Originally Posted by
Pcampeau
If I’m out on the road and near a bike shop when I get a flat, I’ll buy a new tube just to save myself from the hassle of having to find the hole and patch it.
What are the chances of that happening? For me, it's close to zero. Throw in Murphy's Law and the chances of getting a flat near a bike shop are negative zero.
Let me just add that I usually have a tube or two with me, but since my typical weekend rides are 50 to 100 miles, the chances of occasionally getting two or more flats on a ride are moderately high (in my experience, flats come in threes). My normal procedure is to use my spare tube and then when I get home patch the punctured tube so that I'll have a spare for the next ride. Rinse, repeat. I usually only get around to ordering new tubes when I order new tires.