Do you repair inner tubes or bin 'em ?

rik.j.rayner

I'll patch unless it's a) at the base of a valve or b) a patch on a patch. I'll try and fix at the roadside, but if I can't find the leak or it's a wet and miserable day then I'll swap tubes and fix the puncture when I get home. Roadside repairs are glueless Park or Lezyne patches, but at home it's a butyl rubber cement and patch job. Spare tubes in the pocket are always tested and unpatched.

ugo.santalucia

lesfirth said:

I hit a pothole on top of the Pennines in mid winter. Punctured both tyres- yes I know pressures should have been higher. Fitted my one tube and failed after several attempts to fix second with self stick patches that worked fine at home. Ski clothing would have been more suited to the conditions not my supposedly winter bib tights. Crouched behind a dry stone wall,waiting for my lift to find me, I was seriously wondering how long it took to die from hypothermia.
I have run tubeless now for about two years . No problems.

In the days, when we were wiser, we used to do flatter rides in winter. Still now, some of my friends in Italy don't venture up a climb until late May

daxplusplus

Always patch them - jeez I'd get through so many tubes if I didn't. Used to patch tubes on a ride but stopped doing that after glue failed to cure properly due to the cold one winters commute. So now just swap out a spare tube on the ride and then wait until I've collected a number of tubes to repair in the warmth and non rush at home.

motogull

daxplusplus said:

... then wait until I've collected a number of tubes to repair...

Thanks for the inspiration. I'm utterly useless at repairing tubes. I had a run of binning after failed repairs and have been passing them on to my chum. Perhaps a batch will give me the knack?

pblakeney

motogull said:

daxplusplus said:

... then wait until I've collected a number of tubes to repair...

Thanks for the inspiration. I'm utterly useless at repairing tubes. I had a run of binning after failed repairs and have been passing them on to my chum. Perhaps a batch will give me the knack?

Time is usually the key. Give 5 minutes between applying glue and applying patch.
Give 24 hours to cure before testing. This is the luxury at home method.
Not so practical on the road. 😉

ugo.santalucia

motogull said:

daxplusplus said:

... then wait until I've collected a number of tubes to repair...

Thanks for the inspiration. I'm utterly useless at repairing tubes. I had a run of binning after failed repairs and have been passing them on to my chum. Perhaps a batch will give me the knack?

I failed a few with the glue as well... try Topeak or Park adhesive patches, they are foolproof

kennethclark7102

I have read a guideline about ways to change a bike inner tube. To start, put the bike upside down and take the bike wheel off it and release the air pressure of the inner tube. Remove the dust cap from the valve body, then remove the lanyard, hooking part of the tire lever around the nearest spoke. Move the tire lever around the entire tire until the tube is completely out of the bicycle tire. Gradually retract the inner tube after pushing the valve back through its hole. Check for the cause of the puncture and install a new tube on your bike. Remove the threaded neck and slide the inner spool valve into the rim. Starting on the opposite side of the valve, begin to squeeze the tire over the rim with your thumb.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

Repair!

jaredpurdy1960

Kaiser Sose said:

If I can repair a known good tube with just a small puncture then I have started to do so and then I put it back on the wheel after repair back at home and then repack the one that I used to get my out of trouble back into my saddle bag. Not because of being mean/tight but because I have opened brand new (admittedly cheapo) tubes at the side of the road before and they were duffers. At least with a tested, repaired one, I know it is good.

I have started to buy better inner tubes now that cost a couple of £more and I am giving the three for £5 a wide berth (as a result of above). Schwalbe ones are £6 and I have started to get those. I always carry two inner tubes with me in case of double flats.

What is the collective wisdom of the BR oracle on this?

I'm old school. I take a part and patch tubulars, and sew them back up. Mind you, I have developed a love affair for tubeless.

paulbnix

I patch mine. I find the Rema Tip Top patches are best as they fit on a narrow tube.
I apply glue, stick the patch on then clamp the repair in a workmate and leave it for a while.

I only carry one spare tube so I have some of the Parktool patches. I've only used them a few times and only had one failure and it was obvious the hole wasn't in the middle of where I had applied the patch.

I tend to use the patched tubes on the bike as its then fairly obvious the next day that the patch hasn't worked.

Charlie_Croker

I’ve always been a patcher, the way I was brought up I suppose. ‘Mend and make do’ as they say.
  However of late patches don’t work as well as I remember. I did think it was just me until the other week. I repaired a puncture (at home) and it failed, the tyre went down in a matter of hours. I didn’t test the patch/tube before reinserting it into the tyre, but I did find and remove the tiny piece of glass that caused the flat, after more years then I care to remember of repairing punctures I feel I know when it’s done right and will work, especially when done at home in comfort and not in a rush.

  Off came the wheel/tyre and out with the tube, bowl of water confirmed no further holes just the new patch leaking! I actually managed to pull the patch off the tube (several hours after the original repair), the rubber solution appeared to have set yet they (patch and tube) weren’t bonded together as you’d expect.
What’s at fault patch or glue?

  I decided to open a brand new tube of rubber solution, cleaned up the area in question and applied another patch (same type as before, Chinese). This time I just left the tube out, partially inflated for an hour or so. I came back and inspected the patch, all looked well no leaks in the bowl, until that is I tried to prise the patch away from the tube (with my thumbnail). It just pulled away. Now if I tried to do that years ago (when everything was ‘Made in GB’) the innertube would have been the first thing tear. The bond between patch and tube would have never given way, not without the aid of petrol.

  I then dug out an older patch (still Chinese I think) and made a successful repair. Out on the road or trail this would have been a complete nightmare. I’ve never encountered this problem before. Crikey I can remember using a bit of old innertube cut up and rubber solution on both parts to repair punctures.

  All this makes me think again about carrying a spare tube although I don’t know where I’d put it. Today’s tiny saddlebag is full or indeed going for the tubeless option.

I used to be of the opinion that if out n about and I get a puncture I can repair it…

pblakeney

Did you give the glue a few minutes before applying the patch, then apply pressure?

DeVlaeminck

I normally patch even by the roadside - unless it's bad weather or I'm with others.

Re patches failing I did have one leak on my MTB the other week - it presented as a very slow puncture which I traced to leaking out of the edge of the patch - whether that was user error I don't know but it surprised me as I use the bigger patches as it's got plus size tyres so I doubt the hole was too near the edge.

Charlie_Croker

pblakeney said:

Did you give the glue a few minutes before applying the patch, then apply pressure?

Yes and yes I'm no newbe to this repairing malarkey

pblakeney

Charlie_Croker said:

pblakeney said:

Did you give the glue a few minutes before applying the patch, then apply pressure?

Yes and yes I'm no newbe to this repairing malarkey

Stop buying cheap Chinese gear then. 😉