If running tubes why keep patching it instead of replacing it?
- Thread starter Nomad
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Rexlion
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Tulsa metro
I don't ride as many miles as some of you, so maybe that's why I only had 1 flat in the last decade. I replaced the tube. I'll never miss the $10 or whatever it cost me, and I figure those inner tubes probably get aged after while, so why not have a new one. That's how I feel about it.
I suppose if the tube were only a year or two old, I'd be more inclined to patch.
I suppose if the tube were only a year or two old, I'd be more inclined to patch.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
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- Mazovia, PL
I do not experience flats at all (strange but that's the fact). As many of my rides is with a cycling club, I always carry a spare inner tube for the group rides. As helpful my mates are to anyone experiencing the flat as the rule is carrying a matching spare tube with you!
A typical flat repair on a group ride. Don't bring your own spare tube? You are asking for trouble.
We had a huge group ride in the autumn last year, and it was marked with as many as 7 flats! A certain girl had as many as three flats! No time for patching!
A typical flat repair on a group ride. Don't bring your own spare tube? You are asking for trouble.
We had a huge group ride in the autumn last year, and it was marked with as many as 7 flats! A certain girl had as many as three flats! No time for patching!
ChezCheese:)
Well-Known Member
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- USA
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- Kitsap Co, WA
Well, of course there does come a point when you do have to throw in the towel on throwing in another patch. But fixing and extending the use of an inner tube for as long as you can wastes much less rubber.
Remember during WW2 there was rationing of gasoline in the US, not because there was a shortage of gas or an endangered supply of it, but because the source or rubber for tires was in Japanese-occupied Malaya. Rubber was precious.
I haven't had garbage pick-up at my home or business for decades. I take it to the dump ("transfer station") myself. (Well, in the interests of full disclosure, now my husband does it.) Point is, if you have gone to a city dump every week or so to dump a load of trash, if you have seen the mountain of stinking garbage, smelled the stench and seen the utter waste of materials, you cannot help but think about it every time you throw perfectly useful/fixable stuff away.
So patch that tire!
Remember during WW2 there was rationing of gasoline in the US, not because there was a shortage of gas or an endangered supply of it, but because the source or rubber for tires was in Japanese-occupied Malaya. Rubber was precious.
I haven't had garbage pick-up at my home or business for decades. I take it to the dump ("transfer station") myself. (Well, in the interests of full disclosure, now my husband does it.) Point is, if you have gone to a city dump every week or so to dump a load of trash, if you have seen the mountain of stinking garbage, smelled the stench and seen the utter waste of materials, you cannot help but think about it every time you throw perfectly useful/fixable stuff away.
So patch that tire!
justforfun
Active Member
I keep new tubes on the shelf instead of patches.
Gionnirocket
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Y. O.
Is the reasoning just for fun?
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Patch until you can't. Until there is a functional, valid reason not to. Its less work. Easier to do, is dramatically cheaper and as @ChezCheese:) has piled on with an angle I hadn't considered: It makes environmental sense.
I can see @Stefan Mikes example of, when on a club ride, you pull and replace so as to not hold up the group. One thing patching is not is faster; especially with a group populated with road bikes, QR and competence on wheel removal and simple service being commonplace. In that one narrow instance, you may as well replace, patch at home and put that tube into your saddle bag for next time. But otherwise, you save your known good tube for the time when patching is impossible or fails. Nothing worse than giving up your known good tube and then finding out you have another problem and have to stop again. Or God forbid you hit the bottom of a broken wine bottle or similar, completely take out what should have been your fail-safe backup and now you realize you screwed yourself with a bad decision on the first go-round.
Do enough riding and chickens like these come home to roost. Changes the way you look at stuff.
Use your brakes till you can't stop run your tires till there bald wait that's does really work that good. So what i'm saying is leave a little margin.
Tars Tarkas
Well-Known Member
I only drink the first sip out of every soda bottle then throw it out and open a new one.
TT
TT
Rexlion
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Tulsa metro
Sounds like an argument for unprotected sex...
ChezCheese:)
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Kitsap Co, WA
Sounds like you don't need much of an argument for it.Sounds like an argument for unprotected sex...
you shouldn't drink that crap
I run tubeless but was talking about for those running tubes. Not to go to far off point one should carry a tube when running tubeless.
I am new to patching, only tried once early on in my bike commuting days (1.5 years ago) and i think it's time to just learn to patch without taking the wheel off. Anyone have recommendation for a good patch kit or company to get the patches from? Does patch quality matter? I tried using some cheap ones from walmart and it didn't workout, but probably user error.
6zfshdb
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Northeast Pennsylvania
There are hundreds of tire patch kits on the market. Most do a fairly good job providing they are applied properly. I've tried a few, and the one I like best so far is this one from Park Tool:
There may be better products out there though and I'm sure others will chime in here with their picks.
