Just got back from a few days in Wales with Ms Spanner – we averaged one puncture per ride each, must have kicked a lot of cats in a previous life……

How many times do you patch tubes before before binning them?
If you don't, why?

Can you recycle them?

Always patch tubes myself, if salvageable.
Have done since being a kid, when pocket money only went so far.

my record was 22 patches 🙂

I don't think i ever binned one for having too many patches. In the bin the hole is too big or too near the valve base. New tubes are cheap but it still seems wasteful.

I'll patch a couple of times but I don't get many punctures. Old tubes are used as chainstay protectors.

before i saw the light and went tubeless(no punctures since), i used to just keep patching up, they hold air so its no point buying a new one, but i think my record was only 14 in one tube…

Yeah I always patch mine. I've got about 10 on my current front tube I think. I don't reckon tubeless would be for me as I like about 50 psi in my tyres (dunno how high pressures tubeless can handle). Any lower and I feel like I'm riding on the rims.

I keep patching until the become unrepairable, last one has around 14 or so patches, the found I had a puncture where two patches aleady overlapped. Gave up at that point

I patch until they have a proper big hole in them, or something around the valve breaks.

I have two rucksacks in my cycling kit cupboard. One has patched tubes (26" and 700c) all neatly wrapped up in a rubber band (courtesy of the local postmen), and one has lots of punctured tubes in waiting for critical mass when I spend an evening patching.

Used to but had all sorts of little niggles with it so now only do it to get home and then rip it out and replace with a new tube. It's made cycling a hole lot more enjoyable and practical for me by simple replacing them. If you shop about you can get tubes in bulk for relatively little.

Patched twice (always snakebites for me) so 4 repairs, then binn them. Tubeless these days and touch wood no flats for close to a year

all neatly wrapped up in a rubber band (courtesy of the local postmen)

When I get a tube that's beyond repair I often cut a few bands from it to keep spare tyres folded and spare tubes tidy. My postie is less generous/not a litterer! That and the aforementioned chainstay protector put some of that old rubber to reuse.

Usually call it a day at around 10, haven't bought a tube for about 3yrs now as I work in a bike shop and get to salvage unwanted punctured tubes for myself and mates. Waste not,want not.

Around 10.

But hasn't been an issue since going tubeless at the beginning of this year.

I'll patch a couple of times but I don't get many punctures

+1

I tend to carry new tubes and use them when I do get punctures. I then keep the punctured tubes in a "to be fixed" pile and then eventually fix (or bin) them in a oner. Did some fixing at the weekend as it happens – only 6 tubes to be fixed though and some of them might have been waiting for a couple of years.

No

I'll patch until I suddenly see red and decide that the tube is actually working against me and is in league with the thorns, at which point I will hurl it angrily into the bin after denouncing it.

If they need to overlap – new tube

otherwise yes.

Rock and roll lifestyle.

Before.

After.

after about 20 I start to worry about how heavy it's getting. My record is 24 on one tube – by then I could hardly ride up hills at all.

Keep patching until you can't patch.

Laziness of binning them is what's ruined our country etc.

after about 20 I start to worry about how heavy it's getting. My record is 24 on one tube – by then I could hardly ride up hills at all.

😯

Seriously?

I can't quite fathom the thought process behind spending loads of money on a bike, but then keeping an inner tube til it has that many patches! It's crazy… They're £3 a time FFS, couple of patches, then bin it…

Anyway, not needed to patch a tube in about 6 years myself now… Why? Tubeless of course! See what I did there? 😉