Patching inner tubes

ForumNewbie

Hi there, I tried repairing a punctured inner tube with a self-adhesive patch, but after pumping up the tube a bit, the air started escaping through/under the patch, so I just settled for using a new inner tube in the end. It's the second time I've tried to patch an inner tube without success.

Just wondered what other people's experiences are with patches, and any advice on where I might be going wrong would be appreciated.

marcusjb

Self adhesive ones are okay and I have not had an issue with them (but do only use them for emergencies once my two spare tubes have gone - so, in fact, only once have I used them!). I have leyzyne ones in my bag.

'Proper' patches with vulcanising glue etc. are bomb proof though. Plenty of experiences with them over the years.

I save up tubes with holes until there is half a dozen and then sit and repair them all, and chuck any with buggered valves etc.

Monty Dog

Self-adhesive patches only work when trapped between the tube and tyre - pumping-up the tube will just make it peel off. I carry a pack of the Park ones for on the road repairs, but use Rema patches for more permanent repairs. Given the price of tubes these days, I'm happy to keep patching, it makes no difference to reliability.

jimothy78

I've found that the "easy option" self-adhesive patches are next to useless, too. They simply don't stick hard enough, and don't have much capacity to stretch with the tube, so tend to peel off quite easily.

Always carry a spare tube with you when you're riding, and use a proper repair kit with vulcanising solution and featheredge patches when you get home. If you've got some of those instant patches left over, stick them inside your seatpost as an emergency backup (they might JUST get you out of pushing it home one day, but don't rely on them for day-to-day use).

ForumNewbie

Monty Dog wrote:

Self-adhesive patches only work when trapped between the tube and tyre - pumping-up the tube will just make it peel off.

That's a good point - thinking about it now, as the tube expands the patch is probably bound to peel off a bit. It might have worked if I had actually tried pumping it up in the tyre.

Bordersroadie

I always carry two spare tubes and a few old-school patches/rubber solution glue. I've used both tubes on a long ride more than once. The patches/glue are a great last-ditch insurance back up though and they take up vitually no space/weight in the wee wedge pack.

Like marcusjb, I repair my tubes when I get home (with the old style patch/glue type) and they really are as good as a new tube when done.

pinno

My limit is 136 punctures per inner tube, after that, i fill the tyres with straw.

gazman428

pinarello001 wrote:

My limit is 136 punctures per inner tube, after that, i fill the tyres with straw.

on a serious note.....

I carry two tubes, only once have I needed another and that time I filled the tyre with grass and rode it gently home. Usually a buddy or even a stranger will donate a tube to your cause ( i have done both in the past)

I don't fix punctures, just buy tubes in bulk as I've had the patches come off on different rides.

Initialised

I find the neoprene patches are fine to get you home but start leaking after a few hundred miles. I've switched to two tubes and use the patches on the inside of the tyre if the hole is big. Now I'm collecting tubes and will finally learn how to patch properly once I have a decent stash.

pinno

...'ere, if you twist the straw as you stuff it in...

rolf_f

Initialised wrote:

I find the neoprene patches are fine to get you home but start leaking after a few hundred miles.

What sort of neoprene patches? The traditional sort? If those are leaking after a few hundred miles you are doing something very simple very wrongly! The glue effectively welds them to the tube. If you aren't getting that right, promise you won't take up making bike frames!

sungod

rema tiptop tt04

http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-tyr ... 79755.html

Peddle Up!

Bordersroadie wrote:

I always carry two spare tubes and a few old-school patches/rubber solution glue. I've used both tubes on a long ride more than once. The patches/glue are a great last-ditch insurance back up though and they take up vitually no space/weight in the wee wedge pack.

Like marcusjb, I repair my tubes when I get home (with the old style patch/glue type) and they really are as good as a new tube when done.

+1 Swap tubes on the ride and repair back at base.

pinno

...er, I have been carrying spare tubes for twentyeleventythree years, can't believe there's folks fixing punctures by the side if the road. Can you get cattle troughs in London to dip your inner tube in to see where the air is leaking out? Not far off stuffin' them with straw, ooooar.

simon_masterson

Self-adhesive patches can definitely work - I have several on my rear tube and they have been there nearly 2 years - but I'm not a particular advocate of them.

Good old fashioned rubber solution and patches aren't hard to use, stronger than the rest of the tube (despite what some silly people say in justification of throwing away instead of repairing), and for most cycling you shouldn't need to be patching tubes whilst out. I don't even carry 2 tubes, but if you get more than 2 punctures on a ride on a regular basis, you need to get some more suitable tyres and/or make sure you remove embedded sharps from them.

ForumNewbie

Simon Masterson wrote:

Self-adhesive patches can definitely work - I have several on my rear tube and they have been there nearly 2 years - but I'm not a particular advocate of them.

Good old fashioned rubber solution and patches aren't hard to use, stronger than the rest of the tube (despite what some silly people say in justification of throwing away instead of repairing), and for most cycling you shouldn't need to be patching tubes whilst out. I don't even carry 2 tubes, but if you get more than 2 punctures on a ride on a regular basis, you need to get some more suitable tyres and/or make sure you remove embedded sharps from them.

