IanSmithISA

Good morning,

I’ve found time to be more important than the number of patches, after about a year the patches added first seem to start leaking.

It’s just an edge that comes unstuck and in trying to remove the patch I end up tearing the tube around the original puncture, or is it that the original puncture has expanded and the patch is now too small?

I am a bit chunky 15.5st and ride 700x23, so the tyre pressure has to be high.

As I ride alone, I usually try and patch the tyre when I get the puncture, then put in my spare, which is usually patched. This allows the patched tube some time to set in case I need to do a second change.

Bye

Ian

Pedaleur

This.

Seems kind of wasteful to just chuck a tube that could easily be repaired.

tcwayne

Haven't patched since I was a kid. I get about 2 flats a year so it's not a huge cost to always have a new tube in waiting. What I do is always have new to newer tires. If the tire starts to "square" or flatten on top, I change it. I give my old tires to a guy that collects bikes and parts. He loves me.

rangerdavid

zero times.







yup, zero. toss 'em and put on a new one.

hhnngg1

At $140/hr for batch patching (assuming a very typical 15 mins for 5 tubes patched @ $7/tube for new ones), that's a pretty high return. At my tax bracket, I'd have to earn about $200/hr to equal that kind of monetary return. Aside from the wastefulness of throwing away tubes, that's a pretty high monetary return on your time.

Again, this is if you batch patch tubes - it takes like 10% more time to patch 2 tubes than 1, and like 20% more time to patch 5 tubes simultaneously compared to one.

If you only patch one tube at a time, it's not worth it. If you wait until you have 4-5 or more, it's totally worth it.

StanSeven

Me too. I buy a bunch of tubes on sale. I learned to always wear glasses and watch for debris on the roads. It's second nature and flats are now rare.

Regardless of how much care with patching, you still run the risk of a bad patch.

I buy a bunch of tubs on sale and they last me five years. And I don't have to worry or spend time patching.

fstshrk

I patch at home, I always test for air tightness after the patch has dried. Sorry mate, I can't afford to throw out a $4 tube after one puncture.

hhnngg1

The 'tube failure' theme is a recurring thing brought up by those who have never patched tubes. If you just follow the very easy directions, it's almost failsafe. I wouldn't patch if there was a significant patch failure rate - I think I've only had one patch that 'might' have failed, and it was one used on a bike trainer (high pressure contact on the rear wheel) and even so, I'm not sure it was the patch vs the valve as it was a slow leak. Even now, I've got a tube on my trainer with 2 patches on it, and all the tubes in my race and training bike have patches on the tubes. (I clearly don't buy tubes that often.)

Turnin2

I must have been doing the patching thing wrong, because my patches only seemed to work about half the time and I gave up in frustration.
Maybe I was using the wrong kind of patch?
Anyway, zero for me, I just put in a new tube.

revchuck 

My record is five so far. I threw out that tube when I bent the presta stem going through a sand wash, and it would've broken had I tried to bend it back.

I bring two new tubes with me on rides, and repair any flats when I get home.

bikerjp

How often are you guys getting flats? I'd go through a couple tires before I ever hit 5 patches on one tube. Actually, I use some sealant so my tubes auto-patch who knows how many times.

hhnngg1

If you use the 'preglued' patches, yes, that's the fail rate. They suck and are not meant to be permanent in general.

The standard patches that come with a separate tube of vulcanizing rubber cement, though, are excellent. I've used 4 different brands and all have been good (and cheap). Pretty much failsafe. Use liberal amounts of glue, let dry (takes less than 60 seconds) and apply patch. No tricks needed. I've patched over 15 tubes in the past 3 years with pretty much complete success.

