cooker

curbtender

Good idea, that stainless webbing must get expensive.

tandempower

What if some company started buying punctured inner tubes and using really good vulcanizing fluid to patch and recycle/reuse them as good as new? Then you could sell your old tubes for a few cents each and maybe buy them back refurbished for less than new tubes.

PdalPowr

If its feasable that is a very good idea.

cooker

They do retread old truck tires, but bike tubes are likely so cheap and easy to make it's hard to believe it would make economic sense to individually repair them. However if we want to keep them out of landfill, having people pay a deposit and forcing stores or manufacturers to refund it as with beer bottles, might spur industry to find uses for the material. But there is a lot less volume than bottles.

tandempower

It would be a good job for people looking for unskilled jobs. If you could refine a technique and use the right vulcanizing fluid/patches to repair the tubes, the work would be an efficient way to raise money for low-income people. The question is whether there would be enough tubes within a given area to generate more than a few hours of work for an experienced team of super-patchers.

If really good vulcanizing fluid and patches were sold, I might just sit down one day and patch up some of my old inner tubes on my own. This would be a problem for the inner tube business, which is probably the most steady source of sales revenue for most bike businesses, I would think.

cooker

I usually patch tubes once and reuse them. Sometimes patched tubes last for years. However, if I get a flat and find the tube already has a patch, I toss it. Patches work pretty well if you do all the proper steps like scuffing around the hole, letting the glue partially dry, and rolling the patched section in your fingers to ensure a good seal.

I wrote a post about repairing a flat in 2009, and I'm pretty sure that same tube is still in that bike, now loaned to one of my kids. He doesn't bike a lot so I don't think he's had to replace the tire.

Mobile 155

At least one thing we do alike. I might even patch a tube twice however but I hardly ever use them as a spare. If I am going to use a patched tube I mostly do it at home where I have a chance to see if it holds air overnight.

I have had far fewer problems with patches once I decided to buy patches in bulk as well as a can of rubber cement. I can add the cement with a brush to be sure all of the surrounding rubber is coated. I have had far fewer patch failures compared to when I used the small repair kits.

If I do get a flat on the road I use a new tube and repair to old tube at home. Because I will have to replace the air in the tube anyway I most often will switch out the new tube for a repaired one and put the new tube Back in my seat bag.

I replace the air because CO2 has smaller molecules than normal air and will leak out of butyl tubes over night.

cooker

I carry spare tubes and if it's poor weather or I am commuting I swap because it's quick, but if it is a nice day and I am riding for fun I patch. If you actually see a shingle nail or glass shard in your tire, or can locate the hole with a puddle of water, you sometimes can patch just by prying out that section of tube without even removing the wheel. I have a mini-pump which has weak pressure, but if I am in the city I know a few locations with public pumps (including by my office) or bike stores with free air so I can top it up there.

ThermionicScott 

The only thing stopping you, is you.

Some of my tubes have four or more patches on them. I trust them as much as I would a virgin tube. Perhaps even more, since a brand-new tube in the box might have a latent infant-mortality flaw waiting to manifest itself while you're out on the road.

tandempower

I agree, but I think it depends on the quality of the tube material, the patch material, the quality of the vulcanizing fluid and how old it is. I've seen tubes covered in patches in the past, but nowadays I usually don't bother because I've had so many patches that still have a pinhole leak after patching.

tandempower

You're right. You've inspired me. I am going to go search for some new vulcanizing fluid and patches and start working on my old tubes. Thank you.

Mobile 155

I only patch on the road if I have to. I use a Lezyne road drive pump with the CO-2 adapter hose if needed. It will deliver 160 psi on Presta and I suppose Shrader but I have converted all my rims to Presta. I got hooked on CO-2 when I had tubeless tires on one road bike and the MTB. Tubeless tends to not get flats as often on the dirt bike but if you do have to boot one or if the bead breaks after a jump, off road you often air down for more grip, and you lose air a hand pump will never re-seat the bead. So I bought a bulk box of 20 oz CO-2s, I also got a box of 16s for just the Peugeot, for the 29er and keep some with me now even with the road bike. Even tubeless road tires hold up better to flats than many commuter tires. At least to goat heads and small staples and Michelin thorns, small pieces of steel belt from a steel belted tire. If you hit a big nail they still might flat and you might have to boot it to get home. To me the biggest problem with tubeless is the cost of the tire. Otherwise they work pretty well. I don't use tubeless tires on the road bike much any more because of the cost.

Most of our flats are from goatheads and I am not sure you are bothered by them. But even if I can see where they entered the tire I will pull the tube and run my hand inside the tire to make sure there is no sharp pieces of thorn sticking through before replacing the tube.

MikeyMK

Cable tidy. Road bike tubes are good. Chop out the valve section, give it a clean and polish, and post all your stereo/TV/etc cables through it - one big cable to your multi-sockets.

reppans

Ranger Bands

PdalPowr

Neat idea.

One caveat though.
Sometimes if all the wires are parallel,
wires can pick up electronic parasites.
If that happens simply rearrange the wires.

It is still a neat and tidy idea.

noisebeam

Some have mentioned business that reuse tubes. A woman I used to ride with does exactly that and has been quite successful. Every once in a while I'll drop off a load of tubes at her stitchery.
Home

PdalPowr

I didn't think rubber could be sewn/stitched.
Do you know what she makes with the tubes?
I am interested because making my own gear is so much fun.

Fargo Wolf

Hmmmm...... Wonder if I could make some extra heavy duty bungees for the construction signs in the back of my company truck.

noisebeam

There are pics at the site.

KD5NRH

In more civilized places, we put them inside tires to make them last longer.

curbtender

https://tubedepot.com/products/eat-k...kaAsgGEALw_wcB not inner...

Gurge

Nobody else uses them as bar tape? Awesome grip in the rain. Bit hot in the summer but so is anything else black.

PdalPowr

I tried an inner tube hot water bottle like that but it made it hard to pedal.

seriously though that was smart.