I had a very slow leak and decided that a lazy afternoon at home was a good time to fix it. I took off the tire, tube, found the leak. The shiny piece of wire sticking through the tire was a good clue as to the location of the leak. I took the patch kit from the bike's bag, roughed up the tube area, and then found that the little tube of rubber cement was empty. I took the patch kit from the other bike and the little tube of rubber cement was empty as well. Each kit had been used once, and the cap was not loose on either rubber cement tube.

I borrowed a bottle of rubber cement from a neighbor and sealed the tire, but apparently the solvent in rubber cement vaporizes very easily. That's a nice attribute when you have to wait while it dries to apply the patch, but not so good when you go to use a patch kit and it's useless.

So, I guess get a patch kit that doesn't use rubber cement, or be aware that your patch kit may be useless. I'm sure other folks have noticed this but I haven't encountered the problem before so either someone is stealing my little bits of rubber cement or it's something that should be noted.

Patches that don't use rubber cement are less effective than those that do. The problem is that once a patch kit is used once (ie the rubber cement is first opened), the rubber cement has a limited shelf life. Just replace the cement tube (or the whole patch kit) within a couple of months of its first use...

I keep "glue-less" patches and a spare tube on all my bikes. However, as mentioned, these are less effective than patches that use a vulcanizing glue. So, if I have to patch a tube while on the road, I use a glue-less one and then change out for a glued patch when I get home. And, yes, I've had to open a new tube of glue when the one I used before had dried up.

The solvent can evaporate but it takes some time. I make sure that the top of the glue tube is tight before I put it back. I also replace open tubes about once a year. Don't open the new one until you have to, however.

I usually just carry whole tubes for change out on the road, then let a few punctured tubes accumulate, and patch four or five at once. If I start with a new patch kit, the glue will be good for all of them.

Actually I do carry a spare tube on each bike, but the discovery of the useless patch kit was still a surprise.

Before I replace the cap on the little tube of glue I let a bit of the glue get on the threads for a better seal. Usually I run out of patches while there's still plenty of glue so I add the old glue tube to my next patch kit since even an unopened tube of glue can sometimes be empty if there's a pinhole in it or the crimp at the end is defective.

I have always had really bad luck with patch kits.

You are probably not using enough glue or not letting it dry long enough or both.

I use a bottle of Elmer's rubber cement at home. It's cheap and it lasts a long time. I've been told that it can't work since it's chemically different, but I haven't noticed that it doesn't work. I try to avoid opening a tube of glue because it does dry out at the worst time. I try to keep a careful watch on my tubes of glue, because I don't want to make a discovery on the road.

I normally carry one spare tube and a patch kit so that I'm ready for more than one flat.

I for one have not noticed that glueless patches are inferior. I've got one of the first glueless patches I ever applied still holding pressure. It's got to be more than... possibly a year... and I am a year round rider. I do have several bikes so each one isn't ridden every day, but still. Mostly I change tubes and I have more of those lying around than I care to admit... when I have to patch though... I am not likely to go back to liquid cement.

H

P.S. I only got onto the glueless patches because once, in an emergency we limped into a Walmart with a flat. It was the Saturday before Easter, and the store was packed. I mention this because we took the bike right into the store and fixed the flat right in their bike sales area using one of their pumps. I did buy the patches. And tire levers. They didn't have any tubes that would fit, and they didn't have any traditional patch kits. Reluctantly I tried the stick on patches. Proof of concept was there but I now recommend Park Tools brand self stick patches if you are going to use self stick patches. Cheaper brands will stick fine, if you can get them off the backing, but you will waste a few doing this. Us cyclists can be real traditionalists. I needed that emergency to force me to change the way I had fixed flats since I was 12. There is a lesson or a point in there somewhere.

I've had decent luck with glueless patches on low pressure tires (less that 70 PSI or so) but not on road tires (100 PSI +). I always carry a spare tube (a couple on longer rides) and a new patch kit. I've only need to patch on the road once so far (3 flats on one ride) and swapped the tube of cement out with an unopened one when I got home. Opened tube of cement when into the home patching kit that gets used for the majority of patching so is used up before drying up.

Rubber cement tubes are useful once. After that they will be dried out next time.

I just change my tubes on the road and patch at home, at home I use a big jar of office supply rubber cement, been on the same one for years now. It was two bucks. I do have patches and a tube of cement in my kit but I've never had to patch on the road.

Patches work perfectly well for me. A few months back I was tossing a tire that had 6 or 8 patches on it. I tried to pull them off and it was very difficult. I gripped them with a pair of pliers, I was able to get one or two of them off but mostly they were bonded so well that the tube ripped before they came off. I typically run 80 PSI.

