Tube repairs

[KDWeb]

Hey, just wondering...I have a bud who was not fixing his flats but just replacing the tube every time he flatted. I got a good chuckle when I pulled 3 tubes out of his garage trash can and pointed out that the leaks were all in the same place. Anyhow, cheap dirt bag that I am, I told him I would liberate his flats from the landfill and make them my spares. Now the question...Slime Skabs...I never used them until recently. Darn easy but how are they on shelf life?
If I fix a flat with a skab and don't put the tube back in the tire, but rather store the fixed flat as a spare, do the skab's adhesive hold up? Any experience on this out there??

[myron]

I can't say how long. but I like scabs too. I will say that so far they have lasted longer than my tubes. Usually I get too many patches or pinch flat em too bad.

[Teamfubar]

FWIW, I haven't had good success with those self sticking patches lasting a long time (Park, Slime, house brands, etc). When they are on an inflated tube they seem to work well, but if the tube deflates, they get all misshapen and leak. So, if you are going to patch them and carry them as a spare, I'd use traditional glue on patches.

[tryandgetme]

I'm a fan of stick-ons for emergency "oh crap I just pinch flatted for the 4rth time and I only brought two spare tubes" times. If I have time though, I'll pull out the glue kit and do a proper job of it. I've got a glue patched tube in my rear wheel that's outlasted the valve seal.

[kpomtb]

How do the scabs hold up on a tube that has slime in it? We have nothing but prickly pear and mesquite trees around here. Slime or some type of sealant is a necessity.

[bitterfish26]

i prefer the parktool stick on patches which are pretty sweet and you can also use them on your a**hole of a friend by sticking them on the back of their neck because they are a b**** to remove

[tryandgetme]

oh
my
god
that's genius

[bitterfish26]

sweet im a genius never heard that one before:)

[mcstark]

I'm a traditional glue and patch guy. I think I had some original Park glueless patches way back when, and they sucked for shelf-life. After a year or so they dried up and were barely tacky.

I've always used the Rema patch kits from Germany. They're cheap and always work, as long as you apply them properly. I've had them last for years.

BTW, you're not a dirtbag for recycling them. On the trail, I pull out the flat and slap a new one in. When I get home, I patch the tube and that's my new spare. Mountain bikers are supposed to be resourceful!

[bitchslapmadman]

sand down hole area.
apply glue.
let dry 15 minutes.
add air to tyre.
put patch on and rub/squeeze into place while airing up.
tube should be the size like when it's in the tyre.
let dry.
it's not dry...keep waiting.
install.