Do you bother repairing flats?

[Skoorb]

Some tubes are hopeless, but if you have a tube with a miniscule hole that is on the outside of the rim (so that the patch will be pushed evenly against the tube), do you bother repairing it and have confidence in it for training and maybe even racing, assuming it gets through a couple of weeks of riding?

 

[Mikebike125]

You know I was just wondering this myself. I had a flat with a very tiny hole and I said, what the heck. The tube is $5 and the patch kit is 99 cents, so I patched it. It is holding up fine so I can patch five more holes with the same kit. I will see how long this lasts. From my experience the patch will last longer than the tube so I'm sure I'm fine.

 

[xxamr_corpxx]

I have never had a patch faill on me.

 

[pistole]

- does it bulge where the patch is made?
.

 

[Pharaoh1]

Normally I don't patch tubes, however, last week I was 30 miles into a century when I picked up a staple. I thought that I'd packed two tubes, but in fact had only packed one. I installed the new tube and patched the other for a spare. I finished the century and promptly replaced the patched tube with a new one.

I don't like the idea of having a patched tube in my seat bag for long periods of time. I think that they would tend to lose stability over time. Not to mention that my patching job might not have been perfect.

As cheap as tubes are, why take the chance of a failed patch?

Scott

 

[LeDomestique]

Of course, there's the entire "green environment" movement and I'm sure using extra tubes does little to help in that area.

I myself patch every flat. If done properly, the tube will be good more many many more miles.

 

[mikesbytes]

Even if you intend not to patch tubes, you should make sure you have the skill to patch them, as once you have run out of tubes on that ride, the patches are all you have left.

 

[SweetLou]

I have never done a study to find out if true, but I have always read that a patch tube is actually stronger. So, yes I do patch my tubes.

 

[Skoorb]

Cool, thanks guys, I'll give it a go. Tubes are not that expensive--unless you flat a lot. I have been, as always, unlucky. So far it's never happened in a race, so I'm not really complaining. My spare in the saddle bag will always be a fresh, new tube, though.

 

[John M]

- does it bulge where the patch is made?
.

No.

 

[alienator]

I patch tubes. I've even had patches that slightly covered other patches. I even patch tubulars.

I don't get on well with consumption designed to make my life easy. The way I figure it, if patching a tube really puts me out or hobbles my life, then I don't have much of a life.

 

[Bigbananabike]

Only the environmentally braindead....wouldn't patch tubes. Throwing out a whole tube for the sake of a hole or two!
Ok, so sometimes they will fail(had one lift the other day) but mostly(as above poster has said) they last longer than the tube(mine can end up having like 10 patches on them).
Generally I race on newer tubes but am happy to race on patched tubes and haven't had a problem with them racing - where it counts most.
I buy a little sheet of small, road patches and a tube of glue every so often and that's it for the season.

 

[Bigbananabike]

Cool, thanks guys, I'll give it a go. Tubes are not that expensive--unless you flat a lot. I have been, as always, unlucky. So far it's never happened in a race, so I'm not really complaining. My spare in the saddle bag will always be a fresh, new tube, though.

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I always have 2 tubes in my underseat pack and a packet of "get me home only" glueless patches(remember to sand the tube well with these).

 

[Skoorb]

Are the glueless patches inferior? I just tried to repair a tube with one, so letting it sit to see if it'll hold pressure (although riding would be harder on it). I did sand a bit with the included sanding thing but found it would have the tendency to grind away a lot of rubber.

I assume that glue would be best so that it could set when the tube is under the desired pressure and wouldn't flex around between the application of patch and then the pressurizing.

 

[mikesbytes]

I've heard of them coming off. Generally they are considered temporary patches, just to get you home. I'll stick with the proven technology and let the early adopters iron out the bugs

 

[Bigbananabike]

Are the glueless patches inferior? I just tried to repair a tube with one, so letting it sit to see if it'll hold pressure (although riding would be harder on it). I did sand a bit with the included sanding thing but found it would have the tendency to grind away a lot of rubber.

I assume that glue would be best so that it could set when the tube is under the desired pressure and wouldn't flex around between the application of patch and then the pressurizing.

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I've only had to use them about 3 times but found the tube holding less air or flat the next day. I've only heard secondhand of one person having long term success with them.
My glue on patches have lasted for years

 

[thomas_cho]

I used a glueless patch once, and after riding in the wet was surprised to find the tyre flat the next day! This also affected another wheel which I had washed as well ... so it seems like water weakened the patch. The ones which I had to glue on have been good for a year so far.

Never had problems with any of the tubes I patched, its a bloody waste to throw tubes away with just "pinch" flats.

 

[LeDomestique]

Glueless patches are only useful for quick fixes and to get you home (on 50 PSI). They are not a fix...they are a temporary patch.

 

[HowardSteele]

Some tubes are hopeless, but if you have a tube with a miniscule hole that is on the outside of the rim (so that the patch will be pushed evenly against the tube), do you bother repairing it and have confidence in it for training and maybe even racing, assuming it gets through a couple of weeks of riding?

Yep i patch the tube untill the valve packs up or it splits at the seams,i grew up in an age where a new tube was a luxury,nowdays the new tube costs less than the time spent and the repair patch and solution.
This is MTBING I'm talking about.
i can immagine with the state of the art road bike the patches would add unwanted ounces.

 

[Skoorb]

Last night's patch is losing air, probably 110 down to 60 or so today. I've read elsewhere that self-adhesive are mostly temporary, though some do report them lasting indefinitely. Also, I've read that they are bad on road bikes because of the high pressure, but somebody else said they're good on them because the high pressure helps--who knows! In any case, I'm off to buy a glue kit.