Which Puncture Patches?

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TonyMax
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Which Puncture Patches?

Postby TonyMax » Sat Mar 21, 2015 2:42 pm

I've got a few tubes with holes now, which are the best value for money and best functioning patches?

Should I look for self adhesive ones or the ones that use glue?

I'm thinking buying in bulk from eBay would be the way to go?

Cheers,


Tony
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GAV!N
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby GAV!N » Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:03 pm

Most of the self adhesive ones are fine. Lezyne, Park Tool etc will do the job just fine.

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queequeg
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby queequeg » Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:15 pm

The self adhesive ones will not last the distance but are perfect for emergency repairs. I find I get about 6 to 8 weeks with the pre-glued park tool patches, so I use a standard patch kit to do a permanent repair.
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biker jk
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby biker jk » Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:28 pm

I use Rema patch kits. Very happy with them. Don't use the emergency patches for permanent repairs.

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trailgumby
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby trailgumby » Sat Mar 21, 2015 4:55 pm

Self adhesive ones are fine for a quick getaway on a group ride but are useless as a permanent solution, frequently failing overnight, IME.

Standard cheapo self-vulcanising patches with rubber glue work best.

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Storm Boy
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby Storm Boy » Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:18 pm

After having cheaper patches split, I use the Rema patches as well. I don't seem to have any luck with the stick on type, particularly if the hole is near a moulding line, or flashing. If the tyre needs fixing, I just do it with the right patch then and there, even though I carry a spare tube. In a group it might be different, as you are holding up the other riders, so you'd use the fastest option.

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SB

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bychosis
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby bychosis » Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:26 pm

I've had plenty of success with the Repco patch kit from BigW and other similarly cheap patch kits. Got burned a few years ago by self adhesive and haven't gine back
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defy1
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby defy1 » Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:21 pm

always with rubber cement and vulcanizing patches

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bychosis
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby bychosis » Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:05 pm

Not sure, but my understanding is that the modern patch kits aren't technically a vulcanising patch, but a chemical bond using adhesive. Vulcanising patches used to use flame/heat to bond the patch to the tube. modern patching is just as effective, a whole lot safer but not actually vulcanising as I understand it. Vulcanising is the process of hardening natural rubber to a usable product. /pedant
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Derny Driver
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby Derny Driver » Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:13 pm

Why not just bulk buy tubes on Ebay? Surely $5 for a new tube is not too much to pay, even if you puncture every week.
Better than getting let down by failed patches at the most inopportune times.
For all the effort patching old tubes, only to have it fail coming down a hill or on an unlit road at night ...
Patches are a fools game ...you wont win.

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queequeg
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby queequeg » Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:18 pm

A tube is $5, a patch is about 10c. Unless the tube is really shredded, why not patch?
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defy1
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby defy1 » Sat Mar 21, 2015 10:34 pm

imho a properly patched tube is a good as a new.
Plus its better for the environment.

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Derny Driver
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby Derny Driver » Sat Mar 21, 2015 10:37 pm

Ive had bad patch experiences and have been mentally scarred by them.

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trailgumby
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby trailgumby » Sat Mar 21, 2015 10:46 pm

defy1 wrote:imho a properly patched tube is a good as a new.
Plus its better for the environment.
+1
Derny Driver wrote:Ive had bad patch experiences and have been mentally scarred by them.
Sounds like you've had a bad off from a failure. I can definitely sympathise with your position.

I've had failures with cheap tubes. Fortunately, caught before I got into an awkward situation.

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il padrone
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby il padrone » Sat Mar 21, 2015 11:12 pm

bychosis wrote:Not sure, but my understanding is that the modern patch kits aren't technically a vulcanising patch, but a chemical bond using adhesive. Vulcanising patches used to use flame/heat to bond the patch to the tube. modern patching is just as effective, a whole lot safer but not actually vulcanising as I understand it. Vulcanising is the process of hardening natural rubber to a usable product. /pedant
From Wikipedia,
Rubber cement is simply a mixture of solid rubber in a volatile solvent that will dissolve it. When the cement is applied, the solvent evaporates, leaving the rubber as the adhesive. Almost any rubber (pre-vulcanized or not) can be used. [1] The rubbers used might be natural rubber, gum mastic or gum arabic. Early solvents used included chloroform and benzene. [2] In the United States of America, current formulations include n-heptane. In the UK, a product called Marabu-Fixogum uses acetone.

