fietsbob

I leave it on and stretch the patch and tube to get a good bond, the cellophane tears in the process ,
then it can come off ..

Talc the tire.. before you put it on?







...

Spiduhman

+1 on 100 count box(es) of the small Tip Top patches - the larger ones take longer to apply, use more glue, and are too much for just about anything I'll patch on a road tube.

When ordering up patch supplies, get the small tubes of glue to carry with on the road - but don't open them until needed - and large tubes of glue to use at home. Before putting tubes of glue away, carefully squeeze out all the air before putting the lid on, then store in a cool out of the sun place; your glue will last longer.

This excerpt from my mail to Leonard Zinn which he posted in his Velonews column:

"To your arguments for patching, I’d like to add that a proven reliable tube, flatted and then properly patched, is (for me) a better choice than a brand new tube out of the box. Furthermore, the replacement cost isn’t four bucks, it’s $28 minus the cost of seven patches (the mini Tip Top — 16 mm — are less trouble for small holes).

I’ve never had a patch fail; if I’ve made a mistake applying the patch, I’ll correct the problem before putting the tube back in service. The most common problems I’ve had with new tubes are: a.) leaking associated with the valve stem, either bad valve or off-centered drilling (which results in breakage or leaking at the root of the thread); b.) tears/leaks associated with mold marks or thin spots. I’m not finding these problems often — about a dozen over the last forty-five years. I’ll mount a new tube at home, however, the replacement I carry with is proven, reliable!"

Spiduhman

seven is my arbitrary road tube patch limit; twelve for mountain...

Doge

There was a time patching was part of the experience. Just like pumping tires, filling bottles etc.
I used to patch my tubulars - with needle and thread. It does save a bit of money and when you do it right, it works well. But I would screw something up 10% of the time.

I prefer to just get a new tube. If purchased ahead of time they might cost 50% of what they do when you really need them.

daoswald

Maybe the reason I can't justify buying a $3000 bike is because I waste too much money on tubes.

My approach: First flat, use the spare tube. Second flat, use a stick-on patch for the duration of the ride. When I get home, put on a new tube and toss the one(s) with puncture(s).

So yeah, I buy more tubes than those who take the time to patch them.

bbbean 

Yes. Patch your tubes. I very rarely get leaky patches, and they last a season if not longer. Just be sure you use good patches, and take time to install them properly. When I have a patched tube fail, it's typically a new hole.

rm -rf

I finally had one permanent patch fail after riding it for months. I usually have patches on both tubes most of the time, and ride them as if they are new, unpatched.

The patch very slowly leaked air from under the patch, maybe 20-30 psi overnight. Just one tiny bubble in 10 or 15 seconds under water.

Silver Sharpie
Silver sharpies are very useful for bikes. the silver color shows up on dark bike components. Wipe it off with rubbing alcohol if it's just a temporary mark.

I find the puncture, mark a wide X through it, and put the tube in my box to be batch patched later. I use the tiny tube of glue, and don't keep the leftovers more than a few weeks.

The silver lines make it easy to center the patch after I've carefully scrubbed the rubber with sandpaper.

On new tubes, I draw a direction of travel arrow near the valve, and line up the tire label with the valve hole. That way, I know which direction to look for a sliver stuck in the tire when I get a flat.

Sy Reene

I think this is why I don't typically bother with patches. With perhaps a flat per month, I'm not sure of a system that keeps glue fresh with consistency. Having to use a patch AND a new tube of glue for each patch job would seem almost as wasteful as just using a new tube.

OTOH, I suppose I could stock a season's worth of flatted tubes and fix them all at once.

The Rema TT04 kit is what most get for road tubes? Hard to find these except from some odd online sellers

Athens80

A can of Rema Patch Glue can is good for a few years.


Rema 8oz Patch Glue

The glue I bought five years ago is now too thick. Is there a solvent I could thrown in there to dilute it again?

f4rrest

Yes, the CAS lists heptane as the solvent, and you can get a quart on Amazon for $12.

