bikeride

I have a bunch of patched tubes lying around the garage and I have no idea what to do with them.

Tequila Joe

I save all my punctured tubes and then do them all at once. Then they all go back into the bin of spare tubes. I have a couple tubes with 5 patches on them.

sac02

I can't conceive of throwing a tube away after every puncture. I would be broke and living on the street in a year! Ok, not really. But I do seem to get flats at least a couple times a month, and that's with me using Gatorskins on both my road bike and commuter.

I don't understand how some people only flat like one time a year - do you run 32mm tires and only ride on pristine virgin asphalt, untouched by mother nature's goatheads or frat boy's broken beer bottles? Or is there some cosmic power out there that has smote me with the curse of flatting ten times as often as the average cyclist?

Mac

Busta Quad

1. Buy patch kit

2. Follow directions

Phantoj

???

Do you ever have problems getting the edges of the patch to stick?

SlimAgainSoon

Patch. Then patch again.

It's a mark of distinction, like a girlfriend with a cool scar.

Phantoj

Do any of you think that patches make lumps in the tire that cause vibration on an indoor trainer...?

buggg

patch everytime, well not everytime. last fall i had to toss a tire with 7 or 8 patches. i had two patches overlapping(patching different holes) and it had punctured at the overlap and it was not worth three patch layers.

mattm

i keep 'em around, for armageddon.

zatopek

Patch 'em 'til they will not hold air. Then, they get retired and cut up into 8 or 10 strips to be used to tie things to other things.

RacerOne

The only time I would have a flat tire to change when I'm not on the road would be if I found it that way before my ride. In that case I'd do whatever was fastest (I'm always strapped for time), probably just patch the tube. If it was ripped, pinch or leaking around the valve, to the trash bin it goes.

irish pat

I used to pitch when I had a full time job, now I patch-lots of time to myself.

Cyclist0383

I've never had a problem with Rema patches, although I have had problems with some cheap Chinese patch kits as the patches themselves sometimes are two thick. For me it's worth the extra fifty cents to go with Rema. YMMV

tubescreamerx

These are great. I have a pack with me on all rides, and patching a tube using them has never taken more than 2 minutes. Oh, and none of them have ever leaked or broken.

duuuuuude

Save up the punctured tubes.

When you feel like you need to buy new tubes for $2, go in the garage and patch up all the tubes that need patching. The time it would take to go to the shop and pick up the tubes and money saved, is taken care of right there. Rainy days are especially good days to patch.

If tubes are beyond repair, I find other uses for them, such as wrapping them around the chainstay of my mtn or cross bike.

Or keep a few and chop up to use as stretching bands. Or wrap them around things to create buffers where I may store my bikes so they won't get dinged up over time...

There are lots of things you can do with tubes, both patched, or beyond patchability. Save the landfills!

Val23708

i get my tubes for about $2 so i just toss them if they go bad...

trojanman

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

I patch.
Not because of the environment, but because I'm cheap. I even take my buddies flats on the road and bring them home to patch (because he would toss them). It's not rocket science.........

bakerjw

I patch and put it back on the bike. The pressure of the air in the tube presses it against the tire hard enough to ensure a good patch job.

grolby

No, it doesn't.

I patch and reuse. If I seem to be having problems with a particular tube, I'll toss it, but I've got some tubes that are several years, and several patches old.

calyth

I replace with a new spare on the spot, and I prefer to patch them and use them.

Though for the last tube, I just cut it up and repurposed the rubber. It was a through-and-through (1" drywall screw) and I didn't feel like using 2 patches, excessively stiffening that part of the tube.

JeffS

Always patch. One less non-degradable item in the landfill.

cricket1116

On the road, I switch out to a spare tube (new or used), then at home I patch unless the puncture does not seem like it will patch properly. Like others have said, I've got patched tubes that have lasted many miles without issues.

Tapeworm21

Pitch. Don't trust patches, never will.

BroadSTPhilly

[QUOTE=Ratfish;8467112]I will never patch another tube. My time is worth more than the cost of the tube and breathing the adhesive compound is not an acceptable risk. QUOTE]

The sweet smell of vulcanizing cement and the slightly ethereal feeling is half the fun.

mrvrsick

I bought the Rema kit and was so excited to use it that I contemplated poking holes in my tubes... So if anyone has some tubes that need a patchin', I have an itch that needs a scratchin'