Our local shop has seminars for basic bike mechanics. See if your's does also. Would make things easier to learn.
I know they have them for women-only also.

If you can swap a tube, you can fix one, you need, glue, patches, a piece of fine sand paper, bucket of water, an old rag, a pump. I collect up a few, and fix them at once.

Take the first one, add air, until it's about twice normal size, push it into the bucket a short piece at a time, until you see bubbles rushing out, put your thumb over the hole, dry off that section of tube, rough up an area of about 2 times the size of your patch, and cover the roughed up area with glue, put it to the side, and get the rest to this same condition, it takes about 10 minutes, to dry. Apply the patch, glue side down to the glue area on the tube, add a nice heavy weight, and do the rest to this same point. Give them about 15 minutes to set up. Use the water to make sure your patch is air proof. Dry off, let out all the air, and fold it up. Put it in a tube box or in a heavy duty zipper style plastic bag, your done.

Somehow, you miss the point. I don't want to, don't enjoy, detest, hate, abhor, loathe, abominate, and dislike intensely fixing my tubes.

Please don't be driven to force me to do something I don't want to do, don't have time for, and have a WHOLE lot of other priorities in life that I consider so vastly more important than patching a tube. What is it with the "fix your own tube" religion, anyway?

Sorry, Dnvr. Your post made me laugh a bit. My father still gets annoyed with me for not chaning the oil in my car. Your list...detest, hate, abhor, loathe,abominate, and dislike intensely... pretty much describes my feelings about changing the oil in my car. I fully "get" not wanting to patch tubes.

I am always pleased to bring a smidgen of joy into other's lives. :) That is one of the priorities that, to me, is more important than repairing tubes.

At some point you will need to know how, I don't think AAA will send a tow truck to fix a bicycle flat.

Well, the reason I fix tubes is simple, a tube costs $4, a patch costs 4 ¢ so, yeah I'm cheap, and when the alternative is cleaning the garage. Mind you I always buy new tubes with new tires, and the old ones get checked over, no leaks, they go in the spares pile. Currently there is a spare on each of my bikes, a spare on the wife's bike, and two extras in the shed...

I am pleased that you fix your tubes. I carry two extra tubes AND a patch kit (including templrary stickons) on each of my several bikes (check out my avatar). And, in an urgency, I CAN use a patch kit.

Keep up the good work.

Well, I brought my bike to the LBS and will pick it up tomorrow after they fix the flat. I didn't have time to watch how the mechanic does it, but I do understand the importance of basic skills in changing a flat on the road. I will put together a kit for what I will need to change flats on the road. Lets see... I'm guessing the list should include:
1. Wrenches to undo the nuts on my hack department store bike. ( The front wheel has the quick release but the rear does not)
2. Spare tubes
3. CO2 cartridges

Is their anything else I should add to the list?

I refuse to patch tubes. I realize I don't have the skill or the time to try patching tubes. Would rather pay the extra dough.

tire levers to aid in removing and replacing the tire, although some of us get so much practice that we do it without levers, and it also depends on the type of tire - some are very easy, some are difficult.

An understanding on how to mount a tire without pinching the tube

Some stickon patches, as there will be times when you run out of tubes.

Personally, I don't use CO2, but instead a frame pump. Either works, CO2 cartridges run out, frame pumps don't.

Some folks use a ball of cotton to wipe the inside of the tube to find the - sometimes hidden - sticker or other cause of the flat. If not removed, it will flat again. It can be a tiny wire from a radial tire, also.

I'm sure you will get more suggestions.

depending on tire/ wheel configureation,you will most likely need a couple of tire levers
Bud

I you are really into this, your list should soon include "new bike with modern quick release wheels". Resistance to this is futile.

Ingenious. Thanks for that tip.

But these people will.

On the subject of repairing flats I practically paid my way through college fixing sew-ups. I charged $25 to fix one and people were glad to pay it because the really good silk ones were $100+ This was just for patching the tube, not taking it off the rim or remounting it. Of course with sew-ups you had to find the leak, cut the casing, pull out the tube, patch the tube and then sew it up again. The hard part was sewing it up again so that the casing was perfectly even. It was a talent at lot of people didn't have. My mother taught me to sew at an early age and it has served me well :-).

