A spare tube and patch kit are two different things and their primary need is also sensitive on the trails, sometimes you need both of them while sometimes just a patch kit will cover up everything and there is no need for a new tube to be installed within the tire.
All these things are totally dependent on the trails on which you are riding and also the condition of your current bike tire and the inner tube, if these are totally new then you have to access many things and easily within 3 to 5 minutes, you can clear any puncture or flat which have deflated the inner tube.
It’s better to carry a spare tube when your tube or tubeless is old and worn out and had two to three patches from the past riding many times it happens these tubes would not survive just a single patch of the trails, even if you should have any idea about what is going to happen with me, if suddenly with a piece of bad luck my tube has got punctured on the trails. patches are small and large starting from 1mm to 3 mm,
A previously patched spot when gets pierced again it’s hard to patch it again either you may need to scratch the old patch that could be possible with isopropyl alcohol or other stuff like acetone and other cleaning agents but it’s still very hard.
Helpful Tip For Saving Time When Tube Have Got A Patch On the Trails:
When the tube is punctured then if you are carrying a spare tube, install this spare tube within the tube and never sit for repairing of a tube patch which is almost time-consuming, another fear is the weather condition, if it is too cold and too hot weather surely repairing a patch would be much harder and the easiest way suggested is to install the spare tube, save your time and start riding on the trails.
When you have reached your destination or any people’s place then you can repair the patch of the previous tube which you have got on the trails that might be your home, park, or near a mechanic shop. installing a spare tube within the tire is almost far better than the patch recovering in those situations when you are going to your office or you are in the race, most importantly if you are gathering with your friends in the group that might be your wife or your girlfriend.
Trails are much more complicated and attention seekers especially when you have got any trouble, it is the time when even you are surrounded by your friends, no one waits for you to cover or repair the tire patch, it is the reason the most helpful tip is to carry a spare tube always with you including all the other tools before going for a ride on aggressive terrains.
How Spare Tube And Patches Both Are Helpful By Carrying On The Trails:
When you have got the first patch and you have changed a spare tube which you have got with you on the trails, and after that when you have got a 2nd puncture or 2nd patch on the new spare tube, now its time to repair the patch which needs patch kit, for these conditions to avoid the 2nd or 3rd patches of the tubes, it is useful to carry both spare tube and patch kit with you on the trails.
Trail Difference:
There are local pavement trails, backyard trails, wood trails, hard rocky trails, and most aggressive single terrains, carrying a tube also depends on these terrains. for smooth and local terrains there is no need to carry an extra spare tube along with you but if you are going on much more aggressive terrains then it is a must to carry 2 spare tubes if one fails then install the 2nd tube.
many times it happens when the inner tube has got a large cut on hard terrains and 1st tube does not survive anymore and expires with the existing patch, for these situations it is must carry the 2nd tube to avoid the irritating moment of the trails.
Which Is a Cheap a Spare Tube Or a Patch Kit?
If you want to go cheaper and avoid trail expenses that arise because of punctures or flats, then the patch kit would save many bucks as compared to the spare tube. repairing the puncture on 1st tube which is present within the tire would save from installing another spare tube and the capacity of the existing tube is almost 2 to 3 punctures of the terrains, if the tube has got flats on different places so the patch kit would repair them easily then there is no way to use an extra spare tube but if the patch would not cover the flats then go for a spare tube.
Both conditions are applicable ( patch kit and a spare tube) it totally depends on your decision which you are going to apply for repairing the puncture and flat of the terrains, the difference comes on money basis and the other difference comes on time, patch kit requires time while a spare tube does not require time.
If the patch system survived on the terrains then it is an extra bonus to you, you can use it more than a single time, this is the reason it is to be concluded that the patch kit method is far cheaper than spare tube insertion.
What Is The Common Problem With Patches On Offroad Rides?
Patches are cheap but as you know spare tubes are also necessary for offroad rides, the main difficulty you will face with the patches is that mostly it is hard to find the leakage of the tube because you did not have any water or anything through which you can easily recognize the place of the leaking air from the tube and then it takes almost many time on off-roads.
If the hole is much small and even hard to recognize the leak hole, then you can pump the tube and pass all the sides of the tube from the sensitive parts of your face which include cheeks and mostly lips, when you bring the tube near your lips then even a very small hole will come on the surface and you feel the hole through which the air is leaking from the hole, it is the quick method of finding the leakage hole on offroad trails.
To avoid these circumstances many riders feel much easier to install a spare tube instead of sitting and finding the leaking hole.
What To Do For Longer Rides?
Riding for longer mileages more than 50 miles, it is necessary to carry 5 to 10 puncture patches and almost 2 spare tubes along with you on the trails, many times even new spare tubes would also get flat and puncture on longer mileages than you can use patches or you also have another spare tube to prevent time, installing spare tube is easier as compared to patches.
Difference In Quality Of Patches:
there are many patches that do not stick thoroughly on the leaking hole and these are for temporary use because these do not contain glue material and are not adhesive, as a result after riding for 4 to 5 miles these will pop from the punctured place and then further you have to repair which is almost much irritating, but there are also better patches which are permanent and almost last on the puncture place for longtime and are for permanent use which include cement patches and better glue patches, always avoid non-glue patches for puncture tubes.
PSI Difference For Patches:
If you have enough time like you are riding on Sunday or on holiday, and you have decided to recover the puncture offroad by sticking patches, then after sticking a patch on the puncture place, wait for a few minutes and never inflate the tube at higher pressures, so that the patch would sit exactly on the puncture place, when the glue become fully dry and you will notice all the side edges of the patch are tight enough to inflate the tube at higher pressure, then install it within the tire and fill the air at a higher pressure and the external tire would give enough support to the patch at higher internal pressures.
Conclusion:
In the end, it is to be concluded that, the main purpose of the article is that, many people even these days have tubes installed in their tires and all of these are mountain bikers, who have been on aggressive trails for many years, and on one side it is important to stay your bike light weighted but on the other hand, carrying necessary accessories will prevent bikers from walking and both spare tubes and puncture patches will bring a noticeable difference between walking and riding if you have missed anything and you do not own spare tube or patches surely you will have to walk many miles with your bike. to be honest, it is necessary to carry both things( spare tubes and patches) for aggressive terrains.