Racing Dan

You need to pull the tube from the wheel anyway. The additional patching step seem like a minor chore, if you have a few extra tubes and patch at home and rotate. Btw, I Really hate when ppl leave the flatted tube behind by the roadside. Thats just lazy.

Racing Dan

I much prefer the smaller sets, with a few patches and a 5g tube of glue. They wont dry out before you need them. Most recommend Tip top, and that is a great choice, but I tried a bunch of different brands and they all work just fine.

Parabolous

I live in ABQ, NM and get flats pretty consistently due to goat heads and poor road work causing pinch flats. I go through 10 tubes in a few months so that is to say I change the tube rather than use patches. The University I work at has a small bike shop and tubes can be purchased there cheaper than my LBS'. I never throw out tubes because they usually end up being burned from what I hear.

I started cutting open the old tubes and cleaning them well then cutting the tubes into small patches of different sizes to use rather than the patches you get in kits. Those patches never seem to hold air well like they used to and honestly I get pretty impatient waiting for the glue to dry well-enough for the patch to adhere when I'm on a ride so that's on me. I've noticed that the cut up tubes seem to adhere and hold air much better than the supplied patches. Now I carry a small bag of patches with Rema cement and that has worked out well. Maybe that might work for you as I know tubes start to add up!

TricycleTom

We are totally spoiled. In India, they use a tube until it is half patches, and then start using the remains as patches on the next tube. I patch my rear tube still on the bike, and never carry a spare. However, I also know a guy who didn't learn to peel the backing off the sticky side of a patch and use it properly until after retiring from a job at a ski/bike shop.

Athens80

For the record, after four years the eight ounces of glue was still in good condition. Then I moved it from inside to a garage that'll get 100°+ regularly and in the year since it's thickened up. Maybe the age, maybe the storage conditions.

tonymarch

Yup, that's what I've done for years. Save old tubes until you have 4-6 and patch them all at once. Best thing is you will probably use most if not all of the tube of glue, so it won't dry out like it would if you patch them one at a time.

Luisloredo

You also help the planet by recycling.

john.b

I run latex tubes because I can run lower pressures with less likelihood of pinchflatting. They don’t patch worth a damn (though sealant does work pretty well if you’re so inclined). That said, my spares are butyl (and I do carry patches for those), but I replace the butyl with latex as soon as I get home.

Tederator

If one is getting a lot of punctures from similar causes (thorns), wouldn't tire liners be a reasonable compromise to prevent leaks to begin with? This thread made me think of those Mr. Tuffy liners I have seen in stores and online. I have never used them as my risk of punctures is quite low. My understanding is that although there is an increase in weight, using multiple patches may add up to even more weight than the liners.

These haven't been mentioned in this thread which makes me think that they haven't been discovered by the group or that they are complete junk.

ThermionicScott 

Bugs me too. Sometimes, I'll take the discarded tube home and patch it.

Luisloredo

Can any one comment on liners? this is interesting.

Parabolous

Obviously this is taking Tederator's words out of context as it was posed as a question and not a comment on liners but it is my opinion on them. It's not that they don't work but can be heavy and trying to install a tire can be even more difficult with them. I have a set of Araya Super Aero SA-30 rims on a road bike that have an internal width of 13mm (which is actually a little less than that), wrapped in Continental 25mm tires. It's already insane trying to get any tire on these wheels and having a liner might actually make it impossible to do so.

john.b

Tire liners add rotational weight and increase rolling resistance. Depending on the use case, you may have to go that route, but you might be better served with a tire that has that protection layer integrated into the tire.

bbbean 

I have no problem patching latex tubes. You just have to take the time to do it right (i.e., let the glue dry before you put the patch on.).

BB

ThermionicScott 

What's "interesting" about tire liners? They've been around for decades, they add weight and rolling resistance, they make tires harder to install, sometimes chafe holes into the tube, etc.

If your current tires don't offer enough protection, throw them away and get tires that do. Or switch to tubeless -- that is genuinely "interesting."