seamuis

I don’t patch tubes on the side of the road, unless I absolutely have to. If I get a flat, I pull the tube and replace it. I also don’t ride patched tubes except in a pinch. I normally carry two tubes, two 16g c02 cartridges, c02 injector, two tire levers, small 15mm wrench and a last resort patch kit. Even with nutted axles I can change a flat and be riding in less than 10 minutes, around 6-8 minutes in most cases. Flats are pretty rare for me though, so I suppose I’ll take that luck. If I’m riding in the city, (doing my daily commuting, etc) where I have access to bike shops, I typically only carry one tube, one c02 cartridge and no patch kit.

if it takes you more than 15 minutes (not counting time taken to patch a tube) you should probably practice. I don’t mind fixing a flat, but I do mind spending a long time on the side of the road, doing it, and the latter isn’t a requirement of the experience. If you insist on patching tubes for re-use after puncture, personally I would advise simply replacing the tube on the roadside, carry the punctured tube with you back home and patch it there, after your ride, to use as a spare. There’s just no good reason to patch a tube on the roadside, unless it’s a last resort to get you home. And in the case of last resort, how long it takes you to get rolling again won’t matter much, because it beats walking the bike or paying for a ride.