Originally Posted by
Miele Man
I'd figure out a way to carry a spare tube as many times a hole in a tube is so small that it's nearly impossible to find it when trying to repair a tube at the side of the road. Also easier to put a new tube in the tire than repair a tube when it's raining.
+1. The last time I got a flat on tour the hole was so small the tire did not lose enough air for me to notice until I woke up the next morning. And the hole was so small I had to immerse the tube in a puddle of water at my campsite (It had poured the previous afternoon.) in order to find it. I had spare tubes, but I wanted to find the hole so I could check the tire, which turned out to contain a tiny wire fragment.
Also, sometimes a hole can be too large to patch.