Inner Tube Repair - How Many?

[Ashimoto]

Ive just repaired a serious rip from glass, about 2cm. I ended up putting 2 patches on it and its done about 100 miles since. Im a make do and mend bloke but i do carry spare tubes just in case

 

[slowmotion]

About five is my limit. The tube gets chucked if the repair would mean one patch overlapping another. Ditto if the puncture is right next to the valve stem.
I quite enjoy repairing tubes, but not if it's cold, dark, and pissing with rain.

 

[rrarider]

I've always thought that throwing away a tube just because it has one hole in it, is a criminal waste of money. Like others I only scrap a tube if it's got two punctures where the patches would overlap, or the hole is near the valve.

If I get a puncture out on the road, I fit a new or unpatched tube from my seatpost bag and take the damaged tube home to repair. After it's been patched, I take the unpatched tube off the wheel, roll it up and put it back in the seatpost bag. I fit the newly patched tube to the wheel and if it holds full pressure for a few minutes, then it becomes fit to ride out on the road. This way I know that I can have confidence in the tube that I'm about to fit if I get a puncture away from home.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I quite enjoy repairing tubes, but not if it's cold, dark, and pissing with rain.

You are not alone

 

[Dogtrousers]

If I get a puncture out on the road, I fit a new or unpatched tube from my seatpost bag and take the damaged tube home to repair. After it's been patched, I take the unpatched tube off the wheel, roll it up and put it back in the seatpost bag. I fit the newly patched tube to the wheel ...

You're the second person to mention this procedure. I like it. I wish I'd thought of it myself, and may adopt it in future.

I can't wait to get a puncture now ...

 

[mickle]

 

[presta]

I wouldn't dream of throwing a tube away unless there was no more room to fit patches. Firstly, it's wasteful, and secondly, I'm not going to leave myself without a spare unless I'm absolutely forced to. I think those who are throwing them away are symptomatic of a throw-away society.

4 repairs seems about right to me.

I've had four punctures in a day on more than one occasion.

 

[dodgy]

I wouldn't dream of throwing a tube away unless there was no more room to fit patches. Firstly, it's wasteful, and secondly, I'm not going to leave myself without a spare unless I'm absolutely forced to. I think those who are throwing them away are symptomatic of a throw-away society.

I've had four punctures in a day on more than one occasion.

If i was getting 4 punctures on a ride, I think I'd be patching them to death also.

 

[overmind]

You should get some old Weinmann brakes with 'suicide levers'.

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/36b0tw/how_dangerous_are_suicide_levers/

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I've had four punctures in a day on more than one occasion.

What brings that on? Had you been checking for thorns or stuff stuck in the tyre?

 

[CanucksTraveller]

What brings that on? Had you been checking for thorns or stuff stuck in the tyre?

Indeed! I've had one day of repeating punctures, and it was 30 years ago. It was because I was patching the same damn snakebite in the p*ssing rain, 20 miles from home, out in the open with a wet, gritty tube, and the patch never getting a chance to bond. Boy that was a long day, and boy do I wish I had a tube in the pocket that day!

 

[Supersuperleeds]

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

My tube of choice.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I quite enjoy repairing tubes, but not if it's cold, dark, and pissing with rain.

That's why most of my bikes, local hack aside, are now running Schwalbe Marathon or other models with equivalent puncture protection. Repairing things at your leisure, in relatively comfortable conditions is a totally different ball game from having to do it at the side of the road with added time pressure. Same goes with tinkering with cars. Fine at home with a mug of tea on hand, not so fine 100 miles away when you need to be somewhere else.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Indeed! I've had one day of repeating punctures, and it was 30 years ago. It was because I was patching the same damn snakebite in the p*ssing rain, 20 miles from home, out in the open with a wet, gritty tube, and the patch never getting a chance to bond. Boy that was a long day, and boy do I wish I had a tube in the pocket that day!

Yep - been there done that. In my case patches just wouldn't stick until eventually I succeeded in achieving a slow puncture "repair". Like you it was decades ago (possibly around the time butyl tubes appeared?) You cannot reliably fix a butyl tube at the side of the road and certainly not in the wet. That's why we all carry spares these days.

 

[fossyant]

3 usually. Although, not had enough to test that theory in a number of years. As I'm on the MTB, I'll probably change the tube when it get's stretched and baggy, as fitting can be a pain when swapping tyres.