My first flat tire…a question about flat repair…

[OneEighth]

Personally, I would ditch the repaired tube for a new one. But then, I also stopped fiddling with repairing tubes except as a last resort.

[consularrider]

I’ve had mixed success with patched tubes (so far I haven’t used glueless patches). Some seem to work well for months, others just until the next ride. It seems that if I can find what caused the hole (like with your thumbtack), I have a better chance that the tube will be ok for a while. It’s when I don’t find anything sharp in the tire or wheel, that I seem to start having unexplained failure to hold air or unexplained holes.

[RESTONTODC]

Since the tube costs only $5, I replace it instead of repairing it.

Spoke sells three for $15 and I always get $5 off coupon from them.

[StopMeansStop]

I got my first a few weeks ago. Took me 20 mins to borrow a pump.

The guy at spokes said to get a new tube and save the old ones and fix several at the same time. Sounds like a fair plan.

[DaveK]

I have two patches on one of my tubes right now… it’ll be fine.

[Joe Chapline]

I don’t bother patching tubes any more; I keep a supply of replacements on hand. In the past though, I found that if the repair didn’t leak right away, it would probably hold up until the next puncture. A lot of my repairs leaked right away, so I gave that up.

SerialCarpins had a thumbtack in his tire, so that was easy to find. A tip for when it’s not so obvious: When you take the tire off, mark both the tire and tube with a piece of chalk before separating them, so you can see where the tube was in the tire. You can find the leak in the tube by putting a little air in it. Then you can find the corresponding spot in the tire to look for the cause. When it’s a little piece of glass, it helps to know where to look.

[Tim Kelley]

@Joe Chapline 5823 wrote:

When you take the tire off, mark both the tire and tube with a piece of chalk before separating them, so you can see where the tube was in the tire.

Another option is to always line the brand name of the tire up with the valve stem of the tube when you put them on the wheel. That way you don’t have to worry about carrying chalk around if you aren’t changing it at home!

Plus, I’m told, it looks more “pro.”

[FFX_Hinterlands]

I’ve been riding around on a patch for over a year… I keep *meaning* to replace it. Anyhow, I prefer to patch since I can sometimes do so without removing chainguard, shifter cable, coaster brake arm and wheel nuts. I forgot my pump today, though, so I’ll probably get a flat later.

[Joe Chapline]

@Tim Kelley 5824 wrote:

Another option is to always line the brand name of the tire up with the valve stem of the tube when you put them on the wheel. That way you don’t have to worry about carrying chalk around if you aren’t changing it at home!

Plus, I’m told, it looks more “pro.”

Good tip. You would need to be careful not to flip the tube over in the process of fixing the flat — although if you lose track of which way the tube went, you would still have only two small areas of tire to check.

[RESTONTODC]

According the patch instruction from below site, you need to wait 1 hour for glue dries before installing it back in the tire. You also need baby power. It’s much easier to install a new tube and go.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/244719-how-to-patch-bike-tubes/

[CCrew]

@OneEighth 5811 wrote:

I also stopped fiddling with repairing tubes except as a last resort.

Same here. They’re so cheap and I depend on the bike for transportation so I chuck them.

[SteveTheTech]

@Tim Kelley 5824 wrote:

Another option is to always line the brand name of the tire up with the valve stem of the tube when you put them on the wheel.

Mmmm I love it when things line up.
I too had my first flat tire yesterday and did the exact same thing. Woohooo
I caught a staple right in the center of my tread, on my first day commuting on wet roads. I learned many things yesterday. Man hole covers and center lines on a rapidly deflating rear tire was a an experience I will not soon forget.

In my seat post bag I always keep a spare tube (had it there since day one, but only purchased tire spoons recently). I don’t like repairing radial tires at work so I would not repair a tire with no tread that runs 3x the pressure of a car tire. The time to be playing with tubes is not on the side of the road.

Does anyone use a Presta valve specific tire pressure gauge that does not let too much air out? I suck at hitting the 100+ psi mark when using my carry along pump, not that I can’t I always think it’s enough about 20% too low. I carry several tools already why not one more….

[DismalScientist]

Tire gauges? Who needs ’em? That’s what thumbs are for.

[eminva]

@SteveTheTech 5839 wrote:

Does anyone use a Presta valve specific tire pressure gauge that does not let too much air out? I suck at hitting the 100+ psi mark when using my carry along pump, not that I can’t I always think it’s enough about 20% too low. I carry several tools already why not one more….

In the bike shops, I’ve been told you don’t have to get it up to the full 100+ psi; it’s okay for it to be a little lower just so you can ride on it until you get home or some place where you can use a floor pump (e.g., a bike shop along your route). There is no way in the world I could pump up a tire to 100 psi or more without a floor pump, or some way of getting leverage.

Otherwise, this is a topic about which I do not speak — like a baseball player, I have all sorts of crazy superstitions to help me avoid flats, and like a baseball player, I can’t discuss them. 😮

Liz

[Mark Blacknell]

I patch and re-use tubes all the time – why waste a perfectly repairable tube? As suggested above, it’s easier to just let tubes pile up and then use them as something mindless to do in front of the TV. Also, if you’re headed out on a long ride (or far from home), carrying a patch kit (and knowing how to use it) is a *very* good idea. Multiple punctures on a long ride (say, a century ride) aren’t at all uncommon. This is why it’s also a good idea to carry a pump, instead of relying on a 1 or 2 shot CO2 cartridge.

Also, the author of that content-farm piece linked above is an idiot who doesn’t know what in the hell he’s talking about. I’d be surprised if he’s ever even held a tire tube. Ignore it (and no, you don’t need to let tubes dry for an hour before you reinstall them). As usual, Sheldon has the answers to all of your questions – http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html

[Author]

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