Bike Tube Fixing Party - Zero Waste!

Learn to fix bicycle tubes while chatting with other bikey friends, reducing trash, and helping others in need!

If you sign up, please come for at least one hour. The event leaders will be there the entire time but other attendees are free to come or go at any time during this event.

How it works: This is a casual event to chat and socialize while fixing black butyl rubber bicycle tubes to give to individuals and organizations who need them. It is like a sewing bee for fixing bicycle tubes. Attendees can bring home some fixed tubes and the remaining fixed tubes are donated to local charities. What cannot be fixed gets reused as tube bungie cords (you may take home unlimited unfixable tubes) or shipped to Schwalbe to recycle into new tubes.

Bike shops usually don't fix tubes but just replace them and toss the old tubes. We pick up these tubes that otherwise are TRASH and turn them into TREASURE by fixing them to be reused as functional bicycle tubes again or turning them into bungee cords or recycling them to turn into new tubes again.

Learning to fix a bike tube is a critical skill if you want to save money, reduce waste, and get your bike rolling again when you don't have a spare tube. This is a great opportunity for everyone to learn how to fix a bicycle tube as well as improve their flat fixing skills by fixing as many tubes as you can. Practice makes perfect! Everyone who helps may take some patched tubes home with them as well as tube bungie cords.

Many thanks to SPORTS BASEMENT SUNNYVALE for supplying punctured tubes and an indoor space for our tube fixing party when it is cold and wet! Thanks also to WALTS CYCLE SUNNYVALE for handling tube recycling with Schwalbe. The following local bike shops also support this event by providing tubes to fix: The Bicycle Outfitter and Live in Peace Bike Shop.

Support your local bike shops and support your local community!

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1) This patch event is for classic black butyl rubber tubes only. It is not for TPU tubes or tubeless tires.

2) This is NOT a general purpose bike repair event. For that please see the monthly bike repair events at the Sunnyvale Public Library.

3) Yes we take bicycle tube donations, just bring them to the event!

4) This event is outside in De Anza Park, hopefully in a shaded area TBD -- look around for a really bike bike trailer loaded with supplies. If you come by bike just park it wherever we are fixing tubes.

We supply: Tube fixing instruction, Patches, Vulcanizing Cement, Sandpaper, Bike Pumps, Misc tools (scissors, pounders, etc), Bags & boxes to hold tubes, Rubber bands (donated by freecyclers or hand crafted by volunteers from fat tubes), Tubes that need fixing (donated by local bike shops and others)

You bring: Yourself, a ball point pen to mark puncture locations, a desire to learn or help others, snacks and drinks for yourself and/or to share (think potluck). Optional but helpful: friends, a bike pump, tubes you want to fix, strong functional rubber bands you do not need (formerly used to hold asparagus, broccolli, etc)

You get: Camaraderie, knowledge, and practice on how to fix tubes so they are as good as new, the joy of helping others, some fixed tubes of your choice (in addition to any you bring to fix), some tube bungee cords (if you want any)

Worker/Learner Bee: Happy to learn and help fix tubes. We need lots of happy worker bees.

Tube Fixing Instructor: Are you an excellent tube fixer? Come help others learn! Show people how to find their hole, mark it, sand it, apply glue, wait to dry, apply patch, and apply pressure.

Vulcan(izing) Master: A couple of tube fixing instructor/leaders who will manage the event as well as provide expert tube fixing instruction.