patching tubes - a bulk, high quality approach - How?

[eddief]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum. But I never paid any attention because I never was into patching unless I was in a situation without a new spare tube. Today I was riding with a very strong and thrifty woman who said she saves all her hole-y tubes and then just takes a spare afternoon, sits down, and has a big patching session.

I liked that idea, but have no clue if I approached it that way what would be the highest quality bulk approach to glue and patches. I know there is the old vulcan process, but now how about the self sticking kind of patches?

[saab2000]

Forget self sticking patches. They're only good to get you to the end of a ride, at best. Mostly they're a farce.

Get the small, dime-sized patches and some vulcanizing cement. Find the hole, mark it, buff it (all stuff you already know) and apply the cement. Then hold the tiny patch down with a rag or paper towel or toilet paper. Make sure the thin edges stick. Then just hang them to cure. Not dry, cure. Give 'em a day.

Leave the paper towel fragments attached until it's completely cured.

Why people throw out tubes with a pinhole in them completely confounds me.

The key is the tiny, thin, dime-sized patches, which are not so easy to find.

[zetroc]

I bought a 100 pack of Rema brand patches - small, round, feathered edges - from Loosescrews.com, along with a can of patch glue. I haven't found a rainy enough day to make me want to patch all my old tubes but it's on my to-do list. Hope this helps.

[tannhauser]

Tsk, tsk. You live in Berkeley and you throw out holey tubes?

Shame on you.

[thejen12]

I bet he recycles them ;)

Jenn

[saab2000]

It takes like two or three minutes to do this. Seriously. It ain't hard.

[eddief]

i know how, i just never trusted patches. that might be due to not perfecting my technique. if i can tune a triple, i ought to be able to get good at tube patching.

can you snort that stuff?

It takes like two or three minutes to do this. Seriously. It ain't hard.

[toaster]

Right here I'm revealing my secret.


Use Dremel tool with sandpaper drum accessory to buff the area then use rubber solvent (available from Napa auto supply) to clean the rubber debris allowing an even better bond.

Always use Rema patches!

[staggerwing]

Find hole, scrub well with some 80 grit sandpaper, degrease/clean with a spritz of isopropyl alcohol on a clean rag/towel, apply thin film of patch glue, let dry completely, apply patch, burnish in with a kitchen spoon/crank arm/pen cap/etc, go ride.

Sounds far more complicated than it is. Easy to do half a dozen in 10-15 minutes.

[tannhauser]

You can't really "recycle" tubes - big mess.

It's an art, like riding a bike. You can't talk about it. Just do it. You get better through reps.

[saab2000]

This is what you're looking for. I imagined I'd find these at Rivendell's website because I always imagined Grant Peterson as a practical sort of fellow. Sure enough, here is exactly what I'm talking about. This picture is taken from his website. The razor thin edge patches which are small. Those huge patches most $hitty patch kits come with are worthless because they overlap the edges of a flat tube. So they don't fully attach and leave an area for a leak. Smaller = better because the holes are generally just pinhole sized. You don't need big patches. Frankly, if there were eraser head sized patches available they'd be even better.

http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/ctxtv.wmppt/v/vspfiles/photos/TU3-4.jpg

I'm not on some sort of crusade about this, but throwing out tubes just because of a tiny hole seems such a waste when you can get these for like $.20 each and go on and on.

Put it in better terms......

Each saved tube = about 2 or 3 super beers....... That's a language we all speak.

[eddief]

i do like beer and money.

This is what you're looking for. I imagined I'd find these at Rivendell's website because I always imagined Grant Peterson as a practical sort of fellow. Sure enough, here is exactly what I'm talking about. This picture is taken from his website. The razor thin edge patches which are small. Those huge patches most $hitty patch kits come with are worthless because they overlap the edges of a flat tube. So they don't fully attach and leave an area for a leak. Smaller = better because the holes are generally just pinhole sized. You don't need big patches. Frankly, if there were eraser head sized patches available they'd be even better.

http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/ctxtv.wmppt/v/vspfiles/photos/TU3-4.jpg

I'm not on some sort of crusade about this, but throwing out tubes just because of a tiny hole seems such a waste when you can get these for like $.20 each and go on and on.

Put it in better terms......

Each saved tube = about 2 or 3 super beers....... That's a language we all speak.

[kramnnim]

I bought a 100 pack of Rema brand patches - small, round, feathered edges - from Loosescrews.com, along with a can of patch glue. I haven't found a rainy enough day to make me want to patch all my old tubes but it's on my to-do list. Hope this helps.

I did the same, but waited too long and the glue dried up. :(

Still have the majority of the patches, though.

[tiretrax]

i am waiting for that rainy day. i can't believe my thrifty friends who mow their own lawn but always use a fresh tube.

[palincss]

I liked that idea, but have no clue if I approached it that way what would be the highest quality bulk approach to glue and patches. I know there is the old vulcan process, but now how about the self sticking kind of patches?

Self-sticking is a temporary repair.

Batch mode or no, if you're doing it at home it gets a lot easier if you have a sink full of water handy to identify the leak, a large sheet of sand paper for the abrasion, a jar of rubber cement (the stuff Staples and the drug stores sell is fine) and a large box of patches. You can buy Rema patches by the 100.

[john903]

Thats what I do. Over the season I might only get two flats put a patched tube in continue riding, and come winter just patch the couple and put them back in the rotation until the tube has three patches then throw them away.
I don't drink but when tubes are 6 to 10 dollars that is some spare savings for something else such as a good beer if you like. :)
john

[classtimesailer]

What do you guys do with that thin plastic film that is sometimes on the outside of the patch? Sometimes I leave it on and sometimes I peel it off.

I sometimes skip the one day drying step by a sprinkling of baby powder and put it right back in the baggy and my saddle bag.
Jeff

[oldpotatoe]

i do like beer and money.

A decent bike shop will have a box of Rema patches, the big and smaller...

If they don't they should, and spare tubes of glue.....