Reusing a repaired inner tube.

[Gattopardo]

Do you reuse a puncture repaired tube or just replace it when you get home?

[nuttycyclist]

A properly repaired tube (i.e. not a self adhesive patch) is as good as new.

I've probably got patches on most tubes in the fleet.




Best one was an old MTB which when I took the tyre off I found I had 26 patches on the tube and one new hole

[orienteer]

Change tube out on the road, repair when home and then return to kit as the spare for next time out. Tend to dispose of tubes after about 5 or 6 repairs, if they don't suffer total failure.

[ChrisO]

Repair at home and reuse probably three times max.

[LEE]

I'm still using tubes repaired (multiple times) years later.

[hellymedic]

When I was an Active Single Cyclist, I could have up to a dozen patches per tube.
Live-In Lover disapproves of my tube-patching activities.

[Gattopardo]

Would the tyres being 700 x 23c make any difference?

[Zoidburg]

Yes indeed, too many patches and they get a bit lumpy say the least.

I keep a new ones with me on the road and repair at home when needed. 3 patches is about the limit until it gets used as bungie cord.

[nuttycyclist]

Would the tyres being 700 x 23c make any difference?

I'll have to check (which means deflating and opening up) but I think I have 5 patches on one of my 700x23 tubes at the moment.  I only have to get the track pump out once a fortnight or so when I remember the tyre may need some air.

[Gattopardo]

Well I have a repaired inner tube on the back of the road bike and today noticed that the tyre was flat today.  Well i repaired the tube with rema patches.  I checked and there were no leaks.

Have inflated it again and was wondering.  The tyres are Vittoria rubbino pro that have a puncture proof liner fitted.

[Biggsy]

You can get very small round patches to use on narrow tubes - fine for most punctures.

Apart from the time in doing the job, and adding (a miniscule amount of) weight and rolling resistance, I can't think of any downside to adding any number of patches if there's room and you've done it properly.

[Biggsy]

I checked and there were no leaks.

You may not have checked thoroughly enough.  It only takes an incredibly small leak for a tyre to go flat in a number of minutes or hours.  Waggle the valve to check the bond between valve and tube, as well as checking the rest of the tube.  Or just replace the tube.

[Manotea]

Repair in the field if possible, often without removing inner tube from wheel/wheel from frame. Most times careful checking of tyre casing will reveal site of puncture in which case its as quick to fix as replace the inner tube AND will ensure cause of puncture has been removed. Having said that, I don't usually bother trying to repair snake bite punctures at all.

[Gattopardo]

Repair in the field if possible, often without removing inner tube from wheel/wheel from frame. Most times careful checking of tyre casing will reveal site of puncture in which case its as quick to fix as replace the inner tube AND will ensure cause of puncture has been removed. Having said that, I don't usually bother trying to repair snake bite punctures at all.

Why not?

[clarion]

I always replace out on the road (for teh first, anyway).  Repaired tubes are there as spares.  More than about three patches I discard, though I've not had too many p*nct*res of late anyway.  I tend to use new tubes with new tyres.

[Manotea]

Repair in the field if possible, often without removing inner tube from wheel/wheel from frame. Most times careful checking of tyre casing will reveal site of puncture in which case its as quick to fix as replace the inner tube AND will ensure cause of puncture has been removed. Also means your pristine new inner tube can stay tucked away in your saddle bag for a real emergency. Having said that, I don't usually bother trying to repair snake bite punctures at all.

Why not?

Two punctures, usually slits, 1~2cm apart, tricksy to do a good job.

[JonBuoy]

I usually repair rather than replace as:

1)  I am a cheapskate
2)  It gives me a longer rest
3)  I like the smell of the glue.

[Blodwyn Pig]

if I'm not in a hurry i'll repair and put back in,as I think that being pumped up hardish whilst still green compresses it against the inside of the tyre and makes a v.good seal. Never throw them away until the valve pulls out of the tube. like nutty mtb's usually got 20-26 patches, problem then comes when you get a hole next to a patch, start to look like shagging snails!  Why waste money, as they say up north "time's money, and we've got neither!"

[Bledlow]

Replace on the road. Repair at home, & re-use. No particular limit. I have an MTB tube with (I counted) 12 patches, including a patched patch which has finally given up the ghost, with a slow puncture I can't trace. Time for the bin - with some regret.

Road tyres never seem to collect quite so many before dying, but some haven't been very far behind.

[nuttycyclist]

Repair in the field if possible, often without removing inner tube from wheel/wheel from frame. Most times careful checking of tyre casing will reveal site of puncture in which case its as quick to fix as replace the inner tube AND will ensure cause of puncture has been removed. Having said that, I don't usually bother trying to repair snake bite punctures at all.