Special compositions[edit]

Many compositions have included hardeners and/or vulcanizing agents designed to improve the cohesion of the rubber.
Some more interesting info on different cement types here:
http://www.patchrubber.com/tire_repair/ ... _heat.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/quest ... n-i-buy-it" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby tcdev » Sat Mar 21, 2015 11:20 pm

I bought the el-cheapo 'traditional' repair kit (complete with Engrish spelling errors and looking suspiciously like the ones I used to own 35 years ago as a kid) from the LBS when I picked up my bike and I've now used all but the super-large patch over three (3) tubes. Pretty sure one tube has 3 patches. Those tubes have done around 2,000km between them now over 6 months with no issues, so I can only assume those that have had "horror experiences" with patches aren't very good at applying them!?!

For emergencies I carry a spare tube and the self-adhesive patches, the latter of which I've yet to use (touch wood).
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Bentnose
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby Bentnose » Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:31 am

I got fed up with the glue drying out and bought a big tube from Supercheap Auto, not sure if the glue they sell is crap but I couldn't get any patches to stick with it, the glue seemed to dry really fast and I was left with no stickiness between the patch and the tube. I was using patches I'd previously had no issues with.
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beanspropulsion
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby beanspropulsion » Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:38 am

Never had problems with proper old school patches. Whereas the self glues ones don't last.

Common error with proper rubber patches is that people forget to rough up the surface of the tube with sandpaper or the little metal file before applying glue.

Also glue on both patch and tube and let dry for a minute or as I do blow on the glue until it is no longer clear.

I also bought a big tube of rubber cement from the auto shop, it is better than those little tubes.

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Bentnose
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby Bentnose » Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:07 am

Haven't heard of gluing the patch, never had to in the past, will try it and see if it makes a difference, I have a tube to patch now. One thing I have found is tubes don't last forever, I don't puncture too often and had saved 6 tubes over a few years intending to do a mass patch only to find 4 had perished and I could easily tear them with my hand, the others the patches wouldn't stick with the Supercheap glue.
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beanspropulsion
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby beanspropulsion » Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:28 am

Bentnose wrote:Haven't heard of gluing the patch
Don't use the self glues patches, they perish after a time.

Get the proper rubber patches in the little kit.

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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby warthog1 » Sun Mar 22, 2015 11:53 am

queequeg wrote:A tube is $5, a patch is about 10c. Unless the tube is really shredded, why not patch?
+1
I've picked up a number of discarded tubes over the years and patched them, all good. :)
Never had a rapid failure of a patch. I've had the rare occasional slow leak is all.
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby warthog1 » Sun Mar 22, 2015 11:55 am

beanspropulsion wrote:.

I also bought a big tube of rubber cement from the auto shop, it is better than those little tubes.
Good tip, thanks :)
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apsilon
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby apsilon » Sun Mar 22, 2015 12:59 pm

Interesting that so many say the self adhesive patches don't last. I've had good experience with them lasting the life of the tyre. When I fit new tyres I fit new tubes at the same time. Admittedly all of mine have been pin prick holes rather than large holes and cuts but still, very different experience to most apparently.

EDIT: actually, all of mine have also been lower pressure MTB or commuter. Not a high pressure road bike tube. Maybe that's the difference?

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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby eeksll » Sun Mar 22, 2015 6:01 pm

I have had more success using stick on patches than the park tools glue/vulcanising patches.

the stick on patch for the tube never failed and lasted at least 1 year.

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isabella24
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Re: Which Puncture Patches?

Postby isabella24 » Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:57 pm

In my experience, the self adhesive patches last a day at best which is enough time to get me out of trouble if I've used up my spare tubes on a ride. I use the glue type patches for permanent patches - providing they are done correctly, the patch will be stronger than the rest of the tube and certainly last.
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