Puncture patches too big?

Anonymous

I've been collecting my holed inner tubes and fixed a batch last night. Scuff the hole, apply glue, wait to dry, apply patch and press.

The downside is that the patches are wider than the tube when pressed flat, so I find that one edge of the patch doesn't glue down.

Am I missing a trick or can I buy smaller patches for narrower tubes?

rafletcher

Just trim with a pair of scissors. And next time buy smaller ones - 10mm circular ones for instance.

Anonymous

Just googled 10mm ones with no luck. Where can I find them?

Thanks

CiB

Put the patch on a tube that's already inflated to its normal approx wheel size. That way you don't have an edge to worry about and the patch won't have to stretch too much when you do inflate it.

keef66

CiB wrote:

Put the patch on a tube that's already inflated to its normal approx wheel size. That way you don't have an edge to worry about and the patch won't have to stretch too much when you do inflate it.

If he's got a hole in the innertube how is he going to partially inflate it??

Rema Tip-Top race puncture kit is reputed to have smaller / thinner patches for road tubes

Anonymous

Unless you have a gaping wound, you can get a surprising amount of air in them. I thought it was gonna burst before I heard the tell-tale hiss of air escaping!

That said, I would guess that air escaping the puncture hole may stop the patch from sticking completely?

CiB

keef66 wrote:

If he's got a hole in the innertube how is he going to partially inflate it??

Unless the hole is too big to fix it'll easily hold air long enough to patch it. I locate the hole & mark it and do the keying, glue smear etc whilst it's inflated and leave it while the glue goes off and I find the cause, then put a bit of air back in to put the patch on. As a bonus, the escaping air creates a white glue dot that allows you to centre the patch exactly where it needs to be. Never fails, literally, partly because the patch is about the same shape and size as the tube will be inside the tyre.

Op - buy small patches. We get ripped off but next time you're in France go into any of their big supermarkets, find the bike section and fill your boots. They're something like 0.30 Europes for a strip of 5, so stock up. Maybe Wiggle sell them these days.

Anonymous

That's the plan! Just need to locate them now. Ebay doesn't even go down to 10mm!

CiB

coriordan wrote:

That said, I would guess that air escaping the puncture hole may stop the patch from sticking completely?

No it doesn't, as you've only got v low pressure in, just enough to fill out the tube. And you press the patch down from the centre out anyway. Never been an issue.

rafletcher

coriordan wrote:

That's the plan! Just need to locate them now. Ebay doesn't even go down to 10mm!

Any of the small kits will have 10-12mm patches in, plus some larger ones.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tools-vp1- ... 5360404435

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/37097023 ... 108&ff19=0

Anonymous

Found a roll of 40 15mm ones for 7.50 so will go for those.

This seller (don't need 100 tho)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-GENUINE-REM ... 1297142294

Cheers guys.

DeVlaeminck

CiB wrote:

Put the patch on a tube that's already inflated to its normal approx wheel size. That way you don't have an edge to worry about and the patch won't have to stretch too much when you do inflate it.

I'd always patch an uninflated tube so the patch stretches with the tube - makes a much neater job and the join is far smoother which I'd have thought was more reliable. Not a problem with the right patches.