Inner tubes, fix or ditch?

[youngoldbloke]

Glad to see that you are a repairer.
I personally think it's best to inflate repaired tubes off the bike though and leave them at least overnight to check that the repair is fine. After that it's all packaged up in clingfilm and treated as a new tube. Which it is.

It is tempting to inflate off the bike to see if it is holding, but a patch will be more reliable if the tube put back on the wheel immediately and inflated to normal pressure against the tyre.

 

[Bilbosdad]

I learned the hard way that 2 tubes and a puncture kit is the minimum kit needed for a winter ride - roadside repairs are much better than long walks in the rain.

 

[Davidc]

It is tempting to inflate off the bike to see if it is holding, but a patch will be more reliable if the tube put back on the wheel immediately and inflated to normal pressure against the tyre.

Any more than 5 to 10 psi and it'll likely balloon. Best idea is to acquire an old but sound rim, and an old but complete tyre. Put the tube + tyre on the rim and inflate to the maximum for the tyre. If it's still at 90% after a week the repair's good.

I learned the hard way that 2 tubes and a puncture kit is the minimum kit needed for a winter ride - roadside repairs are much better than long walks in the rain.

Agree 100%. All the kit needs to be is a pack of self adhesive patches and 2 tyre levers (and if not QR hubs then allen key/spanner) plus a pump.

 

[Blue Hills]

Any more than 5 to 10 psi and it'll likely balloon. Best idea is to acquire an old but sound rim, and an old but complete tyre. Put the tube + tyre on the rim and inflate to the maximum for the tyre. If it's still at 90% after a week the repair's good.

I do pump it up until it seriously balloons - far far more than it ever could when inside a tyre. I think I had/have the idea that this is a serious test. Is this not good?

Maybe your idea is best (I can see a sense in it) though as I tend to save my patching for a dull evening and do two or three at a time, your system would be more of a fag.

 

[Night Train]

Always repair! No point wasting resources (or money) really.

If you don't repair then you could send your tubes and tyres to me or Arch and we'll turn them into bags and belts.
We do look forward to finding tubes with patches on, though, as they add interest to a bag. Patched tubes are a bit hard to come by for some strange reason.

 

[Davidc]

I do pump it up until it seriously balloons - far far more than it ever could when inside a tyre. I think I had/have the idea that this is a serious test. Is this not good?

Maybe your idea is best (I can see a sense in it) though as I tend to save my patching for a dull evening and do two or three at a time, your system would be more of a fag.

I don't think stretching tubes beyond their elastic limit is a good idea, it'll alter their properties permanently. I could be wrong though, as I haven't investigated it.

I always repair tubes soon after getting back, so my routine works well. When I put the mended tube on the test rim the previous occupant comes off, gets rolled up, an elastic band on it, and into the tool kit to replace the one that's gone onto the wheel.

I once had a bare tube on the compressor and got distracted. Don't know what pressure the tube got to, but the bang was amazingly loud. (That tube wasn't repairable again).

 

[Blue Hills]

mm
you may well be right.

Will change my habits and stop doing party tricks with my tubes.

 

[derrick]

I got a puncture last weekend, when i got home i repaired it straight away then i ordered 4 new ones online, they were delivered on wednesday and a new one went straight into saddle bag, i'll keep the old one as a spare.

 

[Bill-H]

swap at roadside and pray i dont get a second if i do which has happend repair the second one when home repair first and put in saddle bag as new spare after 3 visits i recycle into catapults

 

[Davidc]

Why do people stop repairing after 3 repairs? Provided the repairs are sound and not too close to one another I can't see any reason not to go on repairing indefinitely.

 

[Bill-H]

i dont know why i do stop at 3 just always have even on my kids bmx when they were small

 

[Leaway2]

i dont know why i do stop at 3 just always have even on my kids bmx when they were small

It's the extra weight

 

[subaqua]

i dont know why i do stop at 3 just always have even on my kids bmx when they were small

I had a tube that was more patch than tube in my bmx lookylikey as a kid

 

[Alun]

I have had some failures recently with (Park Tools) glueless patches failing some time after the repair has been done.
I carry a proper repair kit now, as well as 1 or 2 replacement tubes. I would still use the glueless ones as a get you home repair though.

 

[Recycle]

I repair but if the frequency of punctures starts climbing I take it as evidence of fatigue (the tyre's not mine) & replace tube and tyre.