So I'm sure many of you rema patch kit users have experienced this. The last time you used the glue to patch a tube was last season. Now you have a flat and go to reach for that next-to-new tube but it is all dried up. Is there a technique to keeping it from drying up. This is going to sound like a cheapo move, but does anyone know if I bought a large jar of this stuff and put it in a small glass jar and threw it in my kit..if it would dry up as well?

On a similar note, I pierced a new tube of the stuff and i felt like it was more air than actual fluid. I'm talking enough to do 2 flats max.

I can't keep any of it from drying up no matter what the brand is. Fortunately the stuff is inexpensive but I usually forget to check if I need it. I guess that's why I carry spare tubes...

I try not to let air in when I put the cap on, but it still dries up. Used a small wax ball inside the cap to seal it, but still dried up. I've heard that you should keep it in the fridge when not in use, but never tried it.

Yes. Follow these instructions exactly:

1. Throw the whole Rema kit away.

2. Buy some Park Pre-glued Super Patches.

3. Live happily ever after.

Do I need to buy the Rema kit, or can I just buy the Park super kit and be happy forever?

Good grief man! Of course you do! How can you throw something away if you don't own it first? Huh?... Didn't you read the instructions?... IDIOT!

I haven't had any better luck with the Park kit than the Rema kit. I have not had good luck with glueless patches.

The tubes of glue always include a lot of air. I don't approve, but it is normal.

For me, the answer is to find the cheapest patch kit for sale, typically on ebay, always shipped direct from China, and to buy several of them. On the bike I always have at least two tubes of glue, including one unopened one.

You are laying on the vulcanizing fluid way too thick if you only have enough to do 2 flats. Even the smallest tube (1/2 oz, I think) should be enough for the 4 or 5 patches in the kit. You don't need to glop the stuff on. You want a thin layer.

I've had a few tubes that have had the solvent evaporate but that usually takes a while...around a year. Close the fluid tube tightly and don't pierce the tube unless you have to. I've even gone so far as to replace a fairly fresh pierced tube with a sealed tube on the bike and then use the pierced for home repairs.

un opened tubes , in the kit is a way..
seal, once punctured starts the countdown to curing in the tube, clock.

Pre glued patches get you home, then you replace the tube, or do the patch, Right.

Here is my approach. I check the tube of glue in my on-bike tool kit periodically, to make sure there is still glue. Better yet, carry an unopened tube.

I use the tube on the road if I have to. If not, I patch at home.

When I patch at home, I don't use glue from the kit. Instead, I use Elmer's rubber cement, which I buy at Walgreens. We had an argument in an earlier thread over whether it is equivalent. It's made of different stuff, but it works perfectly for me anyway. This way, I don't end up with patches and no glue.

In fact, I buy patches separately, in bulk.

I buy the little kits only when I'm out of tubes of glue. The bottle of Elmer's is too big to fit in my little tool bag.

I had bad luck with glueless patches, too. I'm an old hand at patching with Rema patches and am quite loyal to the brand. I've taught many people to use them and think they're the best thing around. You have to handle them carefully and be sure not to lift the feathered edges.

This is essentially what I was going to write. I try not to put myself in a situation where I need to patch a tube on the road during my normal commuting. I buy patches in bulk and repair the tubes at home with a bottle of rubber cement. I have had mixed results with Park's glueless patches, so I only use them as a temporary fix if necessary.

Post #4! I swear by glueless patches. I am never going back to cement. I have a Park patch that is still holding after two years! That's about the length of time I've been using them. That's right. Even the first patches I applied are still holding. It isn't hard. Chances are, if you are finding glueless patches difficult, then your technique with regular patches could use a touch up. It probably helps that I am a detail oriented type. Methodical and neat. My wife and MIL would definitely not agree, but they don't sign off on my bike repairs. Last year I was riding with some friends and one of them flatted. Normally, on the road I use a spare tube but I didn't want to give away my tube and no one really wanted to wait for cement to dry so I whipped out the Park patches. I will bet money that Phil is still using that tube this year.

H

Buy it in a metal can for use at home. Save the tubes for if you must patch on the road (carry a spare tube, patch only if 2 flats in one day). The can will last years. Once a tube has been pierced, it's probably done.

Here's what I bought recently:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003V9UU66
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BMUB38

Probably a 20 year supply for me.

I have actually used just regular old office supply rubber cement, and that's worked just fine for me as well, even in tires pumped to 120 PSI.

I save up my flatted tubes until I have enough to use the whole tube of glue at once.

With this method I always have more glue than patches, and my LBS sells just the patches for a quarter each. I buy a handful at a time every couple of years.

I always run out of patches before I empty the glue tube as well. I think getting a good seal on the tube of glue is critical. I get a little of the glue on the threads of the tube before I put the cap back on to create a better seal. In the past I've had the tubes leak from 3 causes:
1) defective crimp - see below
2) cap tightened too much so it developed a crack
3) cap not tightened enough so it wasn't sealed.
Putting the glue on the threads lets me get a good seal without applying too much torque to the cap.

There's still the problem that sometimes the crimped end of a brand new tube of glue has a tiny leak and has let all the solvent escape even before the capped end is punctured. So when I get a new patch kit I move the old tube of glue over to it so there are two tubes and it's unlikely that both will be empty when needed.

I find this hilarious. It's clever, too!

Hey Gothenburg, your humor is cool! haha. I needed a laugh. Keep up the good work.

this^^^^

Back in the day (when songs were written about it), I learned that keeping all those expensive rolls of Kodachrome 35mm and 120/220 medium format film in the refrigerator dramatically increased shelf life.
It wasn't long before I was storing other "volatile" things under refrigeration. I now have a dedicated refrigerator (ex film storage) in which I keep adhesives, solvents, volatile oils, spare tubes and tires (foldable bead) sometimes for years, in pristine condition (cold slows chemical reactions and 'out gassing' of volatile solvents and oils, which in turn leads to 'ageing' and deterioration).

I don't even remove the wheel 9 of 10 flats. Just use levers to remove about ten inches of bead near the puncture. Drag out the punctured bit of tube. Scuff and apply Park Superpatch. Push tube back into tire and bead back on rim. Add CO2. Ride.

Took me longer to type this than to repair most punctures. Changing out the tube every time is just silly.

This may be a dumb question, but here goes... Where do you find these in bulk.

BTW, I use rubber cement too.

Liknheart, ItsJustMe posted a link to bulk patches above.

This method has worked for me 100% of the time. I was doing it wrong for years.

https://chefonabicycle.com/2012/10/28...-patch-a-tube/

In all my years,the best way is to not open the cap...or......be a good guy and fix some extra flats that day.Like others have said,the clocks ticking once the top is cracked.

I just carry an extra one.......It's worth a couple bucks to not be on the side of the road looking like and idiot....or maybe some pretty single girl will have a flat and I can rescue her......Then the extra tube I've been carrying around for years is priceless.... Sorry guys,you'll have to fend for yourselves....

Comes in a larger size when purchased separately (just bought another tube yesterday-- use only in a well ventilated place)--

^^^^ Milk Bones come in a variety of sizes. Rulers or measuring tape would be useful.