Where are the Rema patch kits?

[Veloo]

Was just looking on my usual LBS sites to get a new Rema patch kit but none of them are carrying them now. All opting to carry the Park vulcanizing patch kit. Didn't even know Park was making this now.

Just easier supply chain?

https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/product/_productEnlarged/VP-1_016.jpg

[fmradio516]

Park has made them for a while. At least 10 years or so. Havent seen the Rema kits in stores in a while now.

[weisan]

I get mine on eBay.

[charliedid]

There is no difference between Rema and Park as far as I can tell, I bet they come from the same factory.

[R3awak3n]

I am probably in the minority here but every time I have bought one of those kits its always a PITA, the fluid always dries up. I now just use the park sticker thingies and they have always worked flawlessly and so much easier.

[jemoryl]

There is no difference between Rema and Park as far as I can tell, I bet they come from the same factory.

Nope. I prefer the Rema, and they are made in Germany. Last time I used the Park patches they were from Taiwan (not that that matters, but certainly not the same factory). This eBay vendor is a reliable source of the Rema kits: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pack-Rema-TT02-Bike-Patch-Touring-Repair-Kits-Flat-Puncture-Safety-Emergency/222329420314 .

[charliedid]

Nope. I prefer the Rema, and they are made in Germany. Last time I used the Park patches they were from Taiwan (not that that matters, but certainly not the same factory). This eBay vendor is a reliable source of the Rema kits: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pack-Rema-TT02-Bike-Patch-Touring-Repair-Kits-Flat-Puncture-Safety-Emergency/222329420314 .

Yeah I guess you are right about being made in Germany.

[batman1425]

I am probably in the minority here but every time I have bought one of those kits its always a PITA, the fluid always dries up. I now just use the park sticker thingies and they have always worked flawlessly and so much easier.

100% this. The only time I've actually used one before it went bad was when picking up a few of them to repair of bunch of punctured tubes I had sitting around.

The sticker ones work just as well to get you home IMO. Take up less space in the repair kit too.

I do like the little boxes though for organizing various small items. I use an old one to hold a quick link, valve stem extender, said sticky patches and a presta adapter. Keeps all that stuff from getting lost in my saddle bag.

[skouri1]

I have had stick on patches crack over time (the park ones).
I think the traditional patches are better.
I bought a rema mega pack...there are tons in there, maybe 100?
Then separately got a slime something or other rubber cement thing for like 7 bucks. Close the lid tightly and has not dried up in 2+ years now. just patched a tube :)

[oldpotatoe]

I have had stick on patches crack over time (the park ones).
I think the traditional patches are better.
I bought a rema mega pack...there are tons in there, maybe 100?
Then separately got a slime something or other rubber cement thing for like 7 bucks. Close the lid tightly and has not dried up in 2+ years now. just patched a tube :)

I agree...get a pack of 100 patches..then a pack of wee glue tubes..and make yer own..the patches last forever, the wee tubes don't..regularly rotate a old one out and new one in.

[Veloo]

I thought the self adhesive Park ones were great when they first came out. Take up less space in a saddle bag too. But over time I'd find they were not holding up and I'd find slow leaks in the patched area.

Just recently went back to Rema but now no one's carrying it locally.

[AngryScientist]

I thought the self adhesive Park ones were great when they first came out. Take up less space in a saddle bag too. But over time I'd find they were not holding up and I'd find slow leaks in the patched area.

Just recently went back to Rema but now no one's carrying it locally.

The park stick-on patches are meant to be a temporary field repair. I carry one spare tube and the stick on patches. If i repair a tube with a stick on patch, when i get home, that patch get's removed and the puncture gets a proper permanent patch.

realistically, i save tubes with holes until i have half a dozen or more and then spend some time with a glass of scotch and patch a bunch of tubes.

big can of Rema vulcanizing fluid and the patches. i bought a pack of 100 or something a long time ago and they are still going.

effective patching is all about surface prep, patience and technique. I have never had a properly affixed rema patch fail.

[Hellgate]

Was just looking on my usual LBS sites to get a new Rema patch kit but none of them are carrying them now. All opting to carry the Park vulcanizing patch kit. Didn't even know Park was making this now.



Just easier supply chain?



https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/product/_productEnlarged/VP-1_016.jpgI just ordered the Park kit from Excel Sports last week, along with the Park Boot kit.

[MikeD]

I just ordered the Park kit from Excel Sports last week, along with the Park Boot kit.


The Park boot works well and is a good thing to carry. Dollar bills don't work.

[RoosterCogset]

Stick on patches for me.. as mentioned, they suffice to get you home, and only then would get used if I use up somehow the spare tube(s) I am carrying anyway (eg. for the 3rd flat on a ride). Haven't run into this situation yet.
Stickons just sit in the same wallet thingy that has a bit of cash, id and a creditcard.

