I patch if there are less than 5 punctures. One time I accidentally went off a bike path into some weeds I picked up 20 or so thorns in each tire. Those tubes both went in the trash. I don't think the bulges and stuff hurt anything, I keep using them even when they get all weird. My total patch record is 16.

Likewise. I patch the ***** out of my tubes, but when I have to patch over a patch, that tube's time has come.

Same here. I'll patch it as many times as I can. Though last week I had two flats. Patched two different tubes, both of which the valves went bad on within about half an hour of patching.

I've just read the word "patch" enough times that I started thinking too hard about it and now it has lost all meaning to me and sounds weird.

So far words like this for me include:
patch
lemon
beach

I'm surprised "fixie" hasn't made the list.

I'll patch anything patchable. Generally, i get 3-4 patches on a tube before it rips at the junction with the stem, and i throw it away. However, i've had more success patching stuff at home with a beer, rather than outside in the rain, so i carry a spare tube in addition to the patch kit.

+1. There's less swearing at home anyway. Maybe that's just cause I don't have to worry about getting the mother****ing tire removed/mounted. One of my bikes has tires that seem like they're two sizes too small for my rims.

What is your signature from anyway?

thanks for the help guys! I'm def gonna start patching, I guess just somewhere in my head I assumed patches were more for like an emergency (getting the bike home so you could throw another tube in) and that they made the tire significantly less stable