Basstar

I had a flat tire the other day on a Panaracer tube.

While I was out on the road, there was so much traffic noise. I could not find the leak in the tire, nor in the tube, so I simply replaced the tube with my spare.

After I got home, I found there is a small pinhole leak, but it is on the rim side of the tube. I am going to now take the spare off and see if I can find a spoke or anything that might’ve caused that small puncture.

Two questions:

First is it worth patching tubes or considering the cost of a new tube should I just simply toss that one and replace it with another new one as a spare?

Secondly, where this pinhole is located, is in an area of the tube that has some very slight ridges going around the tube. Can that area be patched or can only the smooth part of the tube be patched?

Thanks so much for helping the still learning rider here.

Iride01 

I don't flat often enough for the glue not to be dried up in their little tubes. So I'm okay forking out 4 - 6 dollars every year or two for a new tube. I don't patch.

If I flatted multiple times during the year, I'd probably patch. Rema seems to be the brand adhesive preferred by many others here. Back long ago in the days I did patch, I'd sand down those ridges before I patched the tube. And also rough up the area where the patch will be. Not certain it's required with the new adhesive or even back then.

soyabean

It doesn't make sense for end users to patch.

Customers spend so much money on cycling, the cost of a tube is pennies, bonus if they can DIY the swap.

It's not just the time doing the patch. More time is needed to test the patch. Then forever be nervous riding with it again.

I wouldn't even carry a patch kit. Getting a flat during a ride is already lost time, carrying a spare new tube is the way to get back on the ride, costing maybe 15 minutes at most.

A lot of work and stress for nickel and diming.

ThermionicScott 

I carry one spare tube, and the patch kit is for the second flat.

I fix the punctured tubes at home. It's not that hard to do it well and have trustworthy tubes again. Don't listen to FUD from people who aren’t good at it.

Crankycrank

I recommend patching or if you don't want to bother, give the tube to someone who will and keep it out of the dumpsite. I can't remember the last time I had a patch fail and I probably get about 1 flat a month so saves me a lot of money as well. To patch over a raised seam just fold the tube so that the seam is on the edge and sand down flat. Much easier to do it this way and you can limit the amount of rubber removed to the one area that's needed. And as mentioned use Rema patches and vulcanizing fluid as it's the most reliable. Proper way to patch is to sand down the area then wipe it off. A clean finger is usually all that's needed for the wipe but for extra goodness clean it off with some alcohol. Spread a thin layer of fluid over an area slightly larger than the patch and make sure it's dry (fluid will have a dull as opposed to a shiny wet appearance, takes a couple minutes) then apply the patch. Use the flat end of a tire lever or whatever works on a flat surface and make squeegee type back and forth movements over the patch to make sure it's stuck on well. I like to put a little baby powder over the glue residue to keep it from sticking to the tire or rim tape or you could just rub some dry dirt over it if on the road.

cyccommute 

Here’s a post I’ve reposted several times. It comes down to a problem with the rubber making up the tube that has gotten worse in the last several years. Ten to 20 years ago, I regularly used 23mm tubes in 32mm or 35mm tires without issues. I’ve found that I can no longer do that and, I suspect, others are having the same problem as you are finding. There is nothing in the wheel that is causing the flat. No foreign object, no slivers of metal, etc. Often the tube will have a dimple as if it were pressed into the spoke hole but there is no damage to the rim tape. Basically, the rubber is being stretched beyond its limits and it is failing.

My solution is to use the nominal sized tube (or larger) for the tire I’m installing such as 28/32mm for 32mm tires and 1.75/2.3” tubes for 2.2” mountain tires.

cyccommute 

You do you but you must not ride where spiky things live. I carry two different sized tubes in my tool kit (for different bikes) and will replace it on a puncture but on one recent ride I went through that tube, punctured 3 more times, and ended up destroying 3 tubes including the 25mm 700C tube that I had to bandaid into my 26” mountain bike tires. And, to add a cherry on top, I forgot my pump and used up all my CO2 cartridges…not that it would have been of any use on the 700C tube because it ripped apart.

Patching is easy, quick, and trustworthy if done properly. Far too many people don’t do it properly which is the problem. I never have to test a patch after it is done and have found that trying to do so actually messes up the job. As for not trusting the patch job, I have tubes with 30 patches on them. I don’t think about it.

Finally, there is the cost. Yes, it takes a little bit of time to do a patch but cost isn’t that big of an issue. A Rema patch kit costs $4 and is sufficient for doing 7 patch jobs. That’s 57¢ per patch. A tube costs about $6 each. Seven tubes cost $42. Why spend nearly 10 times a much? If you use bulk patches and vulcanizing fluid, the cost drops to about 25¢ per patch. And, if you live where sticky things live and have 30 patches on a tube, the savings are even greater. 30 tubes cost $180. 30 patches cost between $17 and $7. I have gone through 2 boxes of 100 Rema patches in a year. That would be $1200 spent on tubes plus the guilt of discarding several pounds of rubber.

biker128pedal

Buy a box of 100 Rema patches. I did and in the last four years I’ve gotten three flats. Before buying the box I’d get five to ten a year.

Seriously. Rema patches are thin and to me seem to work better. I found one flat tire before a ride last week. A tinny piece of wire made its way through a latex tube. Rema patch and good to go. Been 18 months since a flat. Of course posting this here will push my luck.

Waiting for a set of 28mm Conti 5000 tubeless. Back ordered 3 months so far.

Basstar

Thanks everyone.

Based on the comments here I’ve decided to buy some patches for emergency use or at home but I’m also keeping a new, spare tube with me on all rides, allowing me to get back rolling quickly.