DnvrFox: You might find people willing to take your old tubes instead of you throwing them out. They are so easy to patch I think you will find plenty of people willing to take a tube with only one hole in it and patching it rather than spending the bucks for a new tube. Where I live there is a place that teaches youth to refurbish bicycles and they are always willing to take perfectly good tubes off people's hands.

LOL! The new bike is on my list of things to do... Trying to decide which one to get.;)

I agree with Denver here, CO2 runs out, the only time a pump will quit moving air is when you quit moving air, and then it doesn't really matter whether you fix the flat or not.:twitchy:

If you do want to carry CO2 remember that you need to carry more cartridges then tubes, and you need an inflator. Probably the best idea for an inflator is the Topeak Two Timer, which is an inflator and pump in one, so when you find the cartridge is no good, or you don't get it installed properly and all the CO2 goes off in space, you can still pump. I haven't tried one of these, but it looks like a good idea....

I had one time, I was out on a ride, some dumb*** probably on one of those 15K plastic bikes, had left a tube on the side of the trail, not a cheap $4 tube like I use, but one of those $25 thinner-then-a-condom type tubes, yeah I picked it up, they patch just as well as the cheap ones.:D This served the dual purpose of an extra spare, and cleaning up someone else's mess on the trail. Then again, some people think I am weird, in that I believe that we should respect God's creation, not trash it.

I am a little surprised to hear how many people don't patch tubes. Makes me wonder how I can find the locals with that view. Enough of them and I'd never have to buy another tube.

By the way, OP, regarding your list:

You probably don't need wrenches (plural) for your back wheel, just one that fits.

I carry tire levers too. Some tires you don't need them, others you do, some times you flat when the weather is nice, other times it's freezing and your fingers appreciate the tire levers doing the work.

I also started carrying those thin, disposable gloves so that I don't get grease/grime/oil all over myself from handling the chain.

I also carry a patch kit, though often it turns out impractical to use as it is not always possible to find the leak.

Or when the pump breaks! Every time a thread like this starts someone will post that they use CO2 because every time they needed to use their pump it was broken, and then someone else will post that they use a pump because every time they needed to use their CO2 it was broken. So, since I am not a weight weenie I have adopted the only logical strategy based on the collective experience: I carry one of each and if they are both broken, I call my wife to pick me up. If my phone is broken too, I walk. If my leg is broken too, well I'm having a real doozey of a bad day, aren't I?

Ken ;)

Have the shop install a QR on the rear wheel for you. That way you wont need to carry a wrench to remove the wheel. You will also need a set of tire irons to remove and reinstall the tire. You can usually pick up a saddle bag that comes with a tool kit, and patch kit. I would also recommend a hand pump in addition to the CO2 inflator. I have a hybrid pump in my bag that can be used manually or with CO2.

Uh....YOU asked what to do, right? Then complain about the answers. Definitely a woman........

Where did he ask what to do? I missed that.

Even if you don't care to use the information, it is good information that can be used by someone else who reads the thread.

What is it with this throw away society anyway? ;)

DnvrFox wasn't the OP. I don't think s/he asked anything.

When you clean your bike, check that the pump is functioning, the problem with CO2 is more like Jack. Jack carries 3 tubes and 3 cartridges, goes for a 40 mile loop ride, after 10 miles, he comes upon his buddy, who has a flat, uses a cartridge there, because he doesn't want to wait for buddy to pump up the tire. After 20 miles, he gets a puncture and starts to fix it, the cartridge doesn't go on right and dumps it's load into the air, uses the third cartridge, goes another 5 miles, gets a flat, swaps the tubes and then gets a Homer Simpson moment, finds out that a 5 mile walk of shame is about 4 miles, 5,270 feet further then you want to walk in road clipless shoes.... Yeah if you carry only CO2, then carry extra cartridges.

When I lived in a high-theft area I changed out both QRs for nuts. That slight inconvenience to bike thieves is probably what kept my wheels from getting stolen while all my friends' wheels did.

I carry CO2 and a CarbOne mini pump (about 55 grams). The CO2 makes getting back on the ride really quick. The pump is for when there's no other choice. Keep in mind that if your use CO2 you'll need to replace the air when you get home. Tires with CO2 alway seem to lose pressure by the next day.

Having a bad day?

Why don't you read the OP before accusing me!

Three pages and no referal to Sheldon Brown....

"What Every Cyclist Should Know About Flat Tires"

http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.html#tiresavers

It's a rather loooong read, but you will find the answer to your questions.