Maybe only tops 3 flats a year, so I just use new tubes - a longer term flat repair with worry about drying up glue etc isn't worth the hassle to me.

[Hellgate]

The Park boot works well and is a good thing to carry. Dollar bills don't work.I agree.

I also carry a strip of duct tape wrapped around a CO2 cylinder too. It's saved my bacon more than once. [emoji1641] [emoji1641] [emoji1641]

From booting tires holding together torn flesh. Yikes!

[ColonelJLloyd]

I also carry a strip of duct tape wrapped around a CO2 cylinder too. It's saved my bacon more than once. [emoji1641] [emoji1641] [emoji1641]

From booting tires holding together torn flesh. Yikes!

Duct tape and zip ties are bikepacking essentials. Never leave home without 'em!

https://live.staticflickr.com/4505/37474969121_cabcc2f437_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Z6x1Hg)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/Z6x1Hg) by ColonelJLloyd (https://www.flickr.com/photos/51002114@N03/), on Flickr

[Hellgate]

Duct tape and zip ties are bikepacking essentials. Never leave home without 'em!



https://live.staticflickr.com/4505/37474969121_cabcc2f437_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Z6x1Hg)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/Z6x1Hg) by ColonelJLloyd (https://www.flickr.com/photos/51002114@N03/), on FlickrNow that is creative!

[ColonelJLloyd]

Haha. Mother necessity and all that. ;)

[merlinmurph]

big can of Rema vulcanizing fluid and the patches. i bought a pack of 100 or something a long time ago and they are still going.


Ha! Didn't know you could do that. Might have to include some in my next order.

[OldCrank]

anyone notice the clear plastic on top of the Rema patches become harder to remove over time?
Maybe I got an already-old box.

Oh and BTW: Park kits can be refilled, from the Rema box, and Aliexpress sells those obnoxious little tubes of cement.
Just remember to weigh them (or just toss `em) in the spring.

And them we find road glass and potholes WOOT

[zennmotion]

The park stick-on patches are meant to be a temporary field repair. I carry one spare tube and the stick on patches. If i repair a tube with a stick on patch, when i get home, that patch get's removed and the puncture gets a proper permanent patch.

realistically, i save tubes with holes until i have half a dozen or more and then spend some time with a glass of scotch and patch a bunch of tubes.

big can of Rema vulcanizing fluid and the patches. i bought a pack of 100 or something a long time ago and they are still going.

effective patching is all about surface prep, patience and technique. I have never had a properly affixed rema patch fail.

I've never seen the vulcanizing fluid in a big can- but I've made my own by mixing a little mineral spirits into a jar of Elmers rubber cement from the office supply store. It works, but a little more fussy than the real thing.

[unterhausen]

How long does the can of Rema cement last? A tube is pretty much gone once it has been opened. Not sure how long it actually takes to dry up, but it's not long enough.

[LouDeeter]

I've used cut up old tires for boots for years. They'll get me home. I have to finesse them a bit to stay in place for the bad cuts, if I can even keep the tires after a cut that requires a boot.

[Johnnysmooth]

Mixed success w stick on patches
Remi has never let me down. And as to those tubes of glue, just wrap a little plastic wrap around the cap to eliminate evaporation. How easy is that?
Been doing it for years and an open tube will last if properly wrapped for over a yr

[LouDeeter]

Rema kits are available through Amazon. I buy the bulk patches and tubes of cement. I patch about once every 3 months all the tubes I've accumulated that can be patched. Did it this week.

[MikeD]

How long does the can of Rema cement last? A tube is pretty much gone once it has been opened. Not sure how long it actually takes to dry up, but it's not long enough.


I bought one and it dried up before I used much of it. You really have to patch a lot of tubes to make it worth it.

[Hindmost]

... a jar of Elmers rubber cement
...

This stuff works just fine. Just don't plan on applying patches while on the road. I finally found this years ago after various sources for jars of patch cement disappeared. Even these jars gradually dry out with use and need to be thinned with solvent or replaced.

[jemoryl]

anyone notice the clear plastic on top of the Rema patches become harder to remove over time?
Maybe I got an already-old box.

Oh and BTW: Park kits can be refilled, from the Rema box, and Aliexpress sells those obnoxious little tubes of cement.
Just remember to weigh them (or just toss `em) in the spring.

And them we find road glass and potholes WOOT

I'm not sure it is because your patches are old. In recent years, I've tried peeling the clear plastic layer off and instead the patch starts coming off! My hunch is they have changed the formulation of the cement (to make it less toxic?) or the rubber in the tubes has changed (I almost always use Michelin A1 Airstop tubes). It has become increasingly difficult to get a good patch, when in the past it was child's play.

