Actually, there is a trick. I saw Chris Kvale demonstrate at a Cirque several years ago. You cut the stitching on the casing a few inches at the valve stem. Cut the old tube in two. Take the new tube and cut it in two(!) near the stem. Fish the tube around tubular (using the old tube). The last step is to use patching cement to glue the two ends back together. Chris used something like a double lap by everting one tube and folding it back over the other. I can't remember the details but expect that it wouldn't be hard to replicate. It was very cool watching him work.
I seem to recall that there a video of Chris' demonstration. Any one have a copy of the video?
Charlie Young
Honey Brook, PA
USA
> Unless there is some clever trick I am missing, one would have to unstitch
> the entire casing in order to replace the tube, as opposed to just
> patching it. One expects a new tube in professionally repaired tires, so
> I guess those guys must be good - and fast - at completely unstitching and
> restitching the cases.
>
> That makes me think about another point. When is the last time anyone
> here patched a tube? I don't even carry a patch kit any more. Usually I
> carry two tubes and just throw away a punctured tube, but in my childhood
> we used to regularly patch tubes to avoid the expense of buying new ones.
> That was a different world, I guess.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
>
> Mark Ritz <ritzmon@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> This thread brings back many memories - not all of them good! Has anyone
> tried to repair a tubular by unstitching the entire thing? That's another
> of those "I'll never do THAT again" things...
>
> Mark "Older but (only somewhat) wiser" Ritz
> Arcata, CA, USA
> http://www.kinetic-koffee.com