Wear? Replace? What Martian logic is this? Tyres get checked over when I clean the bike and replaced when they start looking a bit too hairy. Tubes get checked over when (if) they flat. Meantime, swap the punctured one out, swap a good one in, ride, then when I get home, patch the tube (unless it's a hopeless case) and stick it in the seatpack as the spare du jour.

1500 miles! Man, I wish. I suppose if I rode an MTB, I might be able to pull it off. With my 28C slicks, and relatively new tires, I'm lucky to go 600 miles flat free-but the roads are really bad where I live. I'm not sure why some of you guys throw away tubes because of wear. In my experience, new and patched tubes are equally reliable. The tire makes a bigger difference, IMHO. Generally, I fix the flatted tube at the scene. I usually find the puncture and put the glue on before I install my backup tube, then when I'm done pumping up the tire, I stick on the patch. Then I'm ready for the next 600 miles-easy. I think it's worth the small effort to save the 3 bucks for a new tube, plus, if I happen to get 2 flats in one day I'm still OK. I usually replace tubes that get bad pinch flats.

I patch tubes at home unless they are unpatchable. Patching takes very little time and costs about $3 less than a new tube.

Not really. This year I had 4 flats over 2200 miles. The first was a total gash that ruined the tire/tube on a new set of tires ~mile 40. My second flat was a convenient merging of a flying stick, my valve-stem and a sudden WHOOSH of air. Again, tube was toast. The next flat was a slow leak that showed up about 35 miles from home in the rain. The last flat I had was when the tire just wouldn't keep pressure. I don't understand that one since I couldn't find a leak. Anyway, of these, 2 were patchable, 2 weren't, and I feel better not having to worry about the patch holding.

Since I've gone to my nimbus 28c's, I've had no flats despite some nasty roads that go by construction sites.

Every year, when I switch between Nokian studded tires and my non-studded ones, I have the tubes inspeced and replaced if necessary. This year, one needed replacement. Oxidation, stem wear are usual reasons.

Paul

Five!? And you call yourself cheap! Well Mr. Rockefeller, how was the caviar on toast this morning? Try 25 or even 30! Five!? Them tubes is just gettin' broken in by then! ;)

The slow leakers are my favorite. Out here in the land of the wild and terrible goathead, you can get just the end of a spike in a tire that takes weeks to work its way through. Sometimes it even serves as its own plug. Recently I had a slow leaker that I couldn't find no matter what I did. I'd pump up the tire in the morning, ride to work and home and it would be low (but not flat) by morning. From past experience I know this can go on for weeks. It's usually best just to let it make a big enough hole to go completely flat and then fix it since that will also show where the thorn is coming through.

But this one was taking a particularly long time, so I decided to fix it. Took the wheel off, took the tube out, pumped it up, dipped it in a water tank. No leaks. Maybe my kids were playing a trick on me - wouldn't put it past them. I pumped it up to the point where it looked like an anaconda on Wild Kingdom since that usually stretches the tube out enough to make even the smallest hole large enough to see. But still no leak. I put it all back to together, figuring that the thorn hadn't worked through long enough yet and pumped it up but it was soft again the next day. Repeat the above with the same result. AAARRRRRRGGGGGG!

This went on for an entire week. Low tire, fix routine, lots of blue air, put it back, low in the morning. Now it was a point of honor! I was going to find that leak and fix it even if it killed me! This time I dragged out the air compressor! (Yes, I know this is stupid but the white whale will be mine!) With the pressure at 120 psi and no tire, I started to put air it the damned thing. It grew larger and larger. It went past anaconda size. It was more like brontosaurus size! But there there was the leak, I could hear it! Just let me get my trusty marking pen! All I have to do is make a little mark right there ...

My wife was standing in front of me with her mouth moving but there was no sound. Oddly there didn't seem to be any sound anywhere except for a ringing in my ears. And there were bits of rubber all over the garage - that seemed odd. But I found my leak. ;)

I tried glueless patches and the results were not so great, the would basically leak air out from the sides of the patch. There is probably an optimal way to use them but I'd rather not risk it.

I like the pathces with an extra tupe of glue with them. You basically put some superglue ile substance over the hole, let it dry, then put the patch, which seems quite sturdy.

[QUOTE=jslopez]I tried glueless patches and the results were not so great, the would basically leak air out from the sides of the patch. There is probably an optimal way to use them but I'd rather not risk it.

I have similar experiences. I find they work about half the time, and then only if it is a small puncture. Usually the ones that fail last a week or so, then start to leak. I have talked to guys that swear by these things-I wonder if I am doing something wrong. It could be that my tube is not clean enough-I always rough them up thoroughly though. Anyone have good luck with these in high pressure tires?

Well I would just go with the glue patches to avoid the problem altogether. You're relly not losing much by doing that (over gluless patchs). Maybe a dollar more and a weight increase of about .0002 grams.