Many here use tire sealant in their tubes like Stans or Slime. If you do use these products, applying a patch can get messy. I carry a supply of alcohol wipes which work well to clean small areas for patching. Larger punctures can make a real mess though. In some cases, replacing the tube may be easier than doing a big cleanup on the trail.
I always carry patches as well as a spare tube just in case. There are blunt ended tubes available, like these from Gaadi:
They let you do a tube replacement without removing the wheel.
There may be better products out there though and I'm sure others will chime in here with their picks.
Many here use tire sealant in their tubes like Stans or Slime. If you do use these products, applying a patch can get messy. I carry a supply of alcohol wipes which work well to clean small areas for patching. Larger punctures can make a real mess though. In some cases, replacing the tube may be easier than doing a big cleanup on the trail.
I always carry patches as well as a spare tube just in case. There are blunt ended tubes available, like these from Gaadi:
They let you do a tube replacement without removing the wheel.
Wow that blunt ended tubes is pretty cool, might need to look into getting some for emergency 4am commute emergency. Also I didn't realize you could patch the tube and not have to remove the wheel and replace the tube, that is a huge plus for rear hub motors and flatsThere are hundreds of tire patch kits on the market. Most do a fairly good job providing they are applied properly. I've tried a few, and the one I like best so far is this one from Park Tool:
There may be better products out there though and I'm sure others will chime in here with their picks.
Many here use tire sealant in their tubes like Stans or Slime. If you do use these products, applying a patch can get messy. I carry a supply of alcohol wipes which work well to clean small areas for patching. Larger punctures can make a real mess though. In some cases, replacing the tube may be easier than doing a big cleanup on the trail.
I always carry patches as well as a spare tube just in case. There are blunt ended tubes available, like these from Gaadi:
They let you do a tube replacement without removing the wheel.
Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
Yes, I recommend Rema Tip Top Patches, which are inexpensively available on Amazon:
You can buy the patches and glue separately as well.
Also this kit from Park Tool is pretty good, but I still consider the Rema patches superior in my experience:
VP-1C Vulcanizing Patch Kit
This easy-to-use flat repair kit creates a strong reliable fix for tube punctures, saving your inner tube and your ride.
www.parktool.com
The Park Tool box is also smaller which might matter to you.
In any event, with glue-on patches, it is a Good Idea to replace the glue a few months after you've opened it for a patching. Again it helps that Rema sells glue and patches separately.
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
@hoboin The Rema Tip Top patches have been the gold standard literally for decades. I first used them in the 1970's and the patch kits are unchanged since then, with the exception that the little bit of sandpaper is now a nice rubber-backed piece instead of just a scrap of sandpaper.
To patch without removing the wheel, if you're on the side of the road, just lay the bike down and get out your tire levers. Pull the bead off one side. Go to the hole - hopefully you saw where air was coming out while some was still in the tube - and patch it. Leave the clear plastic on the patch exterior as the fresh patch can weld to the rubber of the tire if you aren't careful. If you can't do that, grab a pinch of dust or dirt from where you are sitting and rub it over the fresh patch, being careful to not leave any on the tube to get inside the tire. That will eliminate the sticky surface of the fresh patch and surrounding goo.
As noted, Rema sells patches and goo separately. I make my own kits from a 100-patch box and a sku of 4 (larger) tubes of cement, which is not cement but a cold-vulcanizing fluid that makes the patch one with the tube rubber. All available on Amazon. I like using pill bottles as they are indestructible and cannot come open on their own. Also you can stuff more patches in. Home Depot has sandpaper that has flexible plastic backing you can cut into little squares.
![pxl_20201124_164606155-e1608747217862[1].jpg](https://forums.electricbikereview.com/attachments/pxl_20201124_164606155-e1608747217862-1-jpg.145513/ "pxl_20201124_164606155-e1608747217862[1].jpg")
To patch without removing the wheel, if you're on the side of the road, just lay the bike down and get out your tire levers. Pull the bead off one side. Go to the hole - hopefully you saw where air was coming out while some was still in the tube - and patch it. Leave the clear plastic on the patch exterior as the fresh patch can weld to the rubber of the tire if you aren't careful. If you can't do that, grab a pinch of dust or dirt from where you are sitting and rub it over the fresh patch, being careful to not leave any on the tube to get inside the tire. That will eliminate the sticky surface of the fresh patch and surrounding goo.
As noted, Rema sells patches and goo separately. I make my own kits from a 100-patch box and a sku of 4 (larger) tubes of cement, which is not cement but a cold-vulcanizing fluid that makes the patch one with the tube rubber. All available on Amazon. I like using pill bottles as they are indestructible and cannot come open on their own. Also you can stuff more patches in. Home Depot has sandpaper that has flexible plastic backing you can cut into little squares.
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