Puncture repairs

[presta]

It never occurred to me that patches might have a shelf life, I always used mine until they ran out. The last solution I bought was just after lockdown started, and being as I gave up cycling a few days later it's still unopened.

 

[sevenfourate]

Park Tool Blue patches have never failed me. One patched tube still holding over 2 years later.

Good info ! As someone who’s in a flatty rut 🤦‍♂️- this is invaluable. I’m about to invest 👌

 

[sleuthey]

Ive been using a sheet of the Weldtite stuff with Chinese rubber cement in super glue size tubes. Seems fine.

 

[steveindenmark]

I stopped using tubes of adhesive a long time ago and now use self adhesive patches. They never fail me.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I stopped using tubes of adhesive a long time ago and now use self adhesive patches. They never fail me.

What type do you use - and how do you prepare the tube before sticking it on??

 

[steveindenmark]

What type do you use - and how do you prepare the tube before sticking it on??

I have 2 or 3 different types. Clear the obstruction in the tyre. Find the hole, sand it, stick the patch on. Replace in the tyre and inflate. Thats it

 

[Chris S]

i have also noticed that inner tubes now have more pronounced ridges on them to make it harder to mend the puncture , i have thrown away 2-3 this year as the patch cant stick down properly unless i sand the tube down enough which might make it weak ?

I take the ridges off with a Stanley knife.

 

[rydabent]

Hello all
just a proper follow on to something I posted on the Retirement Thread
Anyway - to my annoyance the LBS helped me out by replacing my front tyre while they had the bike for something else
The price was cheap but I prefer to choose my own tyres - they had used a Schwalbe - but not a Marathon as I normally use

Anyway - naturlaly a few weeks later I got a puncture in it - OK as I just changed the inner tube
but when I got home I was faced with fixing the hole in the old tube

ANyway - to the point (at last the cry!)
In the old days I used to have a tube of rubber solution and a box of rubber patches
I just cleaned up the area round the hole - covered the area with rubber solution and put the patch on it
a minute or so later and it was sealed

WHen I started cycling more reguarly again I got a puncture repair kit and it was as I remembered.
but when I started to run out of patches and rubber solution I did what I have always done and got bigger tube of solution
and a larger sheet of patches
only the patches were rubbish. They have orange edges which are extremly fragile and rip very easily and hence are almost impossible to get of their backing

every shop I go to seems to only have the very small full kits - or self adhesive patches

now self adhesive patches seem the best way to go
But i have tried 2 brands and none of them seem to work for any length of time

In this case I had loads of time so I stuck the self adhesive patch on and held it on under light pressure using a g-clamp - for a couple of hours

this morning it was flat again




so - the question
finally
are there better quality self adhesive patches around - and if so what brand/version

and

are there any old fashions patches that are designed to work with rubber solution and are string enough to come off their backing without ripping???


Thanks

Mike

I use Park glueless patches. Some say they are only temporary, but I find in fact they are long lasting. One of my tubes must have a Park patch on it that is 3 or 4 years old. The trick is to buff up the area, and then inflate the tube to the size it will be in the tire, and then stick the patch on. That insures there is no pulling stress on the patch when it is inflated inside the tire.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I've given away packets of Skabs patches to stranded riders in the past and none of them have tried to hunt me down and kill me

That because their tyres are still flat and they can’t catch you.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What @roubaixtuesday said ^^

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Ahh

I have been putting the patch on when the tyre is flat
maybe that is where I am going wrong

Still going to get some new ones - the old ones have been in my bag for many years!

 

[T4tomo]

are there any old fashions patches that are designed to work with rubber solution and are string enough to come off their backing without ripping???

I think you're technique is wrong, a Roubaix says, just fold the patch and take the foil off from centre outwards and stick to uninflated tube (you don't want a bubble of air forcing its way out under you patch whilst the glue rubber solution is still wet.

It still works just as it did bitd.

The orange edged patches are best IMO.

You don't need to take the backing off both sides, simply take off the foil backing and press on firmly with the other backing still on. You can take it off later when the glue is fully dry.

Sanding down the tube very well beforehand is essential.

I've done about ten this way on tour this year without a failure.

as will everything prep is essential - sand tube before and dust with chalk afterwards - decent P-kit should have chalk block in it.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I think you're technique is wrong, a Roubaix says, just fold the patch and take the foil off from centre outwards and stick to uninflated tube (you don't want a bubble of air forcing its way out under you patch whilst the glue is still wet.

as will everything prep is essential - sand tube before and dust with chalk afterwards - decent P-kit should have chalk block in it.

The ones I got were, I think, rubbish.
The foil backing just would not come off - they were in sheets of about 15 so you had to take it off from the edges and it generally ripped the patch however careful I was
I think I will ditch them and get some better ones and try them

I will also get some self adhesive to use if I need them on the road!

thanks for all the replies
I'm sure it was easier when there was only one option and I was in my teens/twenties!!!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Ahh

I have been putting the patch on when the tyre is flat
maybe that is where I am going wrong

Still going to get some new ones - the old ones have been in my bag for many years!

I'm struggling to imagine how else you could do it. Put it on while it's pumped up? Hang on, you'd need to patch it first

 

[Ming the Merciless]

whilst the glue is still wet

We need to dispel this misconception as well. It’s not glue. It’s rubber solution. You are waiting for the solvent to evaporate, leaving the tacky rubber behind, to which to apply the patch.