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Have you started using "The Patch" ???


Mr. Beanz

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Well, I always have but even more than ever with the prices of tubes. I'll say $9 each and that is being nice as I see many others far more on ebay.

I flatted twice in the last couple of weeks which is very unusual seeing I might flat 3 times per year.  I keep plenty of tubes but though I am not cheap or tight, I hate having to pay for things that I don't need to pay for. I keep a stash of about 15 tubes at all times. 2 in one bike, 2 in another, and 1 in another all roadies. Then a bag of 10 tucked away in a air tight container. I just like to be prepared.

I have always patched with vulcanizing patches. Tried stick on in emergencies and still carry a few on rides as well as 2 spare tubes. But the sticky patches don't last as long as the vulcanizing. Last well but had better luck with vulcanizing. So I patch here and there.  Sometimes I might say heck with it and just throw a tube away.

But lately with the price of tubes, I collected the last 5 that have flatted due to punctures.  Last night I flatted so on the remainder of the ride, I was thinking what I want to do with the punctures at this point seeing I had 5 now.

Today, I took the time to locate all the holes, then patch them with vulcanizing patches. All went well so what I did was replace the new tubes on the bikes with the vulcanized patches then place the newer undamaged tubes back into the seat packs and some in my stash. 

Hours later, all the tubes are still holding fine so as I expected, all went well and were easily patched. Versus some that are hard to get to, like seams or inside diameter punctures, snake bites. I don't repair that type, I toss them.

So now it seems I have saved at $9 per tube, crazy prices these days, I just saved about 45 bucks! 

I've always had a problem tossing a perfectly good easily patchable tube. Some of my friends talk about rotational weight of the patches, OK whatever! 

FTR, been using vulcanized patches since 2005 and only had one slow leak failure but I had suspected it would do so, tried it anyway as an experiment. Now I know, if it doesn't feel right, it isn't.

I just can't see throwing away money like that. I've even had friends in need and was able to install a patched tube on their bikes allowing them to use their last tube as the saddle bag extra. 

But I do not carry them as spares on rides. I have had other ride partners pull out failed patched tubes. I like to install mine at home and leave them for 24 our before riding to verify a good installation. 

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Not really anymore.  I used to do the glue on a patch route. Then the self-adhesive patches. And then I started rarely flatting, so stuck to just swapping tubes.  Mostly, with longer time between flats, my patch kits just became crap.  Glue would solidify. The self-adhesive would be brittle. It got to where a few bucks buying patches I never used was more annoying than "wasting" $10 on a new tube.

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I’m glad we don’t have goat heads around here (well we do but they are all attached  to the goats). The last time I flatted and patched a tube was on my first DC to Pittsburgh trip 15 years ago. I had bought a new tube before the trip but never unfolded it and looked at it.  Turns out the bike shop sold me a 20” tube. I had a 1” cut in the tire from a sharp piece of limestone. I booted the tire and used the large patch that came in my patch kit to patch the 1” cut in the tube. I came to a bike shop that I could see from the trail so I bought a new tire and tube. I didn’t want to take the time to change tires so I just bungid it on top of my Panniers and pedaled on to Pittsburgh.

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On 10/14/2021 at 12:39 PM, Razors Edge said:

Not really anymore.  I used to do the glue on a patch route. Then the self-adhesive patches. And then I started rarely flatting, so stuck to just swapping tubes.  Mostly, with longer time between flats, my patch kits just became crap.  Glue would solidify. The self-adhesive would be brittle. It got to where a few bucks buying patches I never used was more annoying than "wasting" $10 on a new tube.

That is why I save them up and use new tubes in the meantime. 

With 5 punctured tubes, I buy the kit and patch all at once so I don't have to worry about the glue drying up.

FTR, I have read across several forums that the REMA brand glues is the best as far as not drying up. :nodhead:

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4 hours ago, Longjohn said:

I’m glad we don’t have goat heads around here (well we do but they are all attached  to the goats). The last time I flatted and patched a tube was on my first DC to Pittsburgh trip 15 years ago. I had bought a new tube before the trip but never unfolded it and looked at it.  Turns out the bike shop sold me a 20” tube.

Goat heads!  :lol::D:lol:

I mentioned once about checking my tubes after purchase and some forum people thought that was nuts. 

But I have bought 3 tubes once at a shop, Bontrager brand. I got out to my truck, opened them to check them only to find 2 were punctured. I immediately took them back in to show the owner. He replaced them but checked the tubes inside the box first to verify they were good. He said the punctures looked like some wise guy had intentionally done it. 
 

Either way, I check my tubes when they come in for that reason. I had checked them that day after having had found one from another shop when it was too late and too long to return.

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21 hours ago, Mr Beanz said:

That is why I save them up and use new tubes in the meantime. 

With 5 punctured tubes, I buy the kit and patch all at once so I don't have to worry about the glue drying up.

FTR, I have read across several forums that the REMA brand glues is the best as far as not drying up. :nodhead:

Oh yeah - that was always my INTENTION, but in reality, about two or three years later, I have a pile of old tubes - good, bad, whatever - hanging from a hook and I toss them in the trash when I get tired looking at them. Same with old tires. I eventually have a pile of "back-up" tires that are worn but still have an ounce of life, and I just toss them too.  I'm an awful person, but am living with it these days :D

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I still have some grandkid tubes to patch. I put new tubes in their tires and brought their old tubes home to patch a couple weeks ago. The one bike is seven years old and that was her first flat. They don’t put the miles on their bikes like I do but they are pretty hard on them when they do ride.

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I ride so little now I am on the razor program of letting the bad tubes collect on a nail in the garage and just using a new tube for my very rare now flat. Gator skins are my bud. :)  My worst run was leftover Hutchinson Flash for $5 from performance. Softest taar ever!  That was horribibble!

I don’t like using the volcanizing patches atoll, and even the Park self-stick don’t work very well, thus the collection. :D

 

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