RoadWearier

I bought the Slime brand. I know a lot of tire patch kits come with cement so I'm a little wary of these. Should I use cement as well?

shelbyfv

They are fine as they come for on the road repair. At home, use regular patches with glue.

Aubergine 

I've tried the Park patches and as far as I am concerned they are worthless. I'll take the time to use the Velox type patches with vulcanizing glue.

Crankycrank

Some people have better luck than others but for me I wouldn't bother as I've never had any of the even better quality stick-on patches last as long as a permeant REMA brand patch and vulcanizing fluid.

RoadWearier

That's a shame. I hate wasting money. I have a spare tube so I'll just use that.

Apparently Slime makes a "Patch Cement" for use with tire patches. Maybe I could use these patches WITH the glue?

Wileyrat

I never had luck with Slime patches, but I’ve had good results with Park, as long as you rough up the surface before sticking it on the tube. I take a tire lever and rub the patch onto the tube before I reinflate. I’ve had them on long enough, I forgot using it.

Crankycrank

No, doesn't help to use any glue or vulcanizing fluid with these. You could still use them for an emergency patch when out on a ride or offer to patch another riders tube to get them home. (Amazingly I still see experienced riders without patches/spare or a pump) So, not a complete waste.

Bill Kapaun

I've had them fail when blowing up the tube to find a pin hole leak on a following flat.

delbiker1 

I have had mixed results with them. Slime were the ones that failed most. I don’t usually patch during a ride. Ergo, I use Rema patches and glue at home, most of the time.
I do have TPU tubes, Aerothan, for the first time, and had a flat, 2 pin holes. I used that brand of glue less patches and they worked fine. As stated by others, prep of the tube is important, as well as not touching the sticky side of the patch.

RoadWearier

Is Velox the brand name? I saw vulcanizing glue at an auto parts store. I assume that's ok to use?

I'd like to patch of possible instead of repeatedly buying tubes but I also want to be safe. I think I might have pinched the tube when I replaced it due to an earlier problem. Unfortunately I only had one day before I had to hit the road for my job and I could either ride my other bike or spend the morning fixing tires. So I said fk it and rode. Hopefully that's the problem.

wheelreason

They will get you home, but they often fail within a few days or weeks.

RoadWearier

Ok. Screw it. I'll just put in the new tube. If I patch it, I'll just worry about it the whole time. I have some steep hills in my neck of the woods where I'm going over 30 mph on busy roads. I would feel pretty stupid paying $10k hospital bills to save $6-8 on a tube.

soyabean

You know what's better than carrying stickers patches that don't even work?

(Because it's impossible for a dry adhesive to cold-vulcanize like Rema Tip top)

Schwalbe Marathons and Mr.Tuffy.

Oh yes. I rub it in to my friends when they get flats during rides.

Sorry, no, I won't be the one to carry patching to fix flats for them. Suffering forces change.

Aubergine 

Velox is one brand of vulcanizing tire patches. REMA Tip Top is another common brand. Rustines is a third. The vulcanizing glue at an auto parts store may work but I have never tried it.

squirtdad

No, not compatible.

I have found slime to be junk over all.

the only patch kit to get is the Rema TipTop brand. it works, follow the directions, and wait for the glue to dry

this assumes butyl tubes

veganbikes

Don't use Mr. Tuffys use a foam liner like Tannus or a more puncture proof tire or just try to avoid road detritus and keep your tires properly inflated and carry a good tube.

In terms of patches glued patches are the best but for on the road to get you going again when you are out of tubes s clueless patch is fine. It is really just to get home in the end but maybe it will hold longer but that is every patch job you want it to hold longer.

RoadWearier

Those look interesting! Of course it would not have stopped my last 3 flats from occuring. One was a 2 inch lumber nail that went into the tread and out the sidewall, one was a cut stem, and the last was most likely my own special combination of impatience and incompetence. But interesting nonetheless. I wonder if they are really reusable?

Ironfish653

+1 on the Slime patch being junk.

I found a stash of Cannondale-branded “Prolong” patches; they were thinner, stretchier and stickier than other patches I have tried.
I have an unopened packet on each of my bikes, along with a spare tube.

I find that I get the best results with glueless patches if they go right back into the tire; the air pressure probably helps hold it in place against the inside of the casing.

Replacing the tube is preferable, since it’s generally quicker, but if I can’t find the FOD; I may patch and reinstall, just in case of a repeat puncture, then I haven’t burned my spare tube.

RoadWearier

FOD? Foreign Object or Debris? Fking Odious Detritus?

Bill Kapaun

What's the point of GLUELESS patches if you are going to glue them on? Think about the concept.

bboy314

Get a $5 Rema kit, learn how to use it properly (sand the area, WAIT for the glue to dry). Don’t bother wasting money on Slime patches.

freeranger

I carry a spare tube, and also a Rema patch kit. Never had more than one flat at a time, but friends have. Also-before you put in a new tube, run something (not fingers) like a tissue, handkerchief, something that will snag anything left in the tire. Patch the punctured tube when you get home-take your time, do it right, too easy to be in a rush if done while on a ride, and do a poor job.

2old

Park's are useless except for an emergency repair FME. The surface of the tube was roughed up and the patch rubbed on with a flat tire lever, but the patch lost adhesion and the tube deflated. IMO a waste of money. I've never had a problem in 45 or so years with the cemented variety.

Paul_P

My daughter repaired several flats on her tandem with the little Park Tool patch kits and they held up fine (permanently).
Her tires weren't great and I just installed some Schwalbe Marathon Mondials which should help.

I would never inflate a patched tube without it being inside the tire. The difference in stretch would put quite a strain on the joint.

I've been running Mondials for years now and haven't had a single flat since using them.

_ForceD_

I’ve used the Slime/Scabs almost exclusively for years. Occasionally there will be one that doesn’t stick well. But that’s usually due to my own failure to prep the area well. Sometimes they also won’t work well if the leak is too close to a seam. The only other caution that I’d give is that inflating the tube too much when it’s outside of the tire may cause the patch to come un-stuck. They don’t stretch as much as the tube itself. So, if you inflate outside of the time, the patch will be wrinkly and distorted when you deflate, and then not e air-tight. But otherwise, inflating inside the tire they work well. — Dan