Puncture repair

bobbygloss

Specifically, snakebite puncture repair. How do you do it?
I had one last week, repaired it with a large patch crosswise and put it back in the bag as a spare.

Next time I needed the spare, it burst during inflation, right in line with the patch.

The tube is sized 25-32, and the tyre is 32 so it is at the limit, but not past it. It was a roadside repair with hand pump so pressure was not too high. I think the constricting effect of the patch was enough to over-stretch the unpatched part, but using 2 small patches would have been almost the same.
Anyone else had this?

keef66

Although it's easy with wider MTB tubes, I struggle to patch snakebites on skinny road bike tubes. In the past I've done what you did, and I've also resorted to cutting a large patch into 2 smaller ones, but either way the result is still quite a restriction in the tube.

Your tube can't have been very strong to split along the seam like that. Maybe the original snakebite had weakened it there?

antsmithmk

You can pick up tubes for less than the cost of a pint. Throw away society and all that...

oxoman

Found best result using 2 patches as they stretch a bit better than single patches. To be honest though I tend to just replace with new and only repair a tube if no spares available and still out riding.

cruff

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19730254#p19730254]oxoman[/url] wrote:

Found best result using 2 patches as they stretch a bit better than single patches. To be honest though I tend to just replace with new and only repair a tube if no spares available and still out riding.

This

Only time I've ever had to use a repaired tube was out on a ride Oop North where it had just rained and the roads were full of grit. Bust three tubes and had to pray that the repair on the third one worked or I'd have been stuck in Preston on a Sunday morning (NOT a place up there with destinations you want to while away the hours...)

arthur_scrimshaw

All of the above plus pump your tyres up a bit harder.

The Rookie

I use cutable patches (from a large sheet), so can cut patches down to about the cross section of a bic biro and use them like that on smaller holes, works out much cheaper as well.

bobbygloss

These were quite big holes, about 5mm long, but maybe 2 oval patches would have worked. Combined with relegating the tube to use with a 25 or 28mm tyre, perhaps.
I found a lot of replies about not repairing tubes when I searched on here, but it seems very wasteful when patching is so easy. Until your patched tube fails on a dark wet morning commute.

The Rookie

I always repair, but then I put the repaired tube back on the bike and keep the 'now not quite' brand new as spare.....that way you check the repair at home, not at 6:30am on a cold dark winters morning by the side of the road when it's +1 and lashing down with rain!

warreng

I tend to throw snakebites away (against my beliefs and all that). I have 2 repaired tubes and one new in my bag at all times on the grounds I have no faith in repaired ones lasting

daddy0

Did you mutter 10 "Hail Fairy"s when you were attempting the fix?

I'd recommend swapping the tube when you're out and about, fix it at home in the comfort of your comfiest of chairs.

mlgt

Ive had 3 punctures on my commutes this week. Really annoying

Ive written off a fairly new Open Pave rear tyre as I managed to cut the sidewall and this morning I had a puncture on a brand new Gatorskin.

Really bad luck as its been a while since Ive had this many punctures in a row.

Ive been toying with going tubeless. Has anyone gone that route and revered back or stayed with tubeless?

Bought a spare tube just now and pray I don't get another one.