how long do repaired inner tubes last?

evsy
evsy Posts: 111
edited March 2011 in Road beginners
hey everyone

im still pretty new to cycling and was wondering if someone could tell me how long a repaired inner tube will last?

i have had a couple of punctures this week (both from potholes i didnt see in the dark) and whilst i just replaced the tube at the time, when i got home i repaired them. so just wondering now if those tubes will be ok to use? and how long will the patch hold for?

thanks

Comments

  • emx
    emx Posts: 164
    if done properly, the patch should last indefinitely...
  • Ron Stuart
    Ron Stuart Posts: 1,242
    One note of caution here.... as far as normal riding is concerned especially in the UK (cold climate most of the time) a properly repaired inner tube is fine, however do not use patched inners in a lot of heat (ie. abroad) and espaecially on hot long descents with a lot of braking. This is because the rims get very hot being quite often black and the friction of braking gathers extra heat. This then has the effect of degrading the bond between patch and inner tube and could result in a blow most likely on a fast descent :shock: . .... :wink:
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    as emx said, should last indefinitely - good quality patches and glue help,

    remember to keep tyres at the right pressure to prevent them in the first place, get a stirrup pump and get the tyres to the pressures stated on the tyre
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • mmateusz
    mmateusz Posts: 4
    normal patches- forever.
    I've got tubes with 12 patches and they're still ok.

    Park-Tool GP-2 pre-glued (self-adhesive) patches are great if you're in a hurry on a trail - it takes 3 seconds to stick them. (instead 3-5 minutes with normal patches)
    but they last about 2-3 months of riding. and then you have two options: throw your tube away or try to peel it off and scrub the rest with sand paper - about 10 min of work.
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    A good patch is fine but tubes don't last forever. I was putting a bit of air into a tube I had just patched recently and a hole just opened up in another part of the tube.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    One note of caution here.... as far as normal riding is concerned especially in the UK (cold climate most of the time) a properly repaired inner tube is fine, however do not use patched inners in a lot of heat (ie. abroad) and espaecially on hot long descents with a lot of braking. This is because the rims get very hot being quite often black and the friction of braking gathers extra heat. This then has the effect of degrading the bond between patch and inner tube and could result in a blow most likely on a fast descent :shock: . .... :wink:
    I've never heard of that. The patch effectively bonds, or welds, to the inner tube to become part of the tube, so I don't see why it would degrade.

    Are you, maybe, confusing clincher / innertube with tubeless tyres. The glue that keeps the tubeless tyre attached to the rim can become weak and the tyre can come off in these conditions.

    A normal innertube repair should last forever.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • antikythera
    antikythera Posts: 326
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    ....however do not use patched inners in a lot of heat (ie. abroad) and espaecially on hot long descents .... rims get very hot .... effect of degrading the bond between patch and inner tube and could result in a blow most likely on a fast descent :shock: . .... :wink:

    Er no!

    Being a tight arse and racing on patched tyres in Oz for 10 years including 40+ degrees temps..... never seen this?
  • Ron Stuart
    Ron Stuart Posts: 1,242
    antikythera wrote:
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    ....however do not use patched inners in a lot of heat (ie. abroad) and espaecially on hot long descents .... rims get very hot .... effect of degrading the bond between patch and inner tube and could result in a blow most likely on a fast descent :shock: . .... :wink:

    Er no!

    Being a tight ars* and racing on patched tyres in Oz for 10 years including 40+ degrees temps..... never seen this?

    The fact that you have never experienced it is probably like not everybody has been killed by riding a bike.... type logic.
    I can tell you that no self respecting bike guide would allow a patched tube to replace a punctured one on a guided tour in Italy during the ride seasons and that is purely because of the reasons explained previously I know I tried myself and was stopped.
    Tell me is it worth taking the risk for the cost of a couple of tubes whilst abroad? :roll:
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    antikythera wrote:
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    ....however do not use patched inners in a lot of heat (ie. abroad) and espaecially on hot long descents .... rims get very hot .... effect of degrading the bond between patch and inner tube and could result in a blow most likely on a fast descent :shock: . .... :wink:

    Er no!

    Being a tight ars* and racing on patched tyres in Oz for 10 years including 40+ degrees temps..... never seen this?

    The fact that you have never experienced it is probably like not everybody has been killed by riding a bike.... type logic.
    I can tell you that no self respecting bike guide would allow a patched tube to replace a punctured one on a guided tour in Italy during the ride seasons and that is purely because of the reasons explained previously I know I tried myself and was stopped.
    Tell me is it worth taking the risk for the cost of a couple of tubes whilst abroad? :roll:
    I'd suspect that the guide is an idiot.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    mmateusz wrote:
    Park-Tool GP-2 pre-glued (self-adhesive) patches are great if you're in a hurry but they last about 2-3 months of riding.

