How many times do you patch a tube?

How many is too many?

The other day I was in the garage, about to pull my Surly LHT off its hook for a ride. As I always do, I first squeezed the tires to check inflation. Ugh, back tire was flat! Well, this bike has Pasela tires but without the Tourguard belt, so it's not a huge surprise when I find a flat. 

So, off came the wheel and out came my patching supplies. I buy 1 inch Rema patches by the hundred in a box for my workshop. Also a tin of rubber cement, sandpaper. A recent addition is a tire "pencil" I found at NAPA autoparts recently, (to mark the location of the hole in the tube). Finally, a pair of steel tire levers, (steel really is the only appropriate material for a tire lever).

Tools of the trade.

And off to work I go. After taking out the tube, I found a hole and patched it. Pumping a little air into it revealed a second hole, so I patched that one too. When I was finished the second patch, I sat back and looked at the tube. I realized I had put 13 patches in this guy over the years! Holy moly! Oh well, I stuck the tube back into the tire and went riding.

This got me to thinking, how many people even patch tubes these days? I remember when working in a bike shop years ago, that we would never patch a customer's tube, it just wasn't cost effective even then, what with labor and then you've got to wonder if the patch will hold, etc. Nowadays, with the armored tires most people use, flats may be so rare that lots of riders don't bother. Just keep some spare tubes around and replace as needed.

Of course, being a cheap bastard, I just can't go that way. Plus, I think I've gotten pretty good at patching. You just need the proper equipment. Rema patches are the best. Always work well and stick on as they are supposed to. Getting a bottle of rubber cement is a good idea. Tubes of glue always dry out. 

Once I apply the patch, I'll wrap the tube in a rag and press the patch in a vice for a few minutes, just to make sure it sets. Then, I always stick the patched tube into the tire, and take the unpatched tube out for my spare. I think having the patch pressed against the tire walls helps set the patch, plus you will know for sure that the patch is good. A successfully patched tube is every bit as reliable as an new tube.

5 of the 13 patches on this tube!

So really, there is nothing wrong with a 13 patch tube, maybe a little weight. The one thing that would stop me from continuing to use a tube is if I have to patch over another patch. Things start to get a little dicey. But in this case, every patch is well spaced, and all are holding well.