes have a half dozen or more patches on them. I've had very good luck with Park Tools pre-glued patch kits. Comes out to about 50 cents per patch... much better than buying a new tube every time I get a hole.

I carry one spare tube and patches with me.

On my road bike, I just use CO2 and carry a few spares (as well as a schrader adapter) because I've had bad luck with small pumps being able to fill up high-pressure tubes without taking forever and being more trouble than it's worth.


On my MTB and hybrid I carry a cheapo hand pump that can inflate to 50PSI or so without any problems or feeling like my arm will fall off.

Either way, I try to find the offending prickly, clear it out, put a new tube in, and then patch the punctured tube upon arrival to my destination. It then gets tucked away to become the new spare tube. Like the above poster, many of my tubes have several patches, and they hold just fine.

I carry one or two tube with and patch tubes at home when I have the time to do a good job at it. I have some tubes with several patches ( i think my current max is 6 or 7) that I still use. I have heard of tubes with 20 patches on them. I don't think I have bought tubes in a year or two. I have 6 or 7 tubes for each bike (different tire sizes).

If per chance you have thorn resistant tubes, don't be surprised if they don't take a patch.

I have one tube with a patch on another patch Yes, they were two separate holes... the second several months after the first. Holds air just fine.

How long do average-quality tubes last? I patched a tube three times in a row a couple of weeks back - as soon as I inflated it it got another hole in it. Threw it out and replaced it with the spare. Today, threw the spare out in disgust as I repaired a hole then it split length-wise as soon as I pumped it up. Both tubes were about 2 years old. Size was 700 x 40 pumped to 70psi.

I carry a spare with me and just replace the leaking tube, but I keep it with me and will patch it later. Once you figure out a good technique to patching tubes you shouldn't have any problems with the patch for the life of the tube.

My two tips for patching tubes are:

1) let the glue dry fully before applying the patch
2) use a pen and really rub the patch down firmly on a hard surface - especially the edges

Once you are really done with a tube keep it around and cut it up to make rubber bands or to use under clamps so they don't slip, etc...

When ridng I change to another tube, when I get home I check the flat tube, patch if possible, and then use that tueb as a spare. I don't patch on the road unles absolutely needed.

The Murray Escort I bought for my sis in law is on original tires and inner tubes, and People have guessed it's from the late 70s. They still hold air just fine, but the tires themselves are starting to dry rot.

I used to have that problem with patching thorn resistant tubes when I lived in goat head country (Oregon), until I discovered German made thin patches with the tapered edges ( I think Tip Top or Rema brands). Never had any more patching problems with thick tubes afterwards.

This inner tube failed at the valve stem:

https://bp3.blogger.com/_P7uBKyp9qxI/...06-18-lock.jpg


I did the same thing to another MTB inner tube that had a pinch flat I hadn't repaired yet, for my sis-in-law's chain when I gave her the bike. I could have patched it, but I decided to cannibalize 4 feet of it for a chain sleeve, then use the rest for rubber bands.

Other than a hole I spontaneously got near the valve stem (this happened 30 minutes AFTER arriving at work, too... must've finally just given way) - I've always patched.. But for times on the road, I carry a spare to swap out straight away and patch at my destination/home that night as others have mentioned.

For patching, I use a couple of different kits I got from the LBS, nothing fancy. I scrub with sandpaper (after using a Sharpie to correctly identify the problem area if it's not obvious), apply glue, let it go off, put the patch on and then put my u-lock on the patch end-on to apply some heavy-ish pressure on the patch and leave it overnight typically. I have a good 8 spares for my roadie and a couple of 26" spares. With tubes being around $2 at MEC, I pick up a couple if I go there to buy anything usually, mainly because I like to have the compact/rolled up tubes convenience to carry as spares (I can never seem to roll them up quite how they come in the box).

I carry a presta/schrader adaptor in case I can use a gas station pump to fill up, otherwise I'll hand-crank it on my frame pump to about ~70PSI which is LOW, but enough to get me home/to a subway station (as I carry spare fare in my kit in case "it" happens). I've had to change a pinch flat at 3:30am this summer... so I know my ideas work in practicality.

ax0n reminded me of a tube I blew up and it got caught in the rim/tyre pinch and blew itself apart two minutes after inflation (poor fitting/check on my part ) - I keep that tube around for patch material - but chain cover is a great idea - thanks!

replace. tubes are too cheap and flats too infrequent to worry about a leaking patch. cut the stem off and it's fully recyclable, too.

I also change to a spare, while out on the road and then patch the damaged tube when I get home.
Trying to patch "in the field" almost always fails for me, but doing it with the right tools has been very successful.

