Shimagnolo, I didn't say I can't do what you're suggesting. It's just that my principle is that I want to do things right the first time. My time has been compromised by the flat anyway so why not take the time needed to get things right? And you didn't address the issue of the debris that could possibly be still inside your tire.

In my personal experience, the debris that were causing me to flat in the past were not those foreign objects that were stuck on the tire and puncturing the tube. It's those metal shards that look like foil and they move around the wheel depending on the gravity. They do look like tin foils and they're very small, maybe no more than 2mm, but when you feel them with your fingers they're quite sharp. Now this specific debris can't just be easily located if you're doing a shortcut with your repair 'coz they move around.

Everybody has their own experiences with their flats. I'm just sharing mine.

In my experience, sometimes the cause of the flat is easily spotted, and sometimes its not.

I had a tiny shard once that was buried in the rubber and couldn't be seen. I only found it but turning the tire inside out and running my finger over the inside while pressing the outside with my other hand. When the tire flexed just right, I felt something prick my thumb.

I've learned t hat I probably didn't center the patch on correctly and was bubblig from the edge, I simply apply a second patch on top of the other patch. Works well.

I don't use cement on the road.

I carry two tubes at all times and I don't patch on the road unless it's my third flat for the ride, and yes, that has happened.

I take the punctured tube home with me and every once in a while I take the time to patch them properly. After they are patched, I leave them for 24 hours. I then inflate them, and leave them for another 24 hours to check for any air loss. When I verify there is no loss, I deflate them, roll them up, and put them in the pile of spare tubes.

When done like this, I have never had a patched tube leak at the patch.

I understand the cost/benefit of using new tubes, especially if you buy them in bulk and on sale, but it's just a waste to toss them. Most of the guys I ride with only use new tubes when they flat, and give me their punctured tubes. I patch them and am more than happy to pass out patched tubes to riders in need at no charge, sometimes even to the guys who gave me the tubes in the first place :)

To each their own I guess, but take the time to learn how to patch, you never know when that ride will come along where the number of flats you get is the amount of spare tubes you have + 1

I cut my patches in half and the boot sized patch in six pieces. Patches rock.

I had a tiny piece of wire once that drove me crazy until I finally found it. And it took bending the tire in all sorts of ways to expose it.

Does no one else inflate a tube and stick it in a garbage can filled with water to find those "slow" leaks??? I can't be the only one...

I have one hanging behind me here at work right now that is about to get dunked. Usually the tube gets inflated to a good level of fatness then passed by my shaven calf to feel the leak.

I can't be the only one...

I haven't had to do that since I was a kid. With enough air in the tube I've been able to find the holes. Add a little spit for confirmation.

I agree. I am pretty neurotic, and unless I can find the culprit shard, I don't feel comfortable putting a new tube or patched tube back on. I usually will take the tire off completely and carefully inspect the inside of the tire (bending it as I go) to find and remove the bad actor.

Obviously this does not apply to those rare pinch ("snakebite") flats.

I heard you can pass a cotton wad into the tire to find the wire, shard, etc.

I have heard this but never actually tried it. I usually use my finger for a pass or two, and if I can't feel the source, pop the tire out and inspect it more carefully.

Has anyone actually used the cotton trick? Does it work??

Ok, so please confirm for my n00bness because I was at REI and looking at patch kits and was confused.

Something like this patch kit is what you're talking about? Is the worry about the glue drying out worth it? Should I the glueless kind and patch when I get home? (Or incase the glue is bad?) And can you get the glueless kind off to properly patch?

Oh, and to compare: What is considered a "good" price for tubes? I.e. how much are they if it's a good sale?

sure, but i prefer duct tape its more reliable and comes in a roll.

JakiChan, there are 2 types of patches.

The one you linked to is the permanent type, and IMO is the preferred type. The so-called cement is really vulcanizing fluid. If you use the tube once, there is a slight chance the fluid in the tube will dry or evaporate and not be there next time, but that's rare.

The other type is pre-glued patches. Faster, just peel and stick. But these are not permanent. They will get you home though.

I hope that helps!

A word of warning on the self-adhesive patches;
The one time I tried one in near-freezing weather, it let go after only a mile.
In warmer weather, they have always held until I got home.

Do you carry the vulcanizing type on the bike for field repairs, or just use them at home and rely on the pre-glued ones for field repairs? Thanks!

Either way is ok.

Many folks use the preglued ones for the road as they are faster and more compact. Others don't mind taking a couple extra minutes and use the vulcanizing kit so they get a permanent fix the first time.

It's more a personal preference.

I'd say skip the preglued ones and just use the vulcanizing ones. Seriously, it takes trivially longer to put on the vulcanizing patch - the glue dries in less than 30 seconds, for real, and you get a PERMANENT, reliable fix. It will take far longer for you to check your tire for the puncture shard than it will to apply and have the glue dry.

Unfortunately, I've found that on the road, the biggest deterrent by far to using patches (as awesome as they are), is finding that pinhole puncture on the road. It can be incredibly frustrating to do so without a real pump to get the air into the tube with enough volume to find the puncture. This is why I never patch on road, and only do it at home. (I do still carry a patch kit for worst of luck days, but even on a day where I did need it and had 2 flats, it took me nearly 20 minutes to find the friggin' hole. I would have called for a ride but wife was out at work that day. Totally sucked.)

Yes to every single word.

If you lived here with me in the land of broken glass and goat heads you too would live on patches.
I buy a box of 100 and it's lasts 18 months or so. Of course, I also patch my wife's flats, and she rides a ton.

Good point. The economics of patching makes more sense when you aren't the only cyclist in the family. I have two bikes, my wife has 3 and my kids each have a bike. If I bought a new tube each time one of them got a flat, it could get expensive.