[charliedid]

Y'all really get that many flat tires? I can go seasons with no flat tires. I always pushed the REMA and always sold them when available but truth is I think the Park or any of the others work just as well. It's all really simple and good prep is key.

[Hellgate]

Y'all really get that many flat tires? I can go seasons with no flat tires. I always pushed the REMA and always sold them when available but truth is I think the Park or any of the others work just as well. It's all really simple and good prep is key.I get about 20+ flats a season. I had 2 last week on the same ride from small bits of glass. Even a front flat, that never happens.

Until construction ends in the Austin area, que laugh track, I will continue to get flats. It is what it is.

[charliedid]

I get about 20+ flats a season. I had 2 last week on the same ride from small bits of glass. Even a front flat, that never happens.

Until construction ends in the Austin area, que laugh track, I will continue to get flats. It is what it is.

Wow 20+ which tires do you run?

[fmradio516]

I get about 20+ flats a season. I had 2 last week on the same ride from small bits of glass. Even a front flat, that never happens.

Until construction ends in the Austin area, que laugh track, I will continue to get flats. It is what it is.

Thats really funny. My buddy who lives in Austin never stops complaining about how many flats he gets. I had to ship him a bunch of tubes that I had laying around with holes in them so he could patch and re-use them.

The thing that really sucks about flats is once you get you, youre doomed to get at least one more a couple days later on the same wheel. Whether its patch failure, or install pinch, it seems to happen frequently.

[AngryScientist]

haha it's true.

i dont think any roofer in the history of roofers has ever closed a box of nails before throwing it in the back of his pickup and bouncing down the road.

[Hellgate]

Wow 20+ which tires do you run?Corsas April - November, garden hose in the winter. Gatorskin, Amadrillo, etc.

It's wire, glass, staples, screws, nails, etc. The majority is construction material. I was actually surprised to pick the glass out last week. It was, well, refreshing.

Below are a few from the archive.

I think of it as a hobby within a hobby. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200604/e932a5840ecb97968b96539501bf2e56.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200604/f4b2617be8f0d5b61f0cc10797dfd0ad.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200604/c228a75984878e332c0392cae9329896.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200604/a4e2a4c26a5317f5209ed51aa59cd0ab.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200604/3f158ac71f098b2afd1b9c793fe39b7e.jpg

[charliedid]

Good lord don't they clean the streets in Austin. Chicago has at least that going for it!

You seem to have a good attitude about it. If it were me I'd be Gatorskins year round but I wouldn't love it.

[Hellgate]

I don't ride in the city, but in Chicago speak, the suburbs. The residential growth over the past 10 years is mind blowing. The population has increased 30% hence all of the debris.

[charliedid]

I don't ride in the city, but in Chicago speak, the suburbs. The residential growth over the past 10 years is mind blowing. The population has increased 30% hence all of the debris.

Yeah I get that...parts of Chicago are lousy that way. I live right at the north border so I'm in the suburbs in under a minute. If I got that many flats I'd probably trade my bike for roller blades.

[Hellgate]

It's actually few that I got when I lived in Colorado. Look up goatsheads.

[charliedid]

It's actually few that I got when I lived in Colorado. Look up goatsheads.

Oh no I am familiar with those little devils from Arizona.

[AngryScientist]

If I got that many flats I'd probably trade my bike for roller blades.

i feel like it's weird and comes in freak waves.

i wont have a flat for 2 years, and then i'll have like 4 in a month.

it really all boils down to luck.

i'm not a huge proponent, but i feel like if you really get a lot of flats on the road, tubeless and good sealant might be the answer.

i have to admit, i recently built up a carbon bike and bought a set of wheels that came to me with brand new tires already set-up tubeless, and they are working out really, really well.

[charliedid]

i feel like it's weird and comes in freak waves.

i wont have a flat for 2 years, and then i'll have like 4 in a month.

it really all boils down to luck.

i'm not a huge proponent, but i feel like if you really get a lot of flats on the road, tubeless and good sealant might be the answer.

i have to admit, i recently built up a carbon bike and bought a set of wheels that came to me with brand new tires already set-up tubeless, and they are working out really, really well.

We always were the wall of silence in the bike shops when customers would ask "how many flat tires do you get?" We would just look at ea. other and shake our heads. Nope not talking about it...:-)

I too am back on a carbon bike with nice tubeless wheels but have yet to take the plunge. I may set up a different set first and see how it goes. Bike is pretty plush running 28's as is but I'm still remaining curious. I have a set of 28 Schwalbe Pro ones I got from a rep to give a try.

