Originally Posted by 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.