Patched Tubes

DavidTQ

Had yet another rear puncture today, really time to replace those tired old tyres...

Stopped to change the tube, just as I had the back wheel off a gentleman walking his dog stopped and said "nothing worse than a puncture on the way to work is there" clearly a cyclist himself , had a decent chat as I changed the tube, but I was particularly pleased when I realised the spare tube I pulled out was a "veteran" tube, well patched and still airtight . Kind of a badge of honour, "This bike gets well used" "the owner knows how to fix a puncture"

Tubes with "character"

Now I really have to get myself new tyres to stop showing off my patched tubes so often Im thinking some GP4000s's 3mm narrower than my current tyres and probably a bit faster...

dirk_van_gently

Had a P! this morning, fortunately it went flat when I got to the office, so have been able to fix in relative comfort.

I think the only time a tube is really past it, is when 50% of it's weight is patches :P

Also got my first opportunity to try out the new Pump/CO2 widget, worked great, must remember to put a new cartridge in my bag when I get home :?

DavidTQ

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

Had a P! this morning, fortunately it went flat when I got to the office, so have been able to fix in relative comfort.

I think the only time a tube is really past it, is when 50% of it's weight is patches :P

Also got my first opportunity to try out the new Pump/CO2 widget, worked great, must remember to put a new cartridge in my bag when I get home :?

I love the CO2 inflater, takes the effort out of punctures, however my puncture this morning was minutes from work so I saved a cartridge and just did the tyre up with a mini pump to a rideable pressure and then used the track pump at work.

Keep an eye on your tyre pressures over the next few days, some people have been reporting that CO2 inflated tyres seem to lose pressue quicker than air inflated ones!

tardington

Silly question, but does the tyre being full of CO2 make it heavier?

That's what I remember from school, anyway!

DavidTQ

tardie wrote:

Silly question, but does the tyre being full of CO2 make it heavier?

That's what I remember from school, anyway!

Well the entire contents of the cartridge are supposed to weigh 16 grammes, I dont know the difference between that and regular atmospheric air, it has to be remembered that atmospheric air is NOT oxygen, its largelly nitrogren... How does nitrogen compare on weight to carbon dioxide? Well carbon has an atomic mass of 12 nitrogen has an atomic mass of 14 Oxygen has an atomic mass of 16. I would guess that CO2 would be therefore be lighter than the nitrogen oxygen mix that we normally fill the tyres with... just going by atomic mass (grabbed from wikipedia).

I think the real test of which weighs most atmospheric air or carbon dioxide would come down to mole volumes and I have no idea what effects pressurisation have on the gasses either. Do diferent gasses behave differently under pressurisation does it take less volume of CO2 to get to 125 psi? Do atom sizes come into play? what about temperature the CO2 at the time of pressurizing the tyre is sub zero the atmospheric air I believe is heated through the compression in the pump. What effect does that have???

However you look at it, the difference is going to be a small percentage of 16 grammes total mass of CO2! For people worried to that level it might be easier to get sand paper to their sidewalls

dirk_van_gently

I was curious as to how much pressure the cartridge had put in the tyre, so popped a pressure gauge on when I got home, it was 60psi in 700 x 32 tyre, pretty good, and I didn't have to stand there for 10mins looking like I was performing some sort of lewd act :oops:

DavidTQ

Im out of patches and I had yet another puncture on the rear today , Ive got two tubes needing patching and no more spares. Havent got my wallet with me either to make a trip to the LBS on the way home either...

New tyres and tubes were ordered last night, think I might get hold of some rim tape as well at the LBS when I get there.

Not going to be a comfortable ride home with a spare though...

DavidTQ

Ive just learnt the hard way that what I though was the inner lining of the tyre poking through a bad cut in the "tread" was in fact the inner tube trying somewhat bravely to act as tyre and tube at the same time I now have one good tube and 2 wheels that wont get me home... On the bright side I can now be 100% sure that my new tyres are well and truelly needed

BentMikey

Patched tubes are cool, I'd have been just as chuffed as you were!

