INNERTUBE PATCHES.

[mikeS]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have two strips of rubber bicycle inner tube patches in front of me, both marked 'CURE-C-CURE' and marketed by Weldtite.Both for use with vulcanising rubber solution.
One strip has the rubber sandwiched between a metal foil and a thin paper layer. In use the foil is easily removed, the patch cemented to the tube and when dry the backing paper pinched or creased and peeled off from the centre. This procedure is decades-if not centuries- old.
The other, presumably newer version has, instead of paper, a film of clear, almost indestructable plastic.The other side is a metallised plastic. In use:
1 It is very difficult to separate the two plastic layers when new, even indoors with a good light.
2.On separation, the patch sticks equally well to either side and can be damaged in the process. It is unclear on which side the cement goes.
3. Having stuck down the patch, I'm guessing with the textured side outwards,the plastic film, unlike paper, is impossble to remove without lifting the edges of the patch, assuming one is not carrying a scalpel, tweezers or scissors on the road.
Could someone advise me on the correct prodedure when using these wretched things and suggest why an excellent design was replaced with something almost unuseable and plastic 'unfriendly'?

I have tried to contact Weldtite with no success.
Mike

[Brucey]

I would suppose that you are meant to remove the shiny side, (as before) prior to sticking the patch down. You will know if this is the case or not because the side of the patch that glues to the tube should be all one colour whereas the top side of the patch is like roundel, in two colours, black and nearly black (in cure-C-cure patches). It is only necessary to remove the shiny side to use the patch (thumbnails required); the other side can stay if you like, and will peel off in its own good time if it wants/needs to.

BITD cure-C-cure patches were a bit, er, 'patchy'. I had several sets where the paper was apparently bonded to the patches for ever.

cheers

[mikeS]

Thanks Brucey, at least I stuck it on the right way round!
There seem to be at least 4 types of patch available, all constructed differently and all under the 'Weldtite' banner- and that's just the 'glue- ons'.
As with most things in the bicycle world, I much prefer the one they stopped making 10 years ago.
Mike.

[julianm]

I've found these Rema patches good & I'm pretty hamfisted these days - I just leave the clear cellophaney stuff on - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REMA-TIP-TOP ... SwnHZYcOJ7

[Brucey]

Rema Tip-Top patches are pretty good. The cellophane layer is perforated in these patches which means it is somewhat easier to remove if needs be; just bend and crack the perforated seam open and it is a head start on the whole lot coming off.

Have cure-C-cure patches ever been like this? IIRC the paper was meant to just split if the patch was bent hard enough, but this didn't always work.

cheers