I do like Doohickie. I always carry a spare tube in my seatbag. In the unlikely event that I get more than one flat on a ride, I also carry some glueless patches. I let the flatted tubes pile up in my garage until I get a rainy weekend day when I don't want to ride, and then repair a whole bunch of tubes at one time.

$2.49 for 20 patches and a few larger patches:

https://www.harborfreight.com/inner-t...kit-47614.html

I bought one 4 years ago and am about 1/2 of the way through the package. They work just fine. Rubber cement works great if you learn how to use it. I've never had a glueless patch hold for very long, sometimes not even until I got home.

Like other posters here have already said, I carry 2 tubes on me. I really don't like to patch a tire on the spot. I usually just cram the tube in my pack and fix it when I get to work, or home. Depending on when I think I may need it. It's a drag to try to patch a tube in the dark, or in the rain.

Much better just to pull the wheel, pop out the tube, sweep through the tire for what caused the flat, Put in the new tube and shoot it with a CO2 cartridge. I'm usually back on the road in 10minutes or so.

I have had great success with the "Slime-Scabs" patches. They are a step up from the usual cementless patches, and I put one in my kids rear tire more than a month ago, and it's still holding air. I also carry Park patches too, but I really like the slime ones.

Might I also suggest, carry a pair of nitrile surgical gloves with you too. Put those on your hands before you work on your bike. Especially if it's the rear and you are dealing with the dirty chain. They're lightweight, and you'll be glad you have them if you need them.

i typically patch my tubes 2-5 times before i toss them. vulcanizing fluids and rubber cement are typically volatile organic solvents with dissolved vulcanized rubber. the dissolved rubber is not necessary for vulcanization since both inner tubes and patches are already vulcanized. the chemistry typically involves sulphur linkages but this may depend on the patch. pressure and/or heat speed up vulcanization reactions. this is why its important to pump up that tire and ride it as soon as its patched. high pressure tires are easier to patch than low pressure tires.

I carry 2 spare tubes and a patch kit. Will patch later when get home but the kit is there if needed. This thread makes me think I should check my tube though to see if it dried out.

I wrap my tubes up in saran wrap. I try to make it as airtight as I can. Keeps them from dry rotting. Of course, as fate would have it, they seem to rotate out on a frequent basis.

I learned a great way to patch tubes from another BF member. I will post pics soon.

Basically, you take buffering liquid and wipe the area down (no need to use that sand paper crap). The buffing compound takes the gloss off the tire. Then put the valicanizing "glue" on it with a thin layer. Let air dry until just tacky. Add the patch and then stitch it in with a stitching tool (sorta like a roller). Work from the middle to the outside. You are looking to get the edges stitched in.

When you do this right, the patch is like welded on and to get it off, you will rip the tire before getting the old patch on!

Go to the mechanical forum and go through some pages and you will find this method.

I was like you before..... having all sorts of problems with patching. I was about ready to give it up until a BF member taught me this. From then on.... no problems at all and it works 100% of the time. I was amazed.

What is so hard about using that sandpaper (or metal scrapper) "crap"? Takes about 15 seconds, is foolproof, doesn't need to dry, comes with every patch kit, and takes up less space in a patch kit then an additional bottle of "buffering liquid."

Do you toss them because they have many patches or for some other reason? I don't toss a tube unless I can't fix it, such as when there's a hole near the valve. I think I've gone up to 8 or 9 patches before that's happened.

I guess patching is a skill, considering that the amount of luck people have varies so much.

Where do you store the saran-wrapped tubes? I don't think I've ever had a tube dry rot. I'm under the impression that dry rot comes from moisture and UV, which tubes are not exposed to, unlike tires.

8 or 9?! Mine aren't even broken in by that point 20 or 30 is more like it.

Luck has nothing to do with it. I agree that it's a skill but one that seems to baffle many.

Moisture isn't a problem...butyl rubber is moisture proof. UV is a problem but only if the tube is stored under direct sun (glass absorbs much of the UV spectrum). The real problem is ozone which is produced in the atmosphere due to the interaction of UV, oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons. I, too, store my tubes in plastic...ziplocks...to avoid ozone degradation of the butyl rubber. Here in Denver, we have more ozone than elsewhere because of our altitude. Unprotected tubes will deteriorate if left exposed for long periods (on the order of months to years).

My bottle is much smaller then the sand paper that comes with the kits. The sandpaper requires you to sand enough area off and if you dont, the ends cannot be stitched in.

Not looking for a debate or argument on this. Works for me. You do what works for you.

Ozone. I didn't know about that. Interesting.

It's a problem most people encounter from the output of constantly running electrical motors like fans and refrigerators. It's definitely not as bad as it used to be but anything rubber that I plan to store goes into a air-tight bag or out in the shed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_cracking