I use Park Tool Super Patches. They are pre-glued and will flex and stretch with the tube.

1. Use a small amount of soap and water to clean the area to be patched, (this is to help reduce the release compound used during manufacturing). Since I don't always know where the hole is, I just do this while I am looking for the leak in the kitchen sink. Allow the tube to dry thoroughly.

2. Scuff the tube around the puncher. Sand paper seems to work better than the dimpled tin piece that comes with some patch kits.

3. Apply the patch at a 45° angle to the rotation of the tire. This gives the adhesive more surface area in the direction that will get the most stretching.

4. Use a C-clamp with a piece of old inner tube around the one being repaired to keep pressure on the patch as the glue cures. Another option is to put a stack of books on the inner tube. I usually leave it this way at least overnight; 24 hours, if I have time.

Happy patching!

Carry a spare tube and patch kit. Although it is unusual, you can get more than one flat during a commute. When the first flat happens, install the spare tube. If you get another, patch one of the tubes during your ride. I would recommend that once you get home, patch the one with the puncture and put that one back on the bike. This way you have a "tested" spare, and are riding a patched one.

For patching tubes I use the cheapo $1 walmart patches. I think they are Bell brand. It comes in squares that can be cut to size. Cut a round patch out of that material. It does not need to be very large. Then scuff an area larger than the patch. Add the glue to the tube in a thin layer and allow to dry. If possible, inflate the tube somewhat and press the patch on hard. This way, when you fully inflate the tube, it will not stretch the patch as much. After that, rub some dirt from the garage floor on it. This will keep if from sticking to the inside of the tire. I have had the best results by putting the tube right back in the tire and inflating. The pressure will help the patch cure.

Yeah, that lock and chain is the heavy-ass one I leave at work, locked to the bicycle rack. I left my usual cable lock at home one day, and that was my improvised solution. That day, I just locked up with the bare chain. The next day, I brought the old inner tube in to cover it. Now it pretty much resides permanently at work, but I've gotten some fun comments from co-workers about the tube. They think it's funny that it's got patches all over it. Hey, when a valve stem goes, it's curtains.

Replace on the road, patch when you get home.
There is no substitute for a proper vulcanizing patch and glue. If you do it correctly, the patch will be fused (welded, really) to the tube; you will NOT be able to separate it without tearing the tube; the patch becomes part of the tube.
I've had ROTTEN luck with pre-glued patches. They're OK in an emergency, they'll probably get you home, but take them off, clean with a solvent, and then put a REAL patch on when you get home.

Honestly, I flat about once every two years so it would cost me about $2.50 a year to just toss my old tubes when they puncture, but that would be wasteful.

I usually replace them. It doesn't happen very often, so the extra expense isn't a big deal.

There have been times where I had repeat flat incidents on the same bike within a short period of time. Once it was because of a defective new tire with a wire sliver protruding from the tire casing. Once it was due to worn out rim tape. When I have 3 flat tubes lying around, I buy a patch kit and take care of them.

I patch my tubes in batches when I have the time. I then pump them up with a little air a see if they still hold air a week after. If they do I put them in zip-lock bags and reuse them, if they don't hold I sometimes just throw them out instead of re-patching, too many patches or holes near the valve can also make me discard the the tube.
My experience is that at properly patched tube is just as good as a new tube.
I think the secret to proper patching is to follow the instructions, especially about letting the cement cure for about 4-5 minutes before applying the patch. I prefer Rema TipTop sport patches, but there are probably lots of good brands out there. Some people have luck with the glueless patches, but I have tried both Park Tool and BBB glueless patches without much success.

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Regards

I've got 4 Park glueless patches total on my road bike. 3 in back, one in front. They lose about 10-15 PSI per week, which isn't any different than it lost when the tires were new.

I gave my wife a 1966 Raleigh RSW-16 for Christmas last year. It still had the original white Dunlop tires on it, which looked too tired to use safely, and apparently the original Dunlop innertubes as well. I put on new tires, but figured I'd change the tubes only if they don't hold air. So far so good!

But I must say, I used to have much better luck patching tubes. Back in the 70's and early 80's I had virtually 100% success rate; recently it's dropped to maybe 75% at best. Which I don't understand, since I use the same patch kit (Rema/Tip-top), have more patience, and more experience. Maybe everything was just better in the old days. Or maybe my standards were lower?

Patch. Half the time I don't even take the wheel off the bike.

Examine outside of tire, feel inside of tire and rim, inflate tube and locate hole, then patch.

I've got a spare tube as well but I can often just patch the tube faster than replacing it.

It's not just nostalgia?