Moe Zhoost

Absolutely spot on recommendation here. Buy quality patches and cement (I only use Rema TipTop), abrade the area well, let the glue dry sufficiently before applying the patch (patience is important here), and burnish the applied patch a bit. Never had a failed patch so why test? I have had new punctures near a previously applied patch, which sometimes results in a patch partially over a patch. Still good though.

HelpSingularity 

This guy patches!

KerryIrons

Can we sum up your comments with one word? Nonsense? Waste is waste, and people who want to reduce waste patch their tubes. Forever nervous? Are you kidding. In hundreds of thousands of miles riding on mostly patched tubes, I have had maybe two patch failures. Only patch on the road when you get a second flat and are carrying one spare tube. Otherwise the spare tube is what makes sense. And all my spare tubes have multiple patches. This paranoia about the "dangers" of patched tubes simply does not reflect reality. Put another way, if it does reflect your reality then you need to learn how to patch tubes properly.

drlogik 

+1: I carry one spare tube, and the patch kit is for the second flat.

I used to repair every tube and used the repaired tube as the spare. I still do that sometimes if it's a good tube. Tube quality seems to be spotty now and some just aren't worth the trouble if you ask me. The good quality tubes I still repair.

HelpSingularity 

Plus 1 on the "Rema Tip Top" brand patches.
I would also recommend purchasing a can of '"Rubber Cement" for patching tubes'. I have a can of "Slime" brand that I purchased from the GiantMart for about 6 bucks 3 or 4 years ago. I store it upside down so the solvents don't dissipate. Still working great.
But I have to admit it is less of an issue these days since I put on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on my townie/touring bike, a year and a half ago and still no flats from the mean streets of San Diego.
Regarding patches failing, I might have had one Rema patch slow leak since I started using the proper protocal decades ago as mentioned above by Crankycrank

drlogik 

When I lived in Arizona flats were a regular occurrence. Everything out there has a thorn. Even the thorns have thorns. I had a couple long rides where I had three flats. Thank goodness for the large Remi "Touring" box with extra patches and glue.

Camilo

Same here. Why waste something that doesn't need to be wasted?

Troul 

BITD I'd stock pile the spent tubes until I had enough to use up the glue all in one effort. With the better tire tech nowadays, I don't accumulate enough to warrant the old effort & buy as I need them, more so, I went with aerothan tubes.... I swear I don't have a bicycle hobby addiction.. I can quit when I want.

jadmt

so far this year I have about 3600 miles and have had at least 6 flats. I carry a spare and if going on a 80 mile or longer ride carry two spare tubes and I also carry a patch kit. I have never had a patch fail. Most of my flats have either been small pieces of glass or very small wires. I did have one very large piece of glass take out my Rene hersey Naches pass tire and it was weird the piece of glass was as big as your little finger and went right thru the tire and ended up inside the tube. there was no saving that tube and luckily was close to home. I used a piece of velox rim tape to keep the new tube in the tire. I know people use dollar bills but don't think that would have worked and I always carry a chunk of rim tape just for this purpose.

speedy25

If its a small puncture, of course I patch! Tubes that cant be patched go in the recycle pile. I patch a LOT of tubes for customers with no complaints and only one comeback.... That comeback was a very weird looking/feeling rubber and the patch just plain didnt stick!!

While I have carried a patch kit on rides in VERY rural areas, I have yet to need it. Maybe my choice of tires changes that worry.

I do see many people forgetting to inflate their tires before riding.

Anybody else been riding long enough to remember those tubes in the last century that actually held air?? All summer long!!

-SP

Basstar

You may be on to something here.

I replaced the inner tube with a brand new one, same brand and pumped it up.

While the bike was still sitting and I had even ridden it, suddenly there was a loud spew and the tube went flat.

I removed the tube and again, near the rim side seam but a different location was a pin hole.

I checked the rim tape visually and with rubbing my finger all around and nothing I can find would cause a flat.

I’m thinking the tubes are defective.

JohnDThompson 

I've found that using a patch roller makes removing the seam unnecessary:

https://www.amazon.com/ITEQ-Roller-W...07D3MF3NX?th=1

pdlamb

I've had a couple of leaks caused by a spoke, but those are only "pinholes" if you consider something 1.5-2.0 mm in diameter a "pin." It's more likely something sharp got inside the tire, like a very small glass shard or wire, and over a long period worked its way through the tube. I'd guess it's a 50/50 chance it fell out when you changed tubes; it may be embedded in the rim tape.

As to your other questions, I do patch and my patches fail at or below the rate new tubes fail, so there's no benefit IME to buying new tubes. Well, except that I've come to enjoy the "luxury" of being able to save up 5-10 leaky tubes and patch them all at once. Find and mark the leak with a silver Sharpie (Oh, no! another $3 sunk into this hobby!!) and you can find and patch the hole on a rainy or cold weekend when you don't feel like riding.

Rema patches are cheap in bulk, but I've had better luck with Slime than the Rema glue -- the Rema dries up before I use it all.

soyabean

My suggestion is that at this point, take your bike to a LBS and they will replace the rim strip with a real one, put in a good tube, put it in correctly without pinching, have sit seated perfectly.

It's your decision to either waste time messing with patches, or spend time on cycling.

Inusuit

I carry a spare tube for the bike I'm riding, a C02 inflator with an extra cartridge, and a patch kit. I buy good tubes and have not had a patch fail.

Basstar

What brand tubes do you guys recommend?

These are the first tubes I’ve ever had issues with and I’ve ridden this bike off and on now for 3 years although I’ve owned it almost 30! 😀

They were Panaracer so I assumed they would be quality.

I’ve ordered some Bell brand now but am open to suggestions.

They are for a 26”x1.75” tire.