I get flats in batches, it seems. I'm currently on a 4 month stretch of no flats but the 4 months before that I was a 3 flats in 8 weeks. I once had a miniscular metallic single shard in my tire that I couldn't find take out 3 of my tubes before I found it (sucked as I was one a ride as well and had to get a spare from a random rider on the road). I was glad then that I patched, as it would have been a royal shame to throw out a $7, unridden tube due to a pinhole puncture.

fstshrk

+1 on this. I use the Rema Tip Top brand and the patches once properly applied tend to be strong. The stick on patches are another story.

revchuck 

In my case, that tube was on its third tire.

StanSeven

I've gotten so I can spot and avoid glass but those little metal slivers can't be seen on the road. When I get a flat, those are usually these cause - and so hard to find in the tire too like you said

Tunnelrat81

This comment makes lots of assumptions about those offering advice on this forum. I actually appreciate those who don't save old tubes. I can happily offer to take the punctured tube if they're not interested in keeping them (while on the road) and I get a free $5 to slip into my pocket. Thanks. They didn't want to carry it in home to discard it anyway. Bravo. Toss those old tubes, just ask those you're riding with first to make sure someone can't happily take it off your hands.

Those who have trouble with patch reliability are either impatient or simply doing it wrong. Tubes don't have to "support" any forces, because the tire and rimtape provides that support. ALL A TUBE HAS TO BE IS A SEALED MEMBRANE, nothing more. Properly applied patches put the tube right back into 100% functionality AND SAFETY, and will not be at risk of future failure, certainly not catastrophic failure. I think many people fail to understand this and worry about any possible risks. A 'failed patch job' would (at worst) result in the air leaking out of the tube at the exact same rate that it leaked out after the original puncture, and no faster. So if done correctly, ZERO additional risk. If done incorrectly or hastily, the 'failure' of a patched pinhole would create no more danger than that imposed by the original flat.

There is FAR more risk to catastrophic failure from a hastily or poorly inflated tire EVEN WITH A NEW TUBE. Tubes being accidentally pinched under the bead during a hasty roadside repair using a new (fully empty) tube and a CO2 inflator WILL in fact create the risk of a dangerous blowout.... And I would guess that plenty of people on this forum have done that before.

You may have guessed that I also don't have a specific patch limit. I patched 9-10 tubes just the other day and loaded two of them into my saddle bag for spares. If I have the time, I'll inflate them and quickly run them through a sink of water just to make sure there wasn't a second puncture that I missed. Sometimes I do this, sometimes not...and the results are the same either way...full faith in my "new" tubes.

-Jeremy

wrr1020

I had one of these a couple weeks ago, went to air up my tires the night before i was supposed to ride in the early AM. Noticed the rear was flat so i changed the tube and discovered a pin sized hole where the air was escaping. Took me forever to find the source of the puncture in the tire. Kept running my fingers through the inside bead and finally found the tiniest piece of metal sliver/shard.

hhnngg1

But did you patch it?

wrr1020

I did not as i don't have any patches. Kept the tube and do plan to patch whenever i get some patches and glue.

hhnngg1

Sweet. Save 'em for the batch patch!

Cookiemonsta

I never actually get around to patch it...

I have a patch kit... it was more expensive than two new tubes XD

If I go on a long ride, I'd go with a new tube, just to be sure.

wacomme

I don't patch. While I can appreciate patching for the cost of new tubes, it's the lack of reliability as for why I dont patch. I've seen too many patched tubes fail, with the result being cutting into my riding time. I also replace tires before they become too worn for the same reason. So, despite riding lightweight tires and latex tubes I rarely get flats. On group rides when someone gets a flat and wants to patch it or replace it with a patched tube, I emplore them to use my new unpatched spare tube. Reliability is more important than the nominal expense incurred.

IRideTiBikes

Why patch a piece of equipment that had the audacity to fail.

surgeonstone

Never patch, use to until one day I flatted, patched at home, rode again and flatted within 50 miles. 5 bucks for a tube- why bother.
Any of you patchers want my old ones your welcome to them.

Aeolis

I was unaware you could even patch a road tube due to the high pressure. Where do you guys get tubes for 5'dollars? Mine always cost atleast 8.