    +1

    these let go eventually.
    Manchester wheelers

    PB's
    10m 20:21 2014
    25m 53:18 20:13
    50m 1:57:12 2013
    100m Yeah right.
  • Ron Stuart
    Ron Stuart Posts: 1,242
    Isn't 'Crapaud' French for toad :?:
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    Isn't 'Crapaud' French for toad :?:
    Yes.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • antikythera
    antikythera Posts: 326
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    The fact that you have never experienced it is probably like not everybody has been killed by riding a bike.... type logic.
    please don't try and explain...
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    ... no self respecting bike guide would allow a patched tube to replace a punctured one on a guided tour in Italy .... I know I tried myself and was stopped.
    Maybe the saw more than your telling... :D
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    Tell me is it worth taking the risk for the cost of a couple of tubes whilst abroad? :roll
    :roll:
  • geebee2
    geebee2 Posts: 248
    Seems like there is a bit of disagreement on reliability of patches.

    On hot descents - someone on a club run blew both tyres descending a steep hill in the UK.

    Was a narrow, dirty lane where you couldn't go fast, meaning you are reliant on brakes ( negligible air resistance at 10mph ).

    http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.778356,-2.687101&spn=0.014816,0.07699&t=p&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.778303,-2.687166&panoid=cFChQHLIG8gt9I6kp4ouXg&cbp=11,81.01,,0,0.01

    So it's not just abroad this can happen - air temperature is probably not the biggest factor.
    My new bike
  • antikythera
    antikythera Posts: 326
    geebee2 wrote:
    Seems like there is a bit of disagreement on reliability of patches.
    +1, tis the internet after all...

    IME, the critical issue for patching is how its applied. Properly preparing the affected area with an abrasive and glue. letting the glue go tacky before applying the patch. Applying pressure, letting the glue cure. All determine the quality of the patch. Some pre-fab patches don't lend themselves this and will deteriorate after time, but a well applied "manual" patch can last much longer.

    Me and the folks I ride with tend to judge a tubes life span on the number of patches applied, in general it's between 5-10.

    So, to the OP I'd say you can only trust a patched tube if you trust the quality of workmanship of the person who repaired it. Having said that, I've had a lot of practice and do ride my patched tubes abroad :lol:
  • Erudin
    Erudin Posts: 136
    "Heat from braking can accelerate separation of a fresh patch but this generally does not pose a hazard because leaky patches usually cause only a slow leak."

    "For reliable patches, the freshly patched tube should be put in reserve, while a reserve tube is installed. This allows a new patch more time to cure before being put into service. "

    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/patching.html
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Air temperature will have relatively little effect, unless you're going from sub-zero to + 40c quickly, but heat from (possibly overcautious and prolonged) braking on long alpine descents can cause the pressure in the tube to increase quite dramatically. Common sense would suggest that you let a bit of air out if you think you're in this situation.

    If you didn't and the tyre was inflated to close to it's maximum pressure in the snow at the top of an alp, I suspect it would have popped the tyre off the rim and ruptured the tube before reaching the sun-drenched meadows at the bottom.

    My guess is that failure at the site of a properly bonded patch is even less likely than elsewhere on the tube. It is after all, twice as thick there, chemically bonded to the tube, and pressed securely against the inside of the tyre or rim.

    But what do I know? I rarely venture more than 25 miles from home on my inadequately inflated, repeatedly patched tubes in 25mm tyres. I only do alpine descents in my head.
  • deffler
    deffler Posts: 829
    I use the park tools patches and never had an issue with them once applied, touch wood.

    On the other hand ive used the green slime patches and had issues once applied with them
    Boardman Hybrid Pro

    Planet X XLS
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    antfly wrote:
    A good patch is fine but tubes don't last forever. I was putting a bit of air into a tube I had just patched recently and a hole just opened up in another part of the tube.

    How long is not forever. I think the oldest tubes I'm currently using are a good 20 years old but I'd probably not be fussed about using 30 year old tubes either. Infact, I'd probably just use any tube that is younger than I am and judge it on a case by case basis :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I've never had a patched tube fail either, but know of plenty of cases where an inner has failed along the moulding seam. I've got a big box of countless repaired tubes - proper vulcanised repair patches I see as permanent - but I generally chuck a tube when it gets beyond 3 or 4 patches, but more often than not it's the seam or the valve that gives first.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    This seems to be a recent meme, that good patches may fail in the "extreme" environments of mountain descents. It's cropped up here a few times lately. I'll add to the good comments that such claims are scaremongering.

    The heat from braking on long descents is considerable, sometimes enough to boil water trapped in the rim, and it can raise the inflation pressure beyond the clinching limit (causing a blowout) if the tyre was inflated near the limit initially. It doesn't melt patch glue though. As Monty sensibly wrote, other rare tyre and tube failures are still more likely than a failed patch.

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