TUBES

     Ten plus years ago, on a BSS Sunday ride, one of our group had a flat after riding through glass.  As we do, we gathered around while he changed out the tube.  When he pulled out the flat tube, we were astonished to see at least a half dozen patches.  I'm thinking more like ten or twelve, but don't want to seem like an extremist.  As he once again repaired his tube, he explained that the patches work quite well and he saw no need to continually replace a perfectly good tube.  That mental image has stuck in my mind.
     But I wasn't a convert.  Except for a few notable exceptions, I went for years without changing a tube on the road.  Besides, again for a few notable exceptions, I'm terribly inept at patching a tube.  So for the few times I had a flat, I'd put in a new tube, bring the old one home to do an autopsy, then toss it.
     That changed recently.  Some time ago I started getting flats when riding out of Old Settlers Park, and it was always the same cause: a small bit of wire, part of a small staple commonly used to attach cardboard signs to stakes.  I suspect someone dropped a handful, they got scattered and, being hard to see, were left in the parking lot (I'm being generous, in that the other alternative is that it was a deliberate act by a bike-hater).  After a spate of flats, I finally came back to saving money, and time, and start patching when appropriate (like a small hole not on a seam).  A side note: I carry a container of quick patches, just in case the replacement tube is defective.  That has also happened to me.
     When loading the bike yesterday I found the front tire flat and quickly changed out the tube.  This morning I dug out my vulcanizing patch kit, not the quick patches, purchased about five years ago but never used.  I located the tiny hole in the tube and opened the kit.   It's been maybe fifteen years since I patched a tire.  Really.  So the first thing I had to remember was does the orange side or the black side go down?  Okay, orange. Sand paper the tube surrounding the hole.   Next I punctured the sealant tube and applied the sealant (precisely it is a reactive agent that binds the patch to the tube, but let's not get picky).  Slap on the patch and hold.  And hold.  And hold.  There are no instructions on the package, but when everything was dry, I let go.  Seemed good.
     I put some more air in the tube and had breakfast.  After breakfast the tube had zero air in it.  Bummer!  Still inept.  I reviewed my procedure in my head several times, wondering what I did wrong.  Becoming frustrated, I turned to Google.  Park Tools has a good You Tube video on patching tires.  Aha!  I didn't let the vulcanizing agent dry before applying the patch.  I also aired up the tube a bit to see if it would hold air.  Big No No.  You need to put the tube into the tire before supplying air.  Otherwise it puts too much pressure on the patch.  Try again.
     Fortunately, I had a spare tire upon which to practice.  Applied the patch as directed, installed into the tire (first time in a long time I didn't put just a bit of air in to round it up a bit), and pumped it up to 30 pounds.  Checked to make sure all was properly seated then went up to 90 pounds.  An hour later, it is still holding.  Cautiously optimistic.