I often carry 2 spare tubes which is probably over cautious. But I've had a duff spare tube before that didn't inflate so I carry 2 just in case.

simon_masterson

ForumNewbie wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Self-adhesive patches can definitely work - I have several on my rear tube and they have been there nearly 2 years - but I'm not a particular advocate of them.

Good old fashioned rubber solution and patches aren't hard to use, stronger than the rest of the tube (despite what some silly people say in justification of throwing away instead of repairing), and for most cycling you shouldn't need to be patching tubes whilst out. I don't even carry 2 tubes, but if you get more than 2 punctures on a ride on a regular basis, you need to get some more suitable tyres and/or make sure you remove embedded sharps from them.

I often carry 2 spare tubes which is probably over cautious. But I've had a duff spare tube before that didn't inflate so I carry 2 just in case.

Ideally, I think 2 tubes should be overcautious, but I appreciate that some road/path surfaces are extremely poor. As for bad spare tubes, I never take a new one; though my current one could have a dozen holes in, as I haven't needed it since May 2012.

charlie_potatoes

Simon Masterson wrote:

Ideally, I think 2 tubes should be overcautious, but I appreciate that some road/path surfaces are extremely poor. As for bad spare tubes, I never take a new one; though my current one could have a dozen holes in, as I haven't needed it since May 2012.

For me it depends on the ride. A 2hr midweek and I just take one. A club ride I generally take a couple as I can be a long way from home and also not wanting to hold the group up anymore than necessary.

rolf_f

Two tubes make sense - aside from anything else, if you carry two, once you've had a puncture you still have a spare tube. Given that I'm never completely happy that a replaced tube is inflated as much as I'd like, I tend to assume that after I've had one puncture I'm more likely than normal to pick up a second. A second tube goes along way to saving me from pointless paranoid worry!

drlodge

sungod wrote:

rema tiptop tt04

http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-tyr ... 79755.html

+1 on tiptop 04. I carry one of these small repair kits, and a tube or two (depending on distance). I'll repair tubes when I get home if its fixable (Conti Supersonics are £10 each so worth repairing) and I've had the need to repair a tube while I've been out before, since a mate punctured twice and only had 1 spare tube. Made the repair at the coffee stop in case we puctured again.

I also put a folded up £10 note in the tiptop box

Phil_D

A wheel with two inner tubes inside it. You have to drill a hole in the rim for the valve to poke through but any punctures and you just pump up the second inner tube. Just make sure you remember to remove the protrusion before inflating.

BigLee1

Chucking tubes away when they puncture? You`ve more money than sense if you do! What a waste! I use Topeak Flypaper sticky patches and old style glue and patches. I`ve had Topeak repaired tubes last for years, make sure you rough the tube and give it a clean before you stick it then squeeze it on the tube between your finger and thumb for about 30 secs then pop it in the tyre and inflate

rolf_f

Phil_D wrote:

A wheel with two inner tubes inside it. You have to drill a hole in the rim for the valve to poke through but any punctures and you just pump up the second inner tube. Just make sure you remember to remove the protrusion before inflating.

I can see that is actually possibly quite clever if you are riding a hub geared bike but I can't see the point on a road bike.

BigLee1

I do all that when I get home, I always carry a couple of spare tubes

drlodge

pinarello001 wrote:

Can you get cattle troughs in London to dip your inner tube in to see where the air is leaking out?

I often look for a puddle to dip my inner tube in, to find out where the damn hole is! With all the traffic noise its nigh on impossible to hear the air leaking out of a pin hole

pinno

drlodge wrote:

pinarello001 wrote:

Can you get cattle troughs in London to dip your inner tube in to see where the air is leaking out?

I often look for a puddle to dip my inner tube in, to find out where the damn hole is! With all the traffic noise its nigh on impossible to hear the air leaking out of a pin hole

D'oh, LOOK for the bubbles. Carry some fairy liquid with you.

Anyone mentioned latex inner tubes? I have had 5 punctures since the 2009 Cal Etape road tacks fiasco since swapping over to latex. 1 a year, not bad really.

Initialised

Rolf F wrote:

Initialised wrote:

I find the neoprene patches are fine to get you home but start leaking after a few hundred miles.

What sort of neoprene patches? The traditional sort? If those are leaking after a few hundred miles you are doing something very simple very wrongly! The glue effectively welds them to the tube. If you aren't getting that right, promise you won't take up making bike frames!

Leeches. I had one that had been on the bike from ~ mid-April to June (maybe 2000 miles) last year deflate half way round my first century, that kind of put me off. I don't think I'd done anything wrong since it lasted so long. I think that impacts that can cause a pinch can cause a spike in pressure that destroys the seal.

I'd been fine back when I was using them on MTB tubes and high volume tyres, I had a tube that was covered in them but since switching to skinny tyres 1.1 on the MTB then 28 and 23 on the road bike I haven't found them (or other types of self adhesive patch) reliable.

So now I take two spare tubes and CO2 rather than patching and hoping it'll last.

simon_masterson

A few months is not a very long time for a patch to last! Properly applied patches don't fail.

BigLee1

Topeak flypapers are rated to the high pressure of road bike tyres, not all the others are so check before buying!

giant_man

Good god, just replace with a new one. Life's too short for mucking about with patches imo.

BigLee1

Aye, a massive job fixing a puncture