rekmeyata

Of course buying patches in bulk is cheaper, but most people don't need that many, and store them for 50 years, I have 4 small boxes, two are in my touring bike bag, but I haven't used a patch in 5 years; the biggest problem with glue on patches is the glue itself, once the tube is open it will dry out in about a year, so I have back up unopened glue tubes. I wouldn't tell most people to use a Dremel tool to sand down a tube, most will likely sand right through the tube! LOL!! I hand buff all the time and never had any issues, it takes maybe 10 seconds to get that shine off the area, once that shine is gone the patch will stick forever, assuming you glue it properly and press it on properly of course.

For a long time I was using glueless patches, never had one fail, but about 5 years ago I had a slew fail, what the heck was going on? So I called Park thinking I got several bad batches of patches, and they said the tube manufactures changed the tube composition so that now their glueless patches will not hold forever like they use to. So back to glue on patches I went, I miss those glueless patches though.

mpetry912 

there are some US regulations now about the rubber cement / solvent used in the patch kits

they don;t want you sniffin glue

I have bought some stuff off ebay out of china that works GREAT. The real stuff. Not some denatured EPA compliant paste.

/markp

veganbikes

I know how to patch a tube. Yes I have had issues with patches staying patched but that is not uncommon it does happen. In terms of cost I am talking one tube and time to patch yes if you are bulking it and they don't fail then yes it could be cheaper if your time isn't valuable. If I have to do the labor to put a tube in and inflate plus extra labor that is more time plus I am unlikely to patch a tube on the road unless in a desperate emergency as in I am out of tubes and need to use the patch kit

rekmeyata

Your giving excuses. How long does it take to replace the tube on the side of the road? say 10 minutes for a rear flat? it takes me that long to patch it. In fact, I can patch faster than replacing a tube, SAY WHAAAATTTTTTTT??? you scream. Let me explain.

I learned this method about 60 years ago when I was 8 years old, an old man, well old to me at the time! taught me this method. I rarely need to remove the wheel from the bike to fix a flat! About 95% of my flats I can find the entrance hole or thing sticking in it on inspection of the outside of the tire, once I've done that, I remove about half of the bead from one side of the tire with the hole in the center of where I removed it, remember the wheel is still on the bike while I'm doing this, then I pull out about a quarter of the tube with that hole about in the center of that quarter, do the usual patching thing, while the glue is drying I check for anything protruding into the tire, stuff the tube back into the tire, reseat the tire and inflate. No time wasted taking the wheel off, no time wasted in rolling up the old tube, trying to get all the air out as I go so I can stuff it back into the saddle bag. Even if I have to remove the wheel, I know I can have the tube fixed and be riding just as fast as a person replacing the tube, because where the tube replacer is wasting time is in rolling up the old tube, during that same time it takes to roll up the tube my glue is drying and the patch is being pressed on; it use to be faster patching the putting a new tube back when glueless patches worked, but the tube manufacturers changed the tube composition according to Park Tools, so now the glueless patch will only hold up long enough to get home, the Parks use to hold permanently.

veganbikes

Yes being honest is making excuses. That is good reasoning you should continue on that route...I kid of course.

No it does not take 10 minutes maybe for you it does, I don't know I usually take about half that time taking my time and not rushing. If I am by the side of the road which hasn't happened in a while I can do it in 2-3 minutes. Yes just removing part of the bead and hoping you find the puncture could be faster then removing the wheel. It all depends on a lot of factors which I know you won't admit to because you are absolutely perfect and know exactly where the puncture occurred without even looking...kidding again. Trying to have some fun because laughing is good for you.

I am unsure of about this tube rolling thing but I guess yes you will spend so much time rolling a tube. Probably many minutes rolling that tube maybe even hours...again kidding (remember laughing and smiling good for you). I hope you are kidding as well with some of the stuff you are saying.

rekmeyata

I don't about that, but new patch kits still contain the glue, and you can still buy the glue tubes.

People will snort anything, are they taking off everything on the market that some dope might think it's a good idea to snort? no their no. Nor are they removing Drano after people drank it and died. This is about survival of the smartest, let the dumb kill themselves off so the DNA will remain strong.

rekmeyata

It normally takes me no more than 5 minutes usually 2 to 3 like you, but I said 10 because most people take that long, and I didn't want you to think I was lying had I said 3 minutes or some such low number, so that was just trying to be nice. I watched people fix their flats over many years and most can't to it in less than 10! which is fine, at least they were fixing their flats instead of calling their mommies to come get them like most do today!! There was time I never saw anyone, male, female, or kid, wheeling their bikes into a bike shop with a flat and telling them to fix it, now I see it all the time, it's weird.

I never said I could find the hole without looking, LOL!!! But I bet a blind man could!

veganbikes

I do the same thing when people walk in for a flat fix but we still do it and under charge them (I believe in a ridiculously high charge to encourage people to D.I.Y.). There are some flats that are tough and I don't blame people for taking it in but yes a standard road or hybrid with nothing crazy always surprised when people want to spend the money to fix it.