How many patches per tube?

It was quite wet this morning for my commute. Normally I just punt and
take the train but with a good tailwind this morning and the wind
reversing for this afternoon, I just had to go.

And, as often happens when I bike in the wet, I got a flat. This tube
now has three patches, two of the "instant" no-glue type.

Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

dgk wrote:
:: It was quite wet this morning for my commute. Normally I just punt
:: and take the train but with a good tailwind this morning and the wind
:: reversing for this afternoon, I just had to go.
::
:: And, as often happens when I bike in the wet, I got a flat. This tube
:: now has three patches, two of the "instant" no-glue type.
::
:: Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
:: that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
:: as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
:: spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

Well, if the cost of tubes is an issue, I'd do it your way. If not, I'd
just toss it.

In general, I'd say that a patched tube doesn't work as well as a new tube,
since the patched tube might not be patched well in all cases (if it is then
it will likely work fine). The correct answer is: it depends. If you patch
a lot of tubes and are good at it, then no problem, espeically if you like
saving money & don't mind patching. Me, with those deals at
performance.com, I just toss them. I do carry a patch kit and spares,
though, cause you never know what might happen on the road.

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...
dgk wrote:
:: It was quite wet this morning for my commute. Normally I just punt
:: and take the train but with a good tailwind this morning and the wind
:: reversing for this afternoon, I just had to go.
::
:: And, as often happens when I bike in the wet, I got a flat. This tube
:: now has three patches, two of the "instant" no-glue type.
::
:: Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
:: that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
:: as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
:: spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

Well, if the cost of tubes is an issue, I'd do it your way. If not, I'd
just toss it.

In general, I'd say that a patched tube doesn't work as well as a new
tube, since the patched tube might not be patched well in all cases (if it
is then it will likely work fine). The correct answer is: it depends. If
you patch a lot of tubes and are good at it, then no problem, espeically
if you like saving money & don't mind patching. Me, with those deals at
performance.com, I just toss them. I do carry a patch kit and spares,
though, cause you never know what might happen on the road.
Also, depends on the tube quality I would say. Since he mentioned sales.
MEC has their own cheap tube, half price to Champion which are double
thickness.
I would want to keep the high quality ones longer and still get a savings.
I use tuffy inserts and kevlar belted tires. I have still found a couple
flats but far fewer.
Warning however, the tuffy makes the ride a little less responsive to the
pavement.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_l...=1175527416299

On Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:03:09 -0400, dgk wrote:

Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

I don't do instant patches - I carry patch kits and do it the old
fashioned way. And try to remember to change the glue in the kits,
after walking home on my first ride a couple of years ago. Useless,
dried up glue tube...

On 'normal' tires, I have no problem with patches and will use a
patched tube for years. I have one narrow tired bike with tires that
aren't friendly when putting them back on. I tend to replace those
tubes with news ones on that one set. I won't claim that no patch has
ever leaked, but no patch has leaked after the second pass and the
leaks have been very, very rare (maybe two, maybe three over decades).

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

"dgk" wrote in message
...
It was quite wet this morning for my commute. Normally I just punt and
take the train but with a good tailwind this morning and the wind
reversing for this afternoon, I just had to go.

And, as often happens when I bike in the wet, I got a flat. This tube
now has three patches, two of the "instant" no-glue type.

Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.



I've had six patches on a tube for over a year, never had one fail
on any bike, road or mountain. That's counting my bikes, my wife's,
and my kids. Includes pinch flats from the kids hitting curbs head-on.
I use the instant glueless type, I've got the old tube and patch kit
but I've never used it, why bother?
Some folks have a bias against them but my experience has been only
positive.

Tubes are $3-5.00. Patches are about $0.50 each. It does take a few extra
minutes
sometimes to find the leak. Faster to just replace the tube on the road or
the trail.
Lots of ways to look at it but I don't feel patch failure is a
consideration.

JP

dgk wrote:

Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

I generally give up on a tube after it has sixteen patches. The ride
gets bumpy when too many concentrated in one section. Other than that I
never worry about which is better. Actually that's not true, I've
experienced more stem failures on new tubes than patched tubes.
Although that might have been because there was a defective lot of tubes
that was manufactured IIRC.

--
Dane Buson -
Creativity is not always bred in an environment of tranquility;
sometimes you have to squeeze a little to get the paste out of the tube.

Got 4 on my rear tire now, 1 on front. No leak problem.

dgk wrote:

It was quite wet this morning for my commute. Normally I just punt and
take the train but with a good tailwind this morning and the wind
reversing for this afternoon, I just had to go.

And, as often happens when I bike in the wet, I got a flat. This tube
now has three patches, two of the "instant" no-glue type.

Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

On Mon, 2 Apr 2007 11:03:59 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
wrote:

dgk wrote:
:: It was quite wet this morning for my commute. Normally I just punt
:: and take the train but with a good tailwind this morning and the wind
:: reversing for this afternoon, I just had to go.
::
:: And, as often happens when I bike in the wet, I got a flat. This tube
:: now has three patches, two of the "instant" no-glue type.
::
:: Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
:: that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
:: as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
:: spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

Well, if the cost of tubes is an issue, I'd do it your way. If not, I'd
just toss it.

In general, I'd say that a patched tube doesn't work as well as a new tube,
since the patched tube might not be patched well in all cases (if it is then
it will likely work fine). The correct answer is: it depends. If you patch
a lot of tubes and are good at it, then no problem, espeically if you like
saving money & don't mind patching. Me, with those deals at
performance.com, I just toss them. I do carry a patch kit and spares,
though, cause you never know what might happen on the road.



Well, on the way home I noticed that the tire seemed a bit low so I
stopped to put more air into it; no gauge while on the road. That
resulted in the tire losing more air as I cursed, and then realized
that the tire just wasn't being inflated. I took it off, and the valve
was pulling off the tube.

When I'm pumplng with that little portable pump I hold the valve and
nearby spokes with one hand and pump with the other. I don't know what
caused the valve to rip, but I was very ****ed.

So I went back to the first tube (patched during the day) and all is
well now. I stopped at a LBS on the way home and picked up another
tube - $8.00. I think I'll get a few online the next time I order
something.

"dgk" wrote in message
...

Do patches work as well as a new tube?

Maybe better? It's a little thicker where the patch is.

I haven't had a patch go bad
that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

Same here. When we had a flat on the tandem on Saturday, my husband looked
dubious when he saw all the patches on the tube I pulled out of the bike
bag, but it held just fine. Which reminds me, I need to find the hole on the
other tube.

--
Warm Regards,


Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

dgk wrote:
It was quite wet this morning for my commute. Normally I just punt and
take the train but with a good tailwind this morning and the wind
reversing for this afternoon, I just had to go.

And, as often happens when I bike in the wet, I got a flat. This tube
now has three patches, two of the "instant" no-glue type.

Do patches work as well as a new tube? I haven't had a patch go bad
that I know of. I actually alternate tubes since I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit, so the newly patched tube just becomes the
spare and doesn't even get used till the next flat.

dgk-
I don't think that the number of patches is all that important (as long
as they are not overlapping each other). I always carry a spare tube
with me and I usually wait until I get home to patch the old tube (which
then becomes my "spare" tube).

But, as a general rule of thumb, I won't bother to patch any tube thats
seen more than two or three years of use.

--

Paul D Oosterhout
I work for SAIC (but I don't speak for SAIC)