'make do and mend' or replace?

[e-rider]

Inner tubes:

Currently I patch mtb tubes BUT replace road tubes after each puncture.

It seems a huge waste to bin road tubes but will patches stand-up to 110psi?

I tend to replace mtb tubes once they have about 5-6 patches on them just to be safe!

 

[steve52]

i patch mine and run 130 psi

 

[ianrauk]

110psi will be fine for a patched tube. If you have patched it properly.

 

[fossyant]

2-3 patches, then I replace.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

2-3 patches, then I replace.

Same here, three patches and the forth time it goes in the bin,

 

[swee'pea99]

Patch. Why not? The pressure makes absolutely no difference. It's either properly patched or its not. If it is, it's as sound as before it was holed.

 

[02GF74]

I never realised there was an option not to patch. I patch until I the point when I am having to put patches onto patches or there is a huge cut in the tube, that is when it gets bin. Never had any problem doing that.

 

[RedBike]

If i'm going on a long ride I often carry two spare tubes, one of which is always a new one. If I'm just off on a shorter ride I only take a one spare tube which is always a new one.


The punctured tube gets taken home and slung in a pile. I tend to have a tube patching blitz, repairing 4-5 of them at once, when there's nothing on the TV one evening.
After repairing the tubes I inflate them then hang them up in the coat cupboard. If the tubes are still inflated a week or so later they get folded up and stuck in my saddle bag as spares. However, if they've gone down in this period then they get slung.

 

[MartinC]

I usually replace the punctured tub with a spare on the road. I take the punctured tube home to repair. Eventually I throw away the collection of punctured tubes I've accumulated and never got round to repairing. Part of the reason is that the best way to repair is to patch it and then put it straight back in the tyre where the pressure will help weld it back on.

Surprisingly often I'll find a puncture when I take the bike out of the garage or car - I'll patch these but then these end up in the scenario described above so they never accumulate more than 1 patch.

 

[Moodyman]

As others have said, a properly patched tube should be fine.

In my case, I've forgotten how to patch since I fitted by SMP+ tyres.

 

[chillyuk]

I carry a couple of tubes in my panniers so I can change tubes on the road and patch when I get home. I always carry one new tube just in case a patched tube fails.

 

[kyuss]

It always puzzles me how many of my otherwise environmentally aware friends are prepared to throw out perfectly good tubes, often stating that new ones are only £2 so what's the point in patching them. I don't think I have any tubes left that don't have at least 1 repair done on them. I have one still in service with at least 8 patches.

 

[tyred]

I would only bin a tube when there is no more room left for patches.

 

[biggs682]

started buying in bulk works out just over a couple of quid each and a lot less hastle

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Ah - just remembered, there's a punctured tube still in my seat pack. I'll go and repair it now.