This weekend I had a wonderful time riding all around the South-East, covering about 100km in all. Where did I get a puncture? Tottenham Court Fucking Road, about a mile from home on the way back. Oh well I thought, at least it wasn't during the ride per se. Being replete with repair paraphernalia, I was only too glad to stop at Bedford Square for twenty minutes to fix it. The offending hole was miniscule so I naturally decided to fix it, rather than replace the whole tube, with my Tip Top kit. Satisfied with the work I subsequently rode on. Alas, by Mornington Crescent I had gone soft again, much to my extreme annoyance. Luckily it was a slow enough puncture that I was able to top it up with air and quickly get home.

At this point I should say that I have been very lucky with punctures, only having had two (now three) in the last year. In the past (with MTBs and BMXs also) I have always tried to fix them, as binning the tube, whilst sometimes necessary, strikes me as defeatist and a bit obnoxious. However, I can barely remember a time when my repairs have been successful. I buy good equipment generally, I read the instructions and usually I'm not such a total 'tard with practical matters. Furthermore I have memories of going through the procedure with my old man as a child, on my Raleigh Rebel (hazy, nostalgic and touching memories).

Never though have I had any confidence whatsoever in it. The whole thing is fraught with supposedly simple tasks that completely bemuse me. Exactly how '"sparingly" should the glue be applied? How soon should it be ridden on? Why is the sandpaper so coarse? Are my hands too greasy? What the fuck is that yellow crayon for? Furthermore, the accompanying instructions, a flake of paper, tends to have the must reduced iconographic information imaginable, as if intended to serve as a trailside reminder for adrenalin-dazzled racers. As if to further deepen the enigma, my peers (that probably includes you lot) and bike-shop-higher-level-beings have always assured me that it's 'a piece of piss' and 'stronger than the tube itself', respectively. Conclusion? Puncture repair is a myth. Either that or I'm more incompetent than I realise.

So, what you're saying is, you want someone to show you how to fix punctures?

I can oblige but I don't travel further east than Liverpool St. :)

i know what he's saying.... i don't get them enough to practice, tbh

I just use the self adhesive patches, rub the tube with sand paper to clean/make better contact and press it on. Put back in the tyre, pump up and ride away.
Glue does make it a bit messier.
Although I do just stick a new tube in and fix it when I get home generally as it is quicker.

I live in the North (of London). And thanks, but more than anything I just need to believe it's possible!

I have some Park super patches but someone told me they are shit... true?

Jacqui can answer all your questions about puncture repair.

The usual mistake is to put the patch on when the glue's still wet. You have to wait until it's almost dry, just a bit tacky to the touch.

i. Carry a spare tube and swap it straight in rather than doing roadside puncture repair.

1. At home with punctured tube, find the puncture and note its shape for clues as to cause.
2. Mark the puncture with a big cross (using the chalk - I use a pen or texta)
3. Assuming standard bit of glass, run your finger around the inside of the TYRE to find any sharp bits and remove them. If the puncture is on the inside of the tube, check for spokes sticking through rim tape, sharp rim tape edges, etc.
4. Get patch and note its size
5. Scuff area of puncture with sandpaper/scraper. Just rough it a little. I then wipe away any loose bits of rubber with my t-shirt.
6. Apply a circle of glue the same size or a bit larger than the patch you are using, centred on the hole. Apply it to the TYRE! You don't need heaps just make sure when you look at your glue circle there's no empty bits of just tyre poking through.
7. IMPORTANT! Let the glue dry a bit. The glue has to go off a bit. It should be quite tacky to touch and not still runny.
8. When you've left it long enough 2-10min depending on temp/conditions/how much you blow at it peel the backing off the patch and apply it.
9. Grip the fucker tight for a minute
10. Fit back onto wheel or wrap it up for later use.

Believe your dad, from those hazy, fond memories. You know he was right.

Or believe hippy cos he's right too.

Trust me.. I've done shitloads. When I was a kid my old man would tear out his hair when I'd come in with punctures every ride (loads of thorns out bush) so he quickly showed me what I was doing wrong (back then I was applying glue to patch and not letting any time to set - two big no no's).