I'm the complete opposite 

I never repair in the field.   For a good repair you need to sand the tube down comprehensively and then also allow the glue to dry (5 to 10 minutes) finally getting the patch on and compressed hard.  That's why I always replace at the roadside and repair at the next stop (home/work/the pub).

I line up the tyre label with the valve.  I find it very quick to remove the tyre (no levers) if the wheel is out of the bike (which again is quick).  Once out you can pump the tube up hard, find the hole, then re-align it to the tyre to find the cause.

I fixed my brother-in-law's tube last weekend.  He got the bike out then walked back to the shed for something.  You should have seen his face because by the time he'd walked up the tiny garden and back I had the tube in my hands and was looking for the hole 

I also often fix snakebites.   Two holes are just as easy as one.  Just find the suitable patch(es).  My brother-in-law's halfraud's special hole was a slash in the tube from the rim tape.  I worked out the leaking points and put two patches end to end to cover it.

[citoyen]

[edit: nutty posted while I was typing and I see he has said much the same as me, so apologies for sounding repetitious/unoriginal...]

I carry one or two spare tubes (depending on the length of the ride) for when I get punctures on the road (plus a pack of Park Super Patches for just in case), and do the repairs when I get home so I can take my time over it and do the repair properly. I used to carry three or four spare tubes for 200km+ rides but that's silly.

Well I have a repaired inner tube on the back of the road bike and today noticed that the tyre was flat today.  Well i repaired the tube with rema patches.

As Biggsy says, you can get smaller, thinner patches that are designed for narrow tubes. I recommend the Rema Tip Top TT04 Sport patches (in the black box, not the green one). You can get them from Wiggle. They are a bit easier to fit on narrow tubes than the standard size patches.

I always used to have problems with tube repairs until I learned how to do it properly. Letting the glue dry properly is the most important thing to remember - allow the glue to dry for a good five minutes at least before applying the patch. And then leave the repair to cure overnight (or longer) before removing the backing from the patch.

Thing is, I never throw out punctured tubes unless they are totally ruined, so over a period of time I amassed loads of tubes with holes in them. I practised puncture repair until I was good at it and now I have about 30 good tubes of assorted dimensions sitting in a box in the garage waiting to be used.

Anyone want some spare tubes?  

d.

[Manotea]

Letting the glue dry properly is the most important thing to remember - allow the glue to dry for a good five minutes at least before applying the patch. And then leave the repair to cure overnight (or longer) before removing the backing from the patch.

Frankly my dears, this is bollox. A quick dab with the sandpaper to clean the tube, a thin smear of glue, blow on it to dry (as in one good puff) slap the patch on and refit leaving backing plastic in situ and pump up as hard as you like. Bish Bash Bosh!

[nuttycyclist]

Anyone want some spare tubes?  

No thanks, I have a large collection of repaired ones waiting to be used 

[nuttycyclist]

Letting the glue dry properly is the most important thing to remember - allow the glue to dry for a good five minutes at least before applying the patch. And then leave the repair to cure overnight (or longer) before removing the backing from the patch.

Frankly my dears, this is bollox. A quick dab with the sandpaper to clean the tube, a thin smear of glue, blow on it to dry (as in one good puff) slap the patch on and refit leaving backing plastic in situ and pump up as hard as you like. Bish Bash Bosh!

I used to think this too - until a fateful summer back in the mid 1990's when I was rushing to Southend airshow with a good friend.

After blasting past the gridlock I picked up a nail.  Quick divert down a hidden sideroad (embarrassment factor) and a quick Bish Bash Bosh repair.

Half a mile later the repair failed.

Three quarters of a mile later the repair failed.

(These were the days before I carried a spare tube.)

Half a mile later the repair failed.

Half a mile later we swore and started walking.

Once we were in situ I repaired properly.  A good sanding.  A 10 minute glue drying session.  A patch that lasted permanently.


As I said above the Audax bike has a tube with several patches, and holds 120psi happily only needing fortnightly topups.

[Biggsy]

Letting the glue dry properly is the most important thing to remember - allow the glue to dry for a good five minutes at least before applying the patch. And then leave the repair to cure overnight (or longer) before removing the backing from the patch.

Frankly my dears, this is bollox. A quick dab with the sandpaper to clean the tube, a thin smear of glue, blow on it to dry (as in one good puff) slap the patch on and refit leaving backing plastic in situ and pump up as hard as you like. Bish Bash Bosh!

I don't agree the allowing the glue to dry bit is bollox, or that giving it a puff is as good.  I used to get failures before I learnt this, now never do.

However, just two or three minutes can be enough when the weather is warm and dry.