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Using old innertubes to strengthen your current tube and tire (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 4 weeks ago by to c/bike_repair_tips@sopuli.xyz
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/76891364

I have a collection of innertubes that can no longer be repaired because either the valve broke or the break was on the seam of the valve. The old tubes give a lifetime supply of rubber bands cut to your width of choice. The whole tube also functions as a bungee cord.

But I have to wonder, can they serve us better by preventing future punctures? Two things to consider:

  • A tube could be sliced lengthwise (not cross-sectionally), and it could give an extra lining between the tire and the inflated tube. As tires develop cracks that expose the tube, an old sacrifical tube could perhaps mitigate a puncture. Might it make sense to glue the old tube to the inside of the tire?
  • Tubes are wasted when they break near the valve seam. What if a section of old tube is cut and a hole is made so that it can wrap around the valve of the new tube? Would it help reinforce the area around the valve? Might it be practical to do this to repair one tube with another where the valve seam is broken? I just wonder if the glue (vulcanizing?) would have a significantly negative effect on the elasticity of the area near the value. OTOH, perhaps that’s just what is needed.

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[–] 4 points 4 weeks ago (5 children)

In my experience bike tires go flat almost always because something inside isn't quite right, the tape might be folded over or the tire not seated correctly or the tube is stretched and squashed. I could see this either making it better or worse depending on how much care is taken during installation.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (2 children)

    I once had a flat tire because the tube was twisted inside. A majority of my flats in the city are from single use beer bottle glass (the beer bottles that cannot be reused which are clear or green in color). Riff raff buys the cheapest beer and because the bottles have no value, the drunks toss them on the street. Occasionally I get a staple or nail or some other construction object, but if the city would ban the single use beer bottles on the cheap beers, that would probably cut my tire failures in half.

    I’ve had many failures in or around the valve as well, which are not from street conditions. I tend to attribute it to bad manufacturing. Some tires have a dozen or so patches before the valve fails.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    Oh yeah never had much trouble with glass on the road but I’ve had a few schrader valves go out, I’ve also destroyed a few stems by not lining them up with the hole properly. The more annoying presta valves are more reliable.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 3 weeks ago

    I suppose the presta valves would be more reliable due to the fact that the valve shaft is threaded and a nut prevents the valve from sliding. I have seen threaded schrader valve shafts on a Schwalbe tube but it was missing the nut to secure it.

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    • [–] 1 point 4 weeks ago

    I keep them to use them as patches for repairs of other tubes. I wouldn't personally layer additional tubes around the others because you are adding more rotational weight to the bike which for me wouldn't be worth it but you may not be as bothered by the weight. In terms of efficacy in preventing more punctures though I have no idea.

    I will say though "as tyres develop cracks that expose the tube" is absolutely not something you should be letting get that bad. If tyres are cracking then the rubber is perished and you should absolutely not continue using them as tyres.

    Tyres are your only contact point with the ground, to have old, perished and cracked tyres on your bike is just flat out dangerous. Not only will the rubber not grip the ground as well when it is hard and cracked it could also just flat out disintegrate as you were moving along. You should really replace any tyres that are getting to this point and carrying on using them is quite frankly, in my opinion, idiotic for the sake of not buying new tyres. Punctures are the least of your worries if you can see the tubes! Jesus Christ dude.

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    [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago

    Extra thickness would help against goatheads, if those are ypur bane. They make inserts for that, but this sounds like a good reuse.

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