I've always been told those instant patches are shit so I've never bothered. But, someone recently was speaking about them favourably so maybe they're not too bad? I'll stick with what I know for now.

ok. this is what i do/have done.


BUT.. why then repair the punctured one? i mean, they only cost 3 quid, and aren't they a bit compromised after they have been repaired? i don't mean to be too raphaesque about this, but why bother?

Because things that can be fixed, should be fixed

They only cost £3. Yeah and patches only cost 40p and you can get a shitload of repairs out of 1 tube.
I know we live in a disposable society (I'd like to see most of it disposed with ;0) ) but there's no need to bin tubes.
Fucking slack high-earning roadiescum! :P

Oh, I've never seen a tube 'compromised' due to a 'good' repair. If you do a shoddy job it might leak but a proper repair will be fine.

hippycrit

Yeah it made me smile typing it but I still repair my tubes..

Same as thse fucking CO2 users.. worse than frickin' east side NoBrake hipsters! Kill 'em all!

(sorry wayne, you have to go :P)

ok, fair enough. i just wondered if the repaired tube isn't a bit risky for future use? like the patch is a weak spot, no?

if not, then fair play, fix them, save landfill.

Crayon is to mark the hole in the tube (cocktail stick works too).
The chalk is to be used with the sandpaper (or the ridged section on the bottom of the repair kit) to dust the patch area and prevent the excess glue from sticking.
Myself, I'm not too proud to collect abandoned tubes from around the benches of Richmond park - I keep patching until the punctures start overlapping or start to occur too often.

all very useful, thanks. I must say though that i went through all that as you said and was very confident i'd got it right. weirdly, the hole was on the inside of the tube and I gave the rim tape a long, hard looking over... hmm weird. I'll have another go and get back to you. I hope you can bear the suspense ;)

I've never had any issues.. I know that's not conclusive proof but I do a lot of miles on tubes with 2 or 3 patches on them.

My old LBS guy used to say 3 patches and then bin but I'm not really sure about the most I've ever done on one tube.

The only thing I'd not bother with is when you get a split right at the base of the valve - they are fuckers and never seal properly. Bin it.

well, there i go then.

next tube i puncture, i will fix.

Its very Possible.. Im a heavy fucker and my repairs do do better than the tube. Apply a fair bit of pressure to the patch once on the tube and push from the middle outwards. The crayon is there as a snack while you wait or you could use it to mark the puncture on your tube.

good luck...

NO!

I wanna watch you..

(I like to watch)

i thought the chalk was both a marker and for making dust to neutralise excess glue after the patch has been stuck on? does yellow wax even make a mark on the black rubber?

ive never used the chalk in all honesty. does anyone use the chalk?? maybe would just be better if they took the chalk out and replaced it with some smarties or a milk chew... emmmmmmmmmmm milk chew. I should be in the pub. why am i not in the pub?

Using a lighter - set fire to the glue for a few seconds, then blow it out, this makes it tacky very quickly and it sets much faster.

I gave up on puncture repair kits over a decade ago, I use the little Park Tool glueless patches, I have one patch on an old mountain bike tube that has lasted 11 years (!!) and still going strong.

+ don't forget to cover the thing in talc, this helps in two ways, firstly it stops the rubber of the tube binding to the inside of the tyre (take out an un-talced tube from tyre it has been in for several years and you will usually find it has bonded to the tyre in places).

Talc on the tube (and if you are clever the inside of the tyre) also acts as a dry lubricant and can make seating the tyre/tube on the rim easier.

Fuck the chalk right off.

I'm with hippy's 3 patch threshold lbs bloke.

Those Park glueless ones work okay longer term with lower pressure applications (eg. 40psi mtbing), but are otherwise a get-you-home measure. They aren't as stretchy as conventional patches, so don't survive further inflations/deflations of the tube very well.

Rema Tip Top patches even have the peel-off bit perforated down the middle, to avoid messing up the edge of patches while you remove it.

hippy - what's your philosophy with software? Patch it, or throw out and replace?

I've NEVER used talc.. other than in my underwear for that all day dry feeling. MMmm mmmm

donate your chalk to your local primary school. doing your bit doesn't have to be that hard. Im still not in the pub. Fuck.