[Peter P.]

Your local bike shop can order Rema patches in the typical 25mm size, and the even better 16mm size (for skinny road tubes) in boxes of 100.

They can also order 8oz. cans of glue, and 5g tubes.

Tell 'em to look in the QBP catalog, the Sears of bike parts.

[ColonelJLloyd]

i'm not a huge proponent, but i feel like if you really get a lot of flats on the road, tubeless and good sealant might be the answer.

Not much can stand up to the nails and screw punctures in those pics above, but I have to think tubeless would cut that 20+ number down from some of the glass and other random detritus. I also think that tires with much higher volume and much lower pressure really help in rolling over a lot of those large sharp things versus being impaled by them. But, I can't point to science to support that feeling.

[cgolvin]

I just ordered a box of 100, which is more than I will need.
If you need some I'm happy to share, just send a message.
However, they're not scheduled to arrive for a couple of weeks so, like me, you'll need to wait a bit.

[fiamme red]

I got a Rema patch kit from my LBS a few weeks ago. It was timely, since I've used four patches in the past week.

[Veloo]

One LBS told me "the distributor has been out of the kits for a while and there is still no ETA."

[cgolvin]

To be clear, all I ordered were patches, not the kit, since I only patch at home. I keep a tube of glue upside down on the shelf to prevent it from drying out and I have loads of sandpaper from old kits.

[fmradio516]

To be clear, all I ordered were patches, not the kit, since I only patch at home. I keep a tube of glue upside down on the shelf to prevent it from drying out and I have loads of sandpaper from old kits.

Id be down to throw you some money for some! I dont see a point in ordering myself a hundred. Theyll never get used.

[cgolvin]

Id be down to throw you some money for some! I dont see a point in ordering myself a hundred. Theyll never get used.


Sounds good — I’ll reach out once I have them in hand and we can work out the details.

[54ny77]

This thread got me motivated to actually buy a vulcanized patch kit (that Park kit) and patch up flatted tubes when they occur. Makes sense. Thanks to the OP for geting me off my arse.

I haven't patched a tube in...a very long time. While most flatted tubes go to the landfill, I do my best to find uses for them when I can, and always keep a few punctured tubes around.

A flat tube "life hack" could be a thread unto itself!

[cgolvin]

If anyone is in need, I now have a box of 100 so plenty to spare, just send me a PM with the number you'd like and your address, we can figure out how to make me whole afterwards.

[unterhausen]

This thread got me motivated to actually buy a vulcanized patch kit (that Park kit) and patch up flatted tubes when they occur.

I save tubes up and patch them when I have a number to do. Because the glue doesn't last very long after it has been opened. Once a year I patch them all.

[Veloo]

Came across Rema patch kits on Amazon Canada. Pricing is pretty good and shipping was about $8 when I loaded a qty of 5 in my cart.

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=rema+patch&i=sporting&crid=KJGZT9MQZN96&sprefix=rema+patch%2Csporting%2C91&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

[jemoryl]

These guys always seem to have Rema patch kits in stock: https://www.ebay.com/itm/224569528147

A reliable seller with fast shipping and good prices.

[unterhausen]

It's getting harder to patch tubes because the tubes have so many ridges. I don't know if those ridges make manufacturing cheaper, or they are doing it on purpose.

I have the park temporary patches for emergencies. Since the small tubes of glue are going to be dry when I need them the second time, I save up punctured tubes and have a patching party at home. Tbh, I have never used a temporary patch, I carry a couple of spare tubes.

[weiwentg]

Funny that this thread came back up. I went latex in 2020. You can buy the Rema vulcanizing fluid in single tubes from your LBS, I think. I know I did. Not sure if QBP is the distributor or someone else. Anyway, that plus a cut up bit of latex.

And more recently I went tubeless (!) with a TPU spare.

[mcteague]

It's getting harder to patch tubes because the tubes have so many ridges. I don't know if those ridges make manufacturing cheaper, or they are doing it on purpose.
.

Yeah, this drives me crazy. I've tried sanding down those ridges but find that patches that go over ridges rarely work for long.

Tim

[kramnnim]

I bought a 100 pack of “Innovations” patches and a can of Rema fluid back in the late 90s. The fluid dried up after a year or two, and I’m just now running out of patches.

It’s annoyingly tedious, but it does work to sand down the ridges on butyl tubes.

[dlui]

I usually shave the ridges off with a new razor blade before roughing up the area with sand paper. Hold the tube so the ridge is on a curve.

[oliver1850]

These guys always seem to have Rema patch kits in stock: https://www.ebay.com/itm/224569528147

A reliable seller with fast shipping and good prices.

Agree. I've purchased 100 box of Rema patches from them twice.