Punctures. How to mark the hole?

[mikeymo]

I'm almost embarrassed to ask, I should know, I've repaired countless punctures, but I've often had the same problem as the OP - am I the only person who finds that the yellow crayon (even when you have one), doesn't necessarily work? Does it help if you rub it against a rough surface first? I got another one out of a box of crayons but it didn't work either.

I think I might have tried a Tippex pen once but I've forgotten whether it worked or not (or even where it is now!). I think it did, though.

Phew, that's reassuring. I've only been cycling "seriously" for a couple of years. So wasn't sure if I was being stupid or not.

I think the last time I used a puncture repair kit was 50 years ago. I've always had Marathons on this bike, but a nail defeated them. The last puncture I had was pinch-flat, and I think I just replaced the tube and threw the old one away.

[mikeymo]

Yep big cross hairs with a biro means you can still see exactly where the puncture is even after roughing the area up and spreading the cement. I only repair punctures at home or at the end of the day when touring so I'll have a pen handy.

Yes, this was an at home job. In fact I put a new tube in, but I'll keep this repaired one as a spare. I suppose I should fit it to see how good my repair is.

As it happens I noticed the flat when I set off yesterday, turned round, came home, and pumped up (slowly, with my failing track pump), and it seemed OK. I've just replaced the dust caps and noticed the pump core was bent, so thought it was connected with that. It was fine for the 12 mile ride, felt hard when I got home, but was flat this morning. Took the tube out, found the hole, and the matching nail in the tyre.

[2_i]

In my tube repair kit I have a thick marker and, like others, I make a big cross with the hole at its center, before applying any glue. I add feathers to the lines pointing towards the hole, for redundancy. A secondary tool that I might sometimes use to recover the hole position is the Simson Leak Detector. It is not very effective when you need to look for a leak over a wide area, but it is OK when the general area is identified and you do not want to get your face next to the sticky glue.

[elPedro666]

No need for an "X", only need one line. 'Cos the hole is always right on the seam!

Never a truer word! [emoji38]

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my VOG-L09 using hovercraft full of eels.

[CJ]

I mark a large cross in biro, larger than the area to be cleaned, I can se where they would intersect even though I can no longer see that.

My method also. Surprisingly few people realise that any ball-point pen writes perfectly well on rubber. Doesn't matter if it's also black, it's more shiny and still shows up just fine.

[CJ]

No need for an "X", only need one line. 'Cos the hole is always right on the seam!

No it isn't.

Usually near the central seam, but seldom actually on it, and sometimes somewhere else altogether!

[al_yrpal]

Dont bother with all this do things the modern way...either get a man in, or chuck the bike away and get another one delivered from Amazon

Al

[Mick F]

Find the hole.
Abrade the area.
Inflate the tube and find the hole with your tongue and it'll be a wet spot showing the hole.
Spread the glue over a wider area than the patch needs.
With the tube (hopefully) still having air in it, you'll see the bubbles.
Let the tube down and stick the patch on.

Better still, is to chuck the tube away and fit a new one.

[thirdcrank]

Find the hole.
Abrade the area.
Inflate the tube and find the hole with your tongue and it'll be a wet spot showing the hole.
Spread the glue over a wider area than the patch needs.
With the tube (hopefully) still having air in it, you'll see the bubbles.
Let the tube down and stick the patch on.

Better still, is to chuck the tube away and fit a new one.

The bit I've highlighted sounds weird.

[kylecycler]

Find the hole.
Abrade the area.
Inflate the tube and find the hole with your tongue and it'll be a wet spot showing the hole.
Spread the glue over a wider area than the patch needs.
With the tube (hopefully) still having air in it, you'll see the bubbles.
Let the tube down and stick the patch on.

Better still, is to chuck the tube away and fit a new one.

Ach, so what I've been doing wrong all this time is deflating the tyre before I apply the glue, so it's no wonder I 'lose' the hole and can't find it again.

So what you do is, inflate the tyre, see, hear and feel where the air's escaping (although I still find with a tiny hole I have to rotate the tube in a basin of water), abrade around the hole, apply the glue and while the glue is curing, deflate the tyre before you apply the patch.

It's not like I'm a rookie, I've lost count of the tyres I've repaired over the years, but you still live and learn.

But Mick, as for "Better still, is to chuck the tube away and fit a new one." Are you serious?!?!?!?! I thought we were all lefties on this forum - you some kind of capitalist or sumpin'?

You do realise you'll be reminded of that now for years to come, don't you?

[Graham O]

Find the hole.

.......find the hole with your tongue and it'll be a wet spot showing the hole.

Urgh! You would lick a well used inner tube?

I find that licking ones lips and then passing the inflated tube near the lips will give a cold sensation when the air blast gets on them.

[Mike Sales]

Find the hole.
Abrade the area.
Inflate the tube and find the hole with your tongue and it'll be a wet spot showing the hole.
Spread the glue over a wider area than the patch needs.
With the tube (hopefully) still having air in it, you'll see the bubbles.
Let the tube down and stick the patch on.

Better still, is to chuck the tube away and fit a new one.

The bit I've highlighted sounds weird.

I use my tongue to detect the stream of air from a puncture, when necessary because the hole is small. I find my tongue is sensitive to the draught! I home in on the hole with my tongue and touch the tube, leaving a wet spot, as Mick F says.
Like others I use a biro, marking a cross which extends beyond the patch area.

[thirdcrank]

... I use my tongue to detect the stream of air from a puncture, when necessary because the hole is small. I find my tongue is sensitive to the draught! I home in on the hole with my tongue and touch the tube, leaving a wet spot, as Mick F says.
Like others I use a biro, marking a cross which extends beyond the patch area.

That's a clear explanation: thanks.

Finding the puncture at the roadside, especially with the noise of traffic can indeed be difficult. Ageing lugs make it harder. I've used my eyeball as a sensor for the airflow, which also means being able to scan for the site of the puncture without having to check the entire tube. I'm surprised that having found the elusive escape of air, that licking it doesn't interfere with gluing the patch.

FWIW, I use a ball-point pen in much the same way as cj and PW. I make a sort of incomplete cross ie I draw a line along the tube but missing the are around the puncture, then another line at right angles again missing the area around the puncture: the puncture is at the point where the projected lines meet. I've no explanation for not just marking a cross, other than that the centre will be removed when abrading the tube.

[Mike Sales]

I'm surprised that having found the elusive escape of air, that licking it doesn't interfere with gluing the patch.

Not quite a lick, more just a touch which helps you to see where to mark. Cleaning and abrading easily dries the spot.

[DevonDamo]

But Mick, as for "Better still, is to chuck the tube away and fit a new one." Are you serious?!?!?!?! I thought we were all lefties on this forum - you some kind of capitalist or sumpin'?

You do realise you'll be reminded of that now for years to come, don't you?

I think that, given the forum still has a large contingent of "don't try to repair things you tight gits - be like me and throw it in landfill!" merchants, I think we ought to formalise this. I propose we create the annual "Evian bottle rammed down Whale's blow-hole Trophy." Given that most of us have been quickly, easily and effectively repairing inner tubes decades before we even knew the environment was having a spot of bother, MickF has got to be a strong contender for this year's prize.