Inner Tube Repair - How Many?

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twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
How many of you repair your p*nct*red inner tubes these days?

And if you do

How many patches is too many before you chuck them/re-purpose them?

And if you re-purpose them

What do you do with them?

I've just chucked one with 5 patches into the re-purpose pile.

Re-puposed as tie ins for trees/plants in the garden, washers, shims, squeak inhibitors..............
 

sleuthey

Legendary Member
On the basis that I very rarely get punctures when I do the tube has normally done a 2+ years service so I just replace it. If I got punctures every couple of months then I would patch as it's less to go to landfill
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
I've just had to have a hard think about when I last suffered a "p-word" and it's actually some years, even the road bike (which has the highest chance of one) hasn't succumbed. The other bikes are on Marathon Plus or Marathon Mondial so unlikely to go.
I did have a couple on my older Trek hybrid years back, but that was on its original Bontrager tyres and they were pretty worn. And I was commuting.

If I did get one now I'm not quite sure I'd bother repairing the tube, given how rarely it's happened. I've got a couple of tubes in the garage and one in the saddle pack.

I think if I was getting a lot of holes (commuting or touring) I might repair a few times.

Thinking back to my inner tubes when I was a teen, they looked like patchwork quilts!
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I fixed a couple last weekend. One had one previous patch on it, the other three. I only counted them because of this thread. They don't get binned on account of patches. They get binned if the valves go wonky or they get a really big hole or a hole that's hard to patch for some reason.
 
OP
OP
twentysix by twentyfive

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
I seem to be the patcher of choice in my social group. Some just give me the tube and others ask for it back once repaired. So I've got a 2 or 3 at the moment with only one patch and another that must go back to the original owner.

They don't get binned on account of patches. They get binned if the valves go wonky or they get a really big hole or a hole that's hard to patch for some reason.
Yep - that 5 patcher I just put in my pile went there because a big patch lifted and under it was a two hole snake bite. So while the big patch experiment worked for a while I decided I didn't need another fail while out in this weather. Otherwise I may have repaired it and carried on.
 

sleuthey

Legendary Member
I treat tubes like cam belts. If I'm replacing a tyre or have a puncture and the tubes a few years old I replace it while I'm at it even if it can be re used. From past experience older tubes are more vulnerable to valve failure which you don't want on the way to a job interview or medical appointment.
 

Bazzer

Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
Another one who replaces them if the valve becomes defective.
Repurposed ones are good for packing under lights or bike camera and with a couple of cable ties, on the drive side of the chain stay where the chain sometimes bangs when going over bumps.
 
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