Inner Tube Repair - How Many?

[Dogtrousers]

But when I do decide to retire them I cut them right through so I don't accidentally try to reuse them

 

[Brooks]

I've got a couple of patches on a tube and it's fine. I volunteer at a charity community cycle hub and they repurpose the old tyres for multiple uses. They are put on racks and used to tie down a load. Cut up and used as ties around cleaning bottles, used to protect bars when fitting assesories etc.

 

[I like Skol]

This topic has been done to death and the search function is your friend if you truly want an answer rather than a debate!

Anyone that doesn't repair tubes and bins them before they are no longer serviceable is wrong, end of.

 

[Bianchi boy]

i used to repair mine , but now ,when wiggle or planet x, ect have a sale i will purchase a dozen at a time, so just change for a new tube now.😊

 

[CanucksTraveller]

This topic has been done to death and the search function is your friend if you truly want an answer rather than a debate!

Anyone that doesn't repair tubes and bins them before they are no longer serviceable is wrong, end of.

What, when you've had the same tube in for years and you might want to renew them?

Theres no "wrong, end of", it's perfectly debatable and we're all different.

And this is something that's been discussed before? Gosh! I wonder what subject hasn't been discussed before on CC. We could all just use the search function, read, and digest. Then the forum dies a death. Or someone can start the conversation again with fresh people joining in. That's healthy, I'd suggest.

 

[Pale Rider]

A good job, size of your tyres you'd need a trailer to carry a spare tube

Many a true word...

The tyres are 650b Schwalbe Moto X, which is a 2.4" balloon.

They are tubeless, but the spare inner tube I carry is very lumpy.

Rolled and folded, it's probably two or three times the size and weight of a roadie bike tube.

 

[PaulSB]

I never repair tubes unless I'm on a ride and have already used the two spares I carry.

I have three reasons for this. Primarily I feel happier riding an undamaged tube rather than one I might have repaired badly. Secondly I wouldn't want to carry a repaired tube as back up. Finally, yes I'm idle, having changed the tube on the road why would I want to get home, repair the puncture, change the tube etc. again?

I only puncture once every 2 years or so meaning the cost of a tube is negligible.

 

[overmind]

I tend to repair tubes. However, I became conscious of how many patches I was using, and that perhaps I was spending more money on the patches - my favourite ones are c-cure - that the actual innertubes.

I came across something called a patch strip (Weldtite) when watching a YouTube channel called "Hippyswift". It is just a huge patch which you cut sections out of. It means I do not have the problem of big and small patches and inevitably using up all of one type. It is also, much better value that the c-cure patches. The only drawback is that I now have to carry some small scissors with me on a ride; although maybe I could just cut 2 or 3 in advance.

A 2nd change was that I bought some Schwalbe Marathon tyres. I replaced the crappy hutchinson (700 x 23) tyres that came with a Triban 3 bike with some 700 X 25 Marathons.

Those tyres are astonishing. I cycled all over the Isle of Wight on them; along stony tracks, on and off-road. I did not get a single puncture. In fact, I think my first puncture was about 1 year after I got them. I cycled into a 6 inch deep pothole concealed by a puddle and slammed my front wheel into the far edge of the pothole. I thought that there would be major damage but I just got a pinch puncture.

Another revelation was tyre liners. I fitted some on some old tyres that were getting weekly punctures and all the problems ceased. As an experiment I decided to see how much I could wear the tyres down to the bone before I got my first puncture. I ended the experiment with no punctures and with 1/2 cm holes in the tyre wall exposing the blue tyre liners (see thread below).

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/in-praise-of-tyre-liners.230726/#post-5154363

One use I have for old innertubes is to cover bike chains. I prefer chains to d-locks for locking up my bike. To avoid the chain scratching the frame I slide a piece of inner tube over the chain. I then hook the chain over my neck when ride with the lock hanging down like some kind of medallion man.

The only problem I found was that the rubber would leave a black stain on the collar of my coat. So recently, I asked my daughter if she could make a material sleeve (out of a piece of old denim) to go over the rubber. This works really well.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

repair the puncture, change the tube etc. again?

Err - I don't do that. It gets repaired and then it's a spare. But you aren't keen on relying on a repair........

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

my favourite ones are c-cure

Mine too

Weldtite

Yep - good stuff but don't have the feather edge. In practice not a problem tho'

Schwalbe

I like Schwalbe.

tyre liners

Not heard of those. I'll follow your link. Thanks

 

[PaulSB]

Err - I don't do that. It gets repaired and then it's a spare. But you aren't keen on relying on a repair........

Exactly. The repaired tube might spend a year or more wrapped up in my saddlebag. I wouldn't want to trust that to being usable. A tube is £3-4 and for me it's not worth risking a faulty repair.

 

[I like Skol]

Exactly. The repaired tube might spend a year or more wrapped up in my saddlebag. I wouldn't want to trust that to being usable. A tube is £3-4 and for me it's not worth risking a faulty repair.

Don't know what this risk is that you talk of, but then I do also carry a patch kit as well. Never had a patched tube fail during storage.

 

[Pale Rider]

One reason for carrying a new tube as a spare is you can't beat factory rolled and folded for compactness.

 

[PaulSB]

One reason for carrying a new tube as a spare is you can't beat factory rolled and folded for compactness.

I always unroll mine, talc them, roll up and cover with cling film. Difficult to get the compactness again but really helps when rolling the tyre back on.

 

[Pale Rider]

I always unroll mine, talc them, roll up and cover with cling film. Difficult to get the compactness again but really helps when rolling the tyre back on.

Halfords own brand are good in this respect, they are lightly talced and shrink wrapped.