On road inner tube repair

[Dogtrousers]

What, if anything, do you carry for on-road tube repair? Emergency patches like Skabs? Squirty sealant? Full blown rubber solution kit? Nothing?

I ask because due to a combination of bad luck and ham-fistedness/stupidity I ended my ride today with: original tube with a hole (unrepaired), spare #1 with a skabs patch (failed) and spare #2 on the bike with a skabs patch (holding up ok) and an empty packet of skabs. As I was near-ish to a station I decided to bail.

I discovered that in the pouring rain it's very hard to prepare the tube for an emergency patch while keeping it dry. I also discovered that unsurprisingly Skabs don't stick well to damp tubes.

So what's your fallback for if you run out of spare tubes? Brand preferences?

 

[EltonFrog]

Call a taxi.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

1 tube, 1 puncture repair kit and 1 tyre boot.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Marathon tyres, plus watch out for glass

 

[HLaB]

On the Commute I carry a spare tube and tyre levers which usually sees me by. I also carry Park patches in my phone case for when it doesn't. My last p'ture my 2nd of the ride happened 3 miles from where I park and it was dark so I decided against using the patches.

On the leisure bike I am tubeless and touch wood since I got my brand of sealant right in about 5000 miles I've had one side wall failure (probably due to only running 20psi ) and I fixed that for 30 odd miles at speed with a tyre worm.

 

[vickster]

Nothing. Inner tube(s) and a pump. I've never repaired a tube to be honest (I get few punctures and I'd never use Marathon plus tyres again)

I have ETA get me home cover but I'm rarely far away from a railway station on a ride, especially if alone

 

[lane]

It's been a long time since this was necessary for me - would have been an Audax in 2012. In the end that time I think it was four punctures plus tyre blew off and we needed to boot it. That was combination of crap worn tyres and heavy rain / flints. Since then have carried either one tube plus repair kit or on longer rides 100 miles plus or tours two tubes plus repair kit. Tubless now so hoping for the best. Mate had to repair a tube on the last tour - but that as because his spare turned out to already have had a puncture he hadn't repaired previously

 

[rivers]

For this time of year: Good quality tubeless tyres with excellent puncture protection and one tube. If I can't get home for any reason, "Hello wife, I am here. Please come and retrieve me"

 

[Dogtrousers]

his spare turned out to already have had a puncture he hadn't repaired previously

I'm not certain but this may have been implicated in today's hamfistedness / stupidity. Somehow the replacement tube for puncture no 1 failed. Either I damaged the tube fitting it (despite trying hard not to) or else it was already damaged. I put a crappy damp patch on it which held for 10km.

 

[DRHysted]

Now I always carry 2 tubes. If that fails (only once to date) I start running (I was only 5 miles from work).

 

[roubaixtuesday]

What, if anything, do you carry for on-road tube repair? Emergency patches like Skabs? Squirty sealant? Full blown rubber solution kit? Nothing?

I ask because due to a combination of bad luck and ham-fistedness/stupidity I ended my ride today with: original tube with a hole (unrepaired), spare #1 with a skabs patch (failed) and spare #2 on the bike with a skabs patch (holding up ok) and an empty packet of skabs. As I was near-ish to a station I decided to bail.

I discovered that in the pouring rain it's very hard to prepare the tube for an emergency patch while keeping it dry. I also discovered that unsurprisingly Skabs don't stick well to damp tubes.

So what's your fallback for if you run out of spare tubes? Brand preferences?

1. Two spare tubes. Because un train peut en cacher un autre as SNCF say.

2. Set of self adhesive patches.

3. Full on puncture repair kit. You can't be too careful.

4. Plastic bank note as tyre boot or taxi fare.

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean the bastards aren't out to get me.

 

[I like Skol]

Two scenarios for me.

Commutes and serious rides are two tubes and a traditional glue & patch repair kit.

Lightweight summer leisure rides on the 'best ' bike might be undertaken with just a single spare tube and no repair kit if I am riding with other people who are likely to also be carrying a suitable spare tube.

There is actually a 3rd scenario! Just occasionally, if riding a short distance (less than 2-3 miles) on a trip of low importance, I will not take any tools or puncture repair kit.

 

[Sharky]

One or two spare inners and a full repair kit.
Will always try and repair the punctured one first and keep the spares spare.

In the old days, when tubs were the fashion, used to carry two spare tubs, razor blade, waxed thread and needle and a repair kit. More than once had more punctures than spares and managed to repair them at the road side. Have also ridden home on a flat tub, as it was still sticking to the rim.

 

[slowmotion]

(1) One spare tube and levers
(2) Wilco puncture repair kit, ( with reasonably fresh glue tube )
(3) Mobile phone and pleading voice.

 

[PaulSB]

I think you have it covered already. I carry:

1. Two tubes
2. Skabs
3. Full repair kit
4. Tyre boot
5. £20 emergency money in case I've already spent my cafe cash.

Beyond this I'm not sure what else one can reasonably do. Three tubes leaves no room in my bag for other essentials.

I replace the repair kit every 12-18 months. It's only been used once in ten years.