brew

i usually carry a spare tube and a can of that bike fix a flat stuff you can get at walmart. i have yet to need to use it, but some friends of mine who do alot of riding say they have used it in a pinch and like it. just make sure once you get it in the tire you ride or it will all build up on the bottom.
has anyone else tried this stuff?

froze

This is incorrect information, your not applying the glueless patches right. I had a high pressure road tire with 8 glueless patches that all held up for over 5 years and not one ever leaked.

In fact about 4 years ago this discussion came up on another forum saying glueless patches were not any good; problem was I had been using them for about 4 years prior to that discussion and never had a problem even with earlier patches. So I took my MTB front wheel and put a 1/8th inch hole in the tube, patched it with a glueless patch, attached my air compressor hose to it with the air trigger about 10 feet down line instead of typically near the air chuck fastened to the valve, placed the rim into a trash can, got behind my car so that the car was between me and the trash can...Why did I do all of that you scream? Because I then put 200PSI in the tire and was afraid the rim might grenade. Oddly the tire didn't explode at 200; so I left that pressure like that for 2 weeks only topping it off every day. Mind you this was 4 years ago, that tube never leaked and is still being used today!

Now you don't believe me that those glueless patches are any good. That's fine. I remember as a kid we had to vulcanize are patches onto tubes by lighting the patch on fire!!! And when glue on patches first came out and for about 10 years afterwards people were screaming that those new glue on patches weren't any good!! Look, the adhesive used on glue on patches vulcanizes the patch onto the tube via a chemical process that takes the place of the old fire method, both methods does the same thing-it vulcanizes...glueless patchs also do the same thing, the adhesive vulcanizes!

But I know you still don't believe me so here is a letter from PARK TOOL COMPANY (who makes glueless patches) representative Calvin Jones who wrote a letter to this forum on this subject:

**Our goal at Park Tool is to make all our patches 100% effective. However, adhesion in any application is not necessarily completely reliable as there are many factors related to bonding.

Our experience with the GP-2 patch over the years shows there are basically four factors that lead to patch failure. The first is when the tube is scuffed too aggressively with the sandpaper. When the tube is scuffed too aggressively or for too long, tiny grooves are formed—grooves too deep for the adhesive to flow into and seal off. As a result, air can escape. The purpose of scraping is really cleaning, so use light swipes with the sandpaper.

The second source of failure is a tube that is not clean and/or dry. If there is any dirt, talc, oils, or tube residue left after sanding, the patch will adhere to that dirt or talc rather than the tube. Likewise, if there is any moisture on the tube, it will get trapped between the patch and the tube. To insure the tube is dry, quickly wipe it with a damp piece of cloth and let it dry. Then apply the patch, making sure there are no wrinkles in the patch material.

The third source of failure is when the hole in the tube is directly on, or next to a seam. In this case, there is not enough surface area around the hole for the patch to seal against. In these situations, no patch is going to hold well.

The forth source of failure is from issues of tube-to-tire width compatibility. If the tube is too narrow for the tire, it will stretch too much and this may stress the patch bond to the tube suface. Additionally, do not inflate the tube after installing a glueless patch to “test” it, as this will stretch the tube as well. It is the pressure of the tube against the tire casing that holds the patch in place.

Calvin Jones
Park Tool

Calvin Jones
Park Tool
info@parktool.com
https://www.parktool.com/

AndrewP

I prefer the ride and handling of light tires with liners to heavy Specialized Armadillos. There is also the question of inflation method - CO2, mini-pump or frame pump. I use the Topeak Road Morph - has the ease of attachment of a floor pump and doesnt require the brute strength of a mini-pump.

junfan

I carry both. Today on my commute, I unclipped from my pedals by rotating my right foot into the wheel and sheared of the top of the valve stem (now I have to break my habit of rotating inward to unclip). I had a spare and put it on only to find that it had a short valve stem for my other road bike. Luckily I was only a short walk to my destination. I had to call my wife to have her bring me the spare tube in my other bike.

