Does anyone bother repairing holes in inner tubes any more?

[Tim Hall]

Don't worry about implying lack of ability on my part, assuming I'm a numpty would be a safe starting point! As with most of my bike know-how it was learned when I was sub-10 years old and I can't remember where from!

After patching the inner I put a little bit of air in it and put it back in the tyres, then run my finger around it making sure none of it is pinched. I then put the tyre rim back in, quarter inflate the tube and then 'bounce' the wheel around a couple of times to try and make sure nothing is pinched. I then fully inflate the tyre.

I imagine it doesn't matter too much, but I have old 27" wheels and am using 700c inner-tubes.

Sounds reasonable. I don't think the tyre/tube size thing is an issue. What I do, before inflating, is have the wheel upright and look down onto it. Working round from the valve squeeze one tyre wall in, so I can see the rim tape and make sure the tube isn't sticking out from under. When I get back to the valve, flip the wheel round and check the other side. If the tube is trapped, jibble it until it's in the right place.

Ooh, a thought occurs. Being that your rims are, shall we say, rather venerable, are they the hooked design? Most/all modern rims are and do a much better job of keeping the tyre on.

 

[400bhp]

checked. i have the below in my garage:
2 KENDA 700x23s with presta valves
1 26x1.5-2.10 with non presta or other type of valve

can't have more than one hole in any one of em.

all or nothing. just pay postage.

cheers
j

Hmm, I have had Kenda inners on my 26"er. They both split down the seams at the same time. So on this occasion I won't be taking them off your hands. Thanks for looking anyway.


Now-let's start a list of what inners can be used for:

- protective bands around frames/parts when attaching stuff to the bike.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

the 'bulge' on one side of the tube due to the patch repair would make the tire imbalanced. eventually it can lead to uneven tire wear and it could be bad for the bearings as well!

ha haa, i just came up with that theory

Not only that but removing the tyre to mend the puncture stretches the beading. As the consequences of losing a badly-seated tyre when cornering are too horrific to contemplate, I'd suggest fitting a new tyre and tube when you puncture. However, if you're not confident about your mechanical adeptness, you should bear in mind that removing a tyre places the most delicate part of the rim under exceptional stress. In this case, you may prefer to simply buy a new wheel as well when you're buying your replacement tyre and tube. Take great care though - there is a remote chance that you might cause irreparable damage to the forks while removing and replacing front wheels. As the consequences of a catastrophic fork failure are even more horrific than losing a tyre, I'd suggest.....

 

[Andrew_Culture]

What I do, before inflating, is have the wheel upright and look down onto it. Working round from the valve squeeze one tyre wall in, so I can see the rim tape and make sure the tube isn't sticking out from under. When I get back to the valve, flip the wheel round and check the other side. If the tube is trapped, jibble it until it's in the right place.

Ooh, will do!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Ooh, a thought occurs. Being that your rims are, shall we say, rather venerable, are they the hooked design? Most/all modern rims are and do a much better job of keeping the tyre on.

The edges seem lipless

 

[bicyclos]

I patch if I P*****e but I look at the tyre as well, and if it is fairly worn I end up replacing the tyre. I have strapped a brush to the front of my bike so that I have a clear path to work which helps

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I patch if I P*****e but I look at the tyre as well, and if it is fairly worn I end up replacing the tyre. I have strapped a brush to the front of my bike so that I have a clear path to work which helps

A genital discourtesy that I suffered whilst running with a stick once might put me off that plan!

 

[MontyVeda]

No, straight in the bin. The price of tubes I cant be arsed repairing them.

more money than sense... as the old saying goes.

 

[MontyVeda]

^^This^^

It's a real shame that we don't repair things that are easily repairable and at the end of the day are simply utilitarian products.

Come on chaps-get repairing those punctures, or if you don't want to, then consider giving the inner tube to someone who will fix it/more needy (i'd happily pay for postage to get a repairable tube). Such a waste of good resource to throw them in the bin.

agreed... and whoever it was who thinks putting a punctured tube in the recycling is helping the environment... you're way off the mark. Spending a moment of your life sticking a patch on an otherwise perfectly good tube is.

 

[rollinstok]

Every now and then I will repair the few punctured tubes that I have thrown in the cupboard with Park patches ( I think they're great )
When I did a bit of touring I used to repair on the spot and refit, this way I kept the new tubes in case of severe damage which fortunately never happened

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Well the new tube is in and there have been no explosions. I think last night I might have forgotten to check the tube wasn't pinched at the valve before inhaling it fully.

 

[geo]

more money than sense... as the old saying goes.

Not at all, but at just under £3.50 per tube my time is better spent doing other things than repairing the odd puncture. Each to their own I guess if you have the time and inclination then go for it. Personally for the price of a decent pint of Guinness I'll stick to replacing

 

[tyred]

I've stopped and collected four 700c tubes (so far) from the side of the road this year and have repaired the tiny puncture in all of them. Amazing what people throw away.

 

[jaynana]

I've stopped and collected four 700c tubes (so far) from the side of the road this year and have repaired the tiny puncture in all of them. Amazing what people throw away.

must try that - keep the tubes outside, somebody else might be able to take some use of em... should work given that almost anyting kept outside gets taken away!

 

[MontyVeda]

Not at all, but at just under £3.50 per tube my time is better spent doing other things than repairing the odd puncture. Each to their own I guess if you have the time and inclination then go for it. Personally for the price of a decent pint of Guinness I'll stick to replacing

like i say... more money than sense.

Exactly how long does it take to mend a puncture? In my book, about 30secs to a minute longer than it takes to fit a new tube.