Adamskii

How many times do you patch a tube before you chuck it?

Three is my limit any more and it begins to get silly. I once had to put a patch over a patch!

DavidTQ

I think I will just keep going until it comes to patching a patch

I actually quite enjoy using a puncture repair kit, its very satisfying to have made the thing airtight again

As luck would have it my boss needed a new headlight bulb so I went to halfords with him and brought a new temporary back tyre and a new repair kit. Im waiting for delivery of my gp4000s's but I dont think theres anyway the back tyre would go again but the tubes are all patched up and ready to go.

Ive now got a 700x23 rear and 700x26 front until the new tyres arrive might take a while to adjust to the skinnier rear tyre

Adamskii

That reminds me I took my mudguards off the other day to find that my rear Conti gator skin had worn down to the canvass in two places! 5000 miles look like their limit!

t4tomo

I have a long held view that patched tubes are inherently weaker than new tubes, so I just put in a new tube when I have a puncture.

If anyone wants my old tubes give me a shout.

BentMikey

t4tomo, sure, I'd be well up for your old tubes! Do you have suitable for 700x23, and can I collect or send you an SAE?

t4tomo

16 x 1 3/8ths, you'd have to stretch them a bit.

BentMikey

LOL, no worries and thanks anyway!

Positron

I tend to stop at 3-4 patches. A bike shop advised me that this was probably reasonable and over the years the rubber round the valve will tend to go eventually and this seems about right.

p.

mediamonkey

Now here's a stupid question for you. Back in the old days, when puncture repair kits never had instructions - cos everyone knew how to fix a tyre, right? - I always stuck the patches on with the smooth, softer side down and the rougher textured side facing up. Never had a problem. On reading the instructions on my most recent kit, it appears I've always been using the patches upside down!

The patches have an orange latexy soft smooth side, and a textured black rubber side. So now I'm going as per the instructions and using them black side down and they don't seem to stick as well if you ask me. (plus they don't match the tube!)

Gussio

mediamonkey wrote:

Now here's a stupid question for you. Back in the old days, when puncture repair kits never had instructions - cos everyone knew how to fix a tyre, right? - I always stuck the patches on with the smooth, softer side down and the rougher textured side facing up. Never had a problem. On reading the instructions on my most recent kit, it appears I've always been using the patches upside down!

The patches have an orange latexy soft smooth side, and a textured black rubber side. So now I'm going as per the instructions and using them black side down and they don't seem to stick as well if you ask me. (plus they don't match the tube!)

Hmmm...sounds to me like you were going about things correctly, and that your latest set of instructions is topsy turvey.

Crapaud

mediamonkey wrote:

...The patches have an orange latexy soft smooth side, and a textured black rubber side. So now I'm going as per the instructions and using them black side down and they don't seem to stick as well if you ask me. (plus they don't match the tube!)

Do not go by the instructions:



I don't know why the photo isn't viewing at the right size, but Step 6 says:

"Place the repaired part of the tube on a stand and pat with a small hammer several times ."

mediamonkey

Crapaud wrote:

mediamonkey wrote:

Do not go by the instructions:

No 1 seems to say "The side of Aluminium foli in adhesive and care should be taken so that a finger."

:?:

So everyone else uses patches with the smooth side down and rough side up? That makes me feel better...

DavidTQ

mediamonkey wrote:

Crapaud wrote:

mediamonkey wrote:

Do not go by the instructions:

No 1 seems to say "The side of Aluminium foli in adhesive and care should be taken so that a finger."

:?:

So everyone else uses patches with the smooth side down and rough side up? That makes me feel better...

I patch with the orange bit down and the black bit up My instructions didnt tell me to do it the other way

Crapaud

mediamonkey wrote:

Crapaud wrote:

mediamonkey wrote:

Do not go by the instructions:

No 1 seems to say "The side of Aluminium foli in adhesive and care should be taken so that a finger."

:?:

So everyone else uses patches with the smooth side down and rough side up? That makes me feel better...

Sorted! Now viewable in glorious engrish.