So on my commute home I purchased 3 60mm stem tubes.
So if you carry a spare tube make sure it fits your rims!

Nycycle

AMEN,,,,,

Thats what us Baptists say when we agree.

Novakane 

Like most, I carry both. I also have a 'self-sealing' tube already installed on the rear wheel since I seem to get more flats on that one, and replaced it last. The spare doesn't have this. The tire levers I carry I would feel lost changing a tire without - I've had them forever.
They're made of aluminum so they are lightweight, and have two different nut sized holes punched out thus making it a wrench for the front or back wheel. Add a small pump and I have a very compact tire-changing kit.

froze

Ok, but here's the deal, a light road tube averages 75grms, a Mr Tuffy liner is about 130grms, and a tire averages 225grms, so your at about 430grms. Whereas with the new Armadillo Roubaix Elite that weighs only 245 to 255grms plus a 75grm tube and you have the same flat protection as your way does but for only about 320 to 330grms.

Even if you use the more robust and the most flat resistent tire on the market, the Armadillo All Condition Pro, it weighs about 425grms, but with that one you can use a racing tube that weighs only 65grms so that your only 490grms; and your way is no where near as flat resistent plus your tires wear out faster.

I happen to like the Armadillo All condition Pro; I used in the Mojave Desert area of California where goatheads punctured through lesser tires and even through Mr Tuffy's! But for some reason the goatheads could not make it through the Armadillos.

froze

When you say self sealing, what are you using? Slime works great in MTB tires but in road tires they don't seal at all once you air up past about 65psi. The higher pressures of road bikes just blows the Slime out of even the smallest holes untill the pressure drops below 70psi range. Which is actually enough at 65 to 70psi to be able to ride home. But Slime leaves a wet green mess inside your rims and once the tube is wet you can't put a patch on it untill you dry it and stop the slime from oozing out.

marko_1111

as recommended... both. I carry a single tube (more depending on distance) plus glued and glueless patches - only because of "rumors" about glueless failures, but I've never experienced a glueless failure. I've also never broken a plastic lever - in over 20 yrs of serious riding. left a couple on the side of the road inadvertently, but never broken one. I gave up on hand pumps a long, long time ago in favor of cO2 and carry several. other tools are minimal but for failures I've experienced. case in point - a chain breaker is in every single kit I carry on every bike. also necessary for seriously long rides is a spare tire and a tire boot. and a credit card isn't just for money - we're talking ID in ER.

Choccy

+1 for both. It's the only way to go.

oboeguy

Both! It is entirely possible to get an unpatchable flat, so a spare tube is a must. OTOH, it is easy to run out of tubes on a bad day (it happens to us all!) so a patch kit is handy too. I like both "real" and glueless patches, BTW. The latter are especially useful for very small cuts in the tire (put the thing on the inside of the tire).

JeffS

both

I goto the spare tube first with the patch as a fallback.

froze

Put a glueless patch on the INSIDE of a tire? I've never tried it, never thought it would work with a courser surface. Interesting enough for me to try it the next time and see if it works. Superglue can be used on the outside of tires to seal cuts.

I did forget to mention that I carry a photocopy of my health insurance card.

jimcross

2 tubes and a patch kit. But I'm the over-cautious type.

froze

Your the overly cautious type? You didn't read my earlier post. You do carry one more tube then I, but I carry a spare tire.

landstander

Two tubes, and two patch kits (one glued, one glueless). But no spare tire...

Cyclaholic

I don't need to carry a tube or patch kit. I just stand on the side of the road and flex my biceps, within seconds I have a traffic jam of hot babes begging to give me a ride. Sometimes I do this when I don't have a flat, just for the heck of it.

djSlvt, I strongly suggest you go with the tube and patch kit otherwise one day you will find yourself standing on the side of the road with cramps in your biceps.