Patch tube, Yes/No?
07-08-19, 02:07 PM
#76
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A long time ago I had a tire/tube combination that was frequently getting very slow leaks. I used the cotton ball trick to try and find whatever was causing the tube to go flat after a new patch was applied. then I started turning the tire inside out and flexing it. Lo and behold there was a tiny piece of metal wire that only came through the tire when weight was on the tire. I was able to get that piece of wire out and voila! no more flats or slow leaks.
I carry a spare tube or even two on the road and do my patching at home. This works really well should you puncture when it's raining or if you ride in the winter when there's snow or slush on the roads.
Cheers
I carry a spare tube or even two on the road and do my patching at home. This works really well should you puncture when it's raining or if you ride in the winter when there's snow or slush on the roads.
Cheers
07-08-19, 02:56 PM
#77
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When you do retire a tube, they make, without exception, the most secure lashing material in the universe. They are indispensable for securing objects to auto roof racks and I keep a couple on the boat in case of a rig failure. You can build a scrap lumber or bamboo hut with them when your place blows away in a hurricane.
Yep! I had the same thought and always save them for a purpose will come!
07-08-19, 04:10 PM
#78
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So in the past few months i've had 3 slow leaks. Each time I put the old tube in a bucket of water to find the hole, check the tire and then install a new tube. So far all 3 are tiny holes most likely caused by a thorn.
Since I mostly ride solo and can get 30-40 miles from home at times, I've opted to always use a new tube. But at $10 per it's starting to get expensive.
I once went 18 months without a flat and am concerned of a patch failing over time.
Since I mostly ride solo and can get 30-40 miles from home at times, I've opted to always use a new tube. But at $10 per it's starting to get expensive.
I once went 18 months without a flat and am concerned of a patch failing over time.
07-08-19, 04:30 PM
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So in the past few months i've had 3 slow leaks. Each time I put the old tube in a bucket of water to find the hole, check the tire and then install a new tube. So far all 3 are tiny holes most likely caused by a thorn.
Since I mostly ride solo and can get 30-40 miles from home at times, I've opted to always use a new tube. But at $10 per it's starting to get expensive.
I once went 18 months without a flat and am concerned of a patch failing over time.
Since I mostly ride solo and can get 30-40 miles from home at times, I've opted to always use a new tube. But at $10 per it's starting to get expensive.
I once went 18 months without a flat and am concerned of a patch failing over time.
07-08-19, 04:35 PM
#80
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Thorns? Next time you replace the tubes, cut the valve stems off the old tubes as close as you can (leaving the smallest hole possible), then put the old, flattened tubes between the new tube and the inside of the tire. Inflate. You now have armored your inflated tubes with two thickness of rubber that is also thicker because it is not stretched from inflation. Ride durable, my son.
07-08-19, 04:37 PM
#81
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I don't patch tubes. I buy mine for under $2 in lots of 10 and keep two with me when I ride. When I have a flat I throw the old tube out and if I get 2 flats per tire it goes in the trash as well. Generally the tubes I use last as long as the tires and I get 1500-2000 miles per tire. I front to rear and a new one in front every 750-1000 miles and rarely get flats. Generally the rear has a bit of life left when it gets changed.
07-08-19, 04:40 PM
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07-08-19, 04:43 PM
#83
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07-08-19, 04:55 PM
#84
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Uses for used tire tubes
When you do retire a tube, they make, without exception, the most secure lashing material in the universe. They are indispensable for securing objects to auto roof racks and I keep a couple on the boat in case of a rig failure. You can build a scrap lumber or bamboo hut with them when your place blows away in a hurricane.
07-08-19, 05:34 PM
#85
Senior Member
And sealant? "NIAGARA FALLS! SLOWLY I TURNED..."
I recently fixed someone's bike that had tube sealant, what a mess. I can just imagine the mess with a tubeless tire full of sealant all over the rim, spoke nipples, etc. I'm a neat freak with respect to my bike. And cheap.
07-09-19, 04:44 AM
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There's no problem at all with using patches, they will last longer than the tube itself. I don't have a rule to throw out a tube after X-amount of patches. Most of the tubes I've throw out are because of the presta valve popping out of the tube.
The only time I had a problem with patches is when I tried to use glueless patches -- they SUCK!!
The only time I had a problem with patches is when I tried to use glueless patches -- they SUCK!!
07-09-19, 09:33 AM
#87
Newbie
Cant argue that a tire liner adds weight. Not sure it adds rolling resistance. I have not used a liner I have seen them in the store and believe they are a somewhat stiffer plastic. Placed inside a tire they should reduce rolling resistance ever so slightly. IMHO
What's "interesting" about tire liners? They've been around for decades, they add weight and rolling resistance, they make tires harder to install, sometimes chafe holes into the tube, etc.
If your current tires don't offer enough protection, throw them away and get tires that do. Or switch to tubeless -- that is genuinely "interesting."
If your current tires don't offer enough protection, throw them away and get tires that do. Or switch to tubeless -- that is genuinely "interesting."
07-09-19, 11:11 AM
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Nope. There's no way that a tire liner *doesn't* increase rolling resistance. A pneumatic tire flexes where it meets the ground, and that takes energy. A tire stiffened by a liner takes more energy to flex, and you never get that energy back.
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07-10-19, 11:22 AM
#89
Newbie
But ... the more a tire flexes the more energy it should take to roll. If we rode with 30 psi it would take more effort than a tire with 100psi.
Ill caveat and say I am not a scientist or engineer.
Ill caveat and say I am not a scientist or engineer.
07-10-19, 03:09 PM
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Tire flex isn't the enemy, it's what makes pneumatic tires so great in the first place. For efficiency, the goal is to throw away as little energy as possible when it does flex. That's why thin, supple casings and thin treads have been known to be the key for fast and comfortable tires for eons.
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07-10-19, 03:13 PM
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Not *that* unusual. I get 4-6000 miles out of a set of tires before I put them in the winter training / trainer pile, and I've only worn out one winter/training tire in 6 winters of 500-1000 trainer miles per winter. I run lightweight race tires (Specialized Turbos), and assume a general purpose or heavy duty tire wold last even longer.
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Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
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