How To Patch A Bicycle Tube

Patch that Tube, or Throw Away?   There’s two schools of thought on this one, those that say if a tube is holed throw it away, or those that say patch it, patch it and patch it again.

First lets discuss how to patch a holed tube. If you’re out on the road, and you puncture, then hopefully you’ve packed at least one spare tube with you. If not, and assuming you can’t borrow one from a fellow cyclist, then you need to either call home and beg for a lift, or patch the tube.

I highly recommend you invest in some self adhesive patches. These are easy to apply without messing about with glue. While they wont last forever, they will get you home. Find the hole and clean the area as best you can, then apply the patch while applying a bit of pressure, and that’s it. I would inflate the tube a bit first, just to check that the patch has worked, before replacing into the wheel and inflating. ( I'm assuming you know how to remove your wheel, and the tire from the rim)

If you only have glue and normal patches, then it will take a bit longer. Do the same as above except after cleaning the area around the hole, apply the glue and leave for a couple of minutes until it is more tacky than wet. Make sure you have applied enough glue for the patch to be surrounded by glue when applied, i.e. you need the edges of the patch to be in glue.  Place the patch over the glue area, and apply some pressure for a minute or two. Set aside for another few minutes, before pumping to check that the hole is covered. Then insert into tire and inflate.

If you did have the foresight to have spare tubes with you, what do you do with the punctured tube? At the very least you should take it with you as you continue your cycle ride, then dispose of it at home, rather than throw it into the gutter or nearest patch of vegetation, as I’ve seen some people do.

However, I would recommend patching the tube when you get home. Applied properly, patches can last a very long time. To me it seems senseless to throw away a perfectly good tube for the sake of a tiny hole, not to mention the environmental impact.

Put the patched tube on your bike, and take a new one with you as your spare. That way in the unlikely event of a problem on your next cycle ride, you know your spare is good.