4-5,000 miles in the last 3 years and no flats. Honest. I can't figure it out. I'm out in the country and burbs, so the roads are cleaner and I run kevlar tyres, but still. I wreck em changing tyres, pinch em. I throw them out and I'm getting better at that too.

Hahaha!

Just last night I had my tire off to inspect what I was afraid was a tear along the seam. Thankfully it's not, at least not yet, just a little bit of fraying. So I put everything back together and was pondering whether to drive the pressure up to the max sidewall rating or back it off a little since this is my front and it's nice to have a lower pressure up front for comfort. I don't like the feel of bouncy tires and it's cold out these days, so I figured max pressure would equate to lower pressure outside anyhow and put it all the way to 120psi.

Walking back over to the bike, I was bending over to put the thing down. Wouldn't you know that right at the point nearest my face, maybe three inches away, BOOM! it exploded. It would seem that I had neglected to make sure the bead was properly seated as I inflated. Blew NASTY grit and grime (we're talking tires with supposedly red sidewalls that are actually jet black because of the filth) into my eyes and left my ears ringing.

Expanding on Chris' experience... then...it's possible to have a tube, *inside a tire* that is so old...it could crack etc.

So does the pump actually wear out the stem then?

:roflmao: :roflmao: I had to wipe the tears from my eyes!

My only flat over the last 1000 miles happened while my bike was sitting in my office! A slight hole... the size of a staple... (only one, but it was at the top of the tire near the sidewall. I matched the hole in the tube with a hole in my tire, perfect little pin prick! :mad: )

I stumbled accross a pile of questionalble tubes in my shop... some patched some not. I pumped them up, a day later the ones without air were sliced and thrown away so I wouldn't waste any more time on them!

LOL! Not really!
The base of the valve where it joins the rest of the tube is a weak spot -- my tubes tend to get an oxidation/fatigue weakness there.

Paul

Several folks in this thread have mentioned "Slime." What kind of luck have you had with it?

Last summer a buddy and I did a ride on a very rough and overgrown rail trail in Idaho. He had slime in his tires, I had my usual thorn-resistent tubes with liners. He got 4 flats, I got none. The slime was worthless for him. The flats were from goatheads.

[My wife was standing in front of me with her mouth moving but there was no sound. Oddly there didn't seem to be any sound anywhere except for a ringing in my ears. And there were bits of rubber all over the garage - that seemed odd] Had a similar experience with the same cause: fortunately I was wearing my glasses which took a couple hits from rubber pieces & I suffered a cut & small bruise on my cheekbone. My ears were ringing & my two dogs were clear across the garage with their tails down when my wifey opened the door & mouthed "what was that noise?"(couldn't hear a word) but I caught her drift. Don't worry, everything's fine (yeah, right).

the secret to keeping your tubes patched, and as a result minimize that pile of tubes, is to always forget to bring your spare tube when you're riding. just make sure you don't get a valve-stem leak. i've tried patching those, and all that means is you have 50 ft or 30 seconds before you're flat again. so at least bring your phone, or ride circuits around your favorite bike shop.

Almost 500 miles, no flats, then 2 in the last week... one during the crash, one the day before...

Glad I got my new foldable floor pump. I do not patch, seen too many tires blow out that way. I do keep a patch kit with me incase of 2 flats...

I've been a flat magnet so I'm jealous. I've had flats from gravel, flats from rocks disguised as leaves, flat from a staple (as in office) miraculously picked up on a rural road, flat from a piece of wire on a bike trail, pinch flats and thorn flats. I've had flats from a defective tube. I've been snakebit. However, I can change a tire like a pit crew. I check my tire pressure every ride. I patch tubes with small holes.

That's the highest number of miles between flats that I've ever heard -- and juding by other posts, your commute is no picnic! Which tires and tubes are you using?

It's weird for me... I went five or six years without a flat until I flatted two in one ride. I only had one spare tube and no patch kit. Then I didn't flat until, you guessed it, my first day commuting to my summer job (6-8 months passed maybe?). Since then through more commuting and just riding (no more summer job!) I've flatted probably 5-7 times. Not sure about why this is the case, but...

I changed tires shortly after the first commuter flat or two, which may have something to do with it. Also, I recently detected a slight deformation in one of my rims, yikes! Anyway, I now carry a tube and a patch kit for every ride, with an additional tube for work commutes (when I'm working that is) and longer (>30miles?)rides.

I keep my used tubes in a pile, too. The sad part is that some of them are already patched, but I'm afraid to test my handywork. Go ahead, pile the shame on me. :D

Had a front tire flat last Thursday on the commute to work. It had been several months since my last flat so I figured it was about time for one. Then I double flatted yesterday. Fortunately I had a patch kit and a spare tube. I usually patch tubes twice. After that, they're history.