puntured inner tubes
Comments
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Crapaud wrote:
They could drill the patches out, or cut out really small patches. After all, puncture holes are generally very small.morxy wrote:... 25+ grams is enough to give a weight weenie nightmares
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I always cut my patches up real small, probably weigh well less than 1g. It also means that the "patch" fixes more than 10 punctures
I used to just chuck punctured tubes in the shed, and fitted a new one, Ribble haven't had the 25 rate tubes for a while - they cost me £1.60 a tube last time, and I refuse to pay much more than that for a tube, so I guess I'll be fixing them for a while. 0 -
I have had problems getting the patches to stick on the seam of innertubes. Also I have presently an innertube with a puncture in the middle of 3 raised horizontal seams which has caused the patch not to stick despite a good sanding.0
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Half of my punctures seem to be somewhere near the seam. I always sand them, although just a little bit (it would take ages to completely get rid of any trace of the seam) and don't have problems. I think a puncture on one of those bands of 3 lateral seams would be a nightmare though, I might actually chuck the tube then!
One of the most annoying things about repairing punctures is not being able to see either the puncture itself or any mark you have made on the tube with a pen after the glue has dried. I usually draw one very long line along the length of the tube and one at right angles nearly all of the way around the tube, intersecting on the puncture. Then even if you can't see the puncture you can work out exactly where it is (and then you can usually see it...)0 -
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I always repair inner tubes but replace with a new pristine tube when at the side of the road. I then repair the punctured tube and replace it at home. There are a number of reasons for doing this. Firstly it is nearly always dark when I commute and it is too much hassle to locate the hole and repair at the roadside. Secondly I have a bit more confidence in a new tube. Another reason is that, although I always check the tyre for damage/remaining glass shard etc, I like to give this a more thorough check in good light.
Punctured tubes get repaired and replaced on the bike during a day off and I then pump the tyre up to about 70-80 psi, give it a quick test ride (50-10yards) and leave it overnight. If the patching is not good I'll have a flat tyre at home rather than on the road.
Tyres are a different matter. I carry a spare folding tyre. If I have any doubt about the tyre on the bike I use the spare and switch everything back when I can do it in daylight. I do "patch" tyres but not with the patches sold in shops. These are no more than a bit of plastic and are really only intended as a get-you-home- fix. I use the plastic from old toothpaste tubes. This is thicker than the shop bought offerings (but not too thick) and does the job very well. I just cut to size nad insert it between tyre nad tube – ther’s no need to glue as it ain’t gonna move once the tyre is back on and everything is inflated. These patches are good enough to do much more than get you home but I make a point of replacing damaged tyres reasonably quickly The other advantage of my home made tyre patches is the minty smell of my tyres.
One thing I have taken to doing recently is to keep each good tube (i.e. new or repaired) in a plastic bag together with a label giving the size and state (new or number of repairs). There is nothing worse than fumbling in the dark with the spares (I always carry 2) trying to figure out which is the new one. (Fumbling in the dark is best done while not cycling)(Or so I believe) :oops:
A few people seem to have had problems with the seam on inner tubes. This can be sanded down fairly quickly and I do this but I also cut the patch to be a bit longer than usual for extra insurance. It works for me.0
