michelin

to save cost, patch your tubes

lol really. I suck at repairs. Is this very hard. my main problem is I pinch them often while changing tires. I am working at my technique.

Take the ones out of your worn out tubular ....

You do ride tubulars right? ;)

not that bad. snake bites (pinch flats) are harder to do as the punctures are too far separated for all but the largest patches. You want to make sure that the patch fully covers over the punctures.

I usually save up 10-15 tubes at a time, evaluate the tubes, and keep only the ones having single punctures. All of my tubes are Michelin, Air Comp if i'm feeling fancy, but usually Air Stop. Using the supplied sandpaper, rough up the area around the puncture hole; if the hole is close to the seam of the tube (in other words, near the ridge), remove the seam material as well. Clean the area with isopropyl alcohol, let it dry, and apply dab of the vulcanizing agent. Apply the patch, orange side down, and squeeze using a pair of pliers for 30 seconds and squeeze around the edges of the patch. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.

After finishing the batch, inflate each tube to ~20 psi and let it sit for overnight. Keep the ones that hold air. If the repair is done well, the rubber surrounding the patch will expand around the less elastic patch. I do this more to ease my guilt about producing waste, though at ~75 cent/patch vs $6/tube, it also saves a few dollars.

I've never patched latex tubes though; only butyls.

Good tips with just a bit more to add.

1. If the hole you want to patch is near a seam, a double edge razor is a great tool to shave off the seam material that sticks out proud of the main tube body. It takes just a couple of seconds and then you can lightly sand over the whole area. I keep one in my patch kit just for this reason.

2. Be sure to first install your repaired tube in a tire/wheel before inflating to 20psi or else it will expand to the size of a fire hose and blow the patch.

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Latex patches just as well. Cut up one latex tube to make dozens of latex patches. Apply as above.

yeah, that 20 psi is quite a bit. my bad. i meant to say inflate enough that there's significant air in the tube so you can tell if any is leaking.

interesting! lemme sure i'm getting this right, so you apply the vulcanizing agent directly to the piece of cut-up tube and then apply?

interesting! lemme sure i'm getting this right, so you apply the vulcanizing agent directly to the piece of cut-up tube and then apply?

Clean patch and area around hole with alcohol. Apply a thin layer Elmer's Rubber Cement to patch and tube both. Wait a minute or so for glue to partially dry. Apply patch and press down to remove bubbles. Wait 10 minutes, pump it a little and see how it looks. Apply talc and install.

To the OP... cheap Vittoria latex can be had from Ribble (<$8/ea). Very nice tubes.

Jensons USA makes great tubes they sell for $2.99 each. http://www.jensonusa.com/...ad-Presta-Valve-Tube