‘Glueless’ patches

[Tiberius]

Another thumbs up for Park glueless patches here.

I have been using them for approx' five years with not one single failure....up to 110 PSI.

[mjr]

is the glue really glue? what actually is vulcanising soln.

It chemically bonds the patch. Melts them together, sort of.

as for spare tubes you should carry one anyway incase the punctured tube has a slash in it, beyond repair ( do you really want to walk 10 miles home, pushing a bike)? As for it be a filthy job to remove a wheel, dont you carry a pair of rubber gloves to put on?

I do carry spare tube and gloves but I'd rather not use up the tube and spend the extra time finding something to prop the bike up when it's missing a wheel, disconnecting brakes and all that when it's not needed. If the tube's slashed too bad, I'll bite the bullet and do it, but there's no sense making things harder than they must.

[pwa]

Normally I take two spare tubes (which are likely to have repairs) and use them if I get punctures. I also have a traditional mini puncture repair kit to cover the unlikely prospect of a third puncture. So I almost always end up putting patches on in comfort, at home with a cup of coffee beside me.

I find the traditional patches very reliable. The area of repair may need a light sanding to flatten any raised ridges, and the vulcanising solution (glue) must have a minute to dry to the touch. Then I press the patch on firmly and keep it pressed for a few minutes, making sure the edges are good. Then I put the tube to one side and only after a few hours do I roll it up for future use as a spare. Done that way the patches never fail.

I only tried the glueless patches once and that was when they were new to the market. They were absolute rubbish then but I expect they have improved since. So if someone tells me they work I will take their word for it. But I don't need them.

[PH]

I've used the Park ones and they've worked fine (max 32mm tyres, 80psi) Not needed one in a while, first choice is to swap a tube then hopefully have somewhere convenient to put a proper patch on later in the ride or when back at home. The instant patches have been used when I'm in a hurry or it's raining, usually fix without removing the wheel.
There is the question of trust - once you've used one I don't think it's possible (Certainly not easy) to remove it and replace with a standard patch and I have heard stories that question their longevity.
OT - I have three Park patches on an Ortlieb pannier, they've been there for over a decade and are proper stuck and have always been waterproof!

[mjr]

I've used the Park ones and they've worked fine (max 32mm tyres, 80psi) Not needed one in a while, first choice is to swap a tube then hopefully have somewhere convenient to put a proper patch on later in the ride or when back at home. The instant patches have been used when I'm in a hurry or it's raining, usually fix without removing the wheel.
There is the question of trust - once you've used one I don't think it's possible (Certainly not easy) to remove it and replace with a standard patch and I have heard stories that question their longevity.

It varies by brand. I don't remember even trying to remove the Park ones. It is possible but not easy to peel off fwe, Slime or Revolution ones. I couldn't remove a Weldtite without pulling harder than I felt was safe. Half-odds yellow-backed ones (tried after a rather convoluted sequence of events on a bad day) almost fell off!

[MikeDee]

Temporary at best. Not a substitute for a real patch.

[Gattonero]

What’s the current recommendation for these?

Best thing since sliced bread.
Gone are the days of finding the glue in your toolbag gone dry and leaving you with a problem! Even if those patches would last only one week (which they don't) it would be already a great solution for repairs in the field.
Surely, I prefer traditional glued patches for the repairs at home, but I've used many times the Lezyne and Park Tool self-adhesive and always noticed that from 90psi you may loose about 10psi over a week, so it's not too bad for a quick repair.

[Sweep]

Temporary at best. Not a substitute for a real patch.

I have some park ones but never used.

Must admit I don't trust them. And if I had to remove them to then do a home repair, what's the point of that?

I would only use in extremis anyway as I always carry two spare tubes. I rather suspect that they are mainly used by minimalist racers who shove their micro pumps up their ****

[Gattonero]

I wonder how many of the people who consider the glueless patches being "useless" have actually used the properly and in a variety of conditions to justify their claims?
Since I had always been using traditional patches with glue, I was skeptical at first. Then after many times I've used them, and some inner tubes have now been a few years in my Mtb's, I can certainly claim that some of those glueless patches do work very well indeed.
But then, some people may be happy to walk 20 miles back home or spend £££ for a cab when their spare tube is beyond repair and the little tub of glue has dried out... For me, I cannot be asked to keep checking if the glue is still usable in the toolbag, I just throw a couple of those glueless patches and carry on, make life simple!

[Sweep]

Fair comment gatto - have never used them.

I do also have some Weldtite red devils.

Never had to walk home yet by the way.

Pretty sure I always carry an unopened glue tube as well.

Do you carry two tubes?

[mjr]

Pretty sure I always carry an unopened glue tube as well.

Do you carry two tubes?

Have you never opened a new tube to discover it's useless and gone solid?

[Igobybike]

All I can say is I've used them. Some unknown brand I bought from LBS. They work. Even if they only got me home I'd be satisfied with that, but actually they're better than that. Experience shows I'm more likely to get another puncture somewhere else than have the patch fail on me. And that's on narrow road tyres that I inflate to around 90~100 psi (I'm not religious about it).

[Sweep]

Pretty sure I always carry an unopened glue tube as well.

Do you carry two tubes?

Have you never opened a new tube to discover it's useless and gone solid?

Don't think so.
Ps, by tubes i meant inner tubes.

[MikeDee]

Temporary at best. Not a substitute for a real patch.

I have some park ones but never used.

Must admit I don't trust them. And if I had to remove them to then do a home repair, what's the point of that?

I would only use in extremis anyway as I always carry two spare tubes. I rather suspect that they are mainly used by minimalist racers who shove their micro pumps up their ****

You said it. If your two tubes don't work, then you use the glueless patches. You could also carry a proper patch kit, but if you don't maintain it you could find the tube of glue dried up. Proper patches take time to cure, so they aren't ideal for patching on the side of the road anyway. Jobst Brandt said never ride on a newly patched tube.

[Thornyone]

In my experience, like “Slime” in the inner tube, they are a nice idea in theory, but disappointing in practice. I therefore always carry two inner tubes (and also Rema patches and vulcanising solution “just in case”). On a ride I normally swap a good tube for a punctured one and leave the patching job ‘til I get home, using Rema patches and traditional vulcanising solution (cheap on eBay: don’t waste money for a handful in a bike shop) for excellent results.