Categories: Accessories and GearReverence

Reverence: Park Tool Super Patch

Tire patches? Try frame protectors.

The first tire patch kit I ever owned came in a big green box, had several patches of various sizes which were possibly made of old truck tires. It also came with a sheet of 60 grit sandpaper. The mild high offered from sniffing the glue while applying the patch almost made you stop caring you’d gotten a flat in the first place. Stoned on glue and hypoxic from the V is no way to mend a tire, and most times the patch would start to come off even before I pumped it up and I’d have to start over. Don’t even start me on peeling the clear cellophane off the patch.

The telephone capability of my iPhone is the least-used feature on the device; I email, schedule, text, voxer, browse, twitface, photograph, drop, forget, lose, and find my phone much more than I ever use it to place a call. It has replaced my wristwatch, alarm clock, and flashlight. For some of you, it has even replaced the cyclometer. All this is to say that in today’s view of the world, the value of a product is directly proportional to how useless its original function is.

By that measure, the Park Super Patch kit earns its place in the pantheon of the Reverence series by being more useful as a frame protector than it is as a inner tube patch. They are phenomenal tire patches – much better than the old orange-trimmed slabs of tire I used growing up, but who wants to use a tire patch, much less love one? Therein lies the answer; even as the world of Cycling irrevocably makes its departure from the tire and tube with one faction moving back to the tubular tire and another to the tubeless tire, these patches will continue to feature on frames around the world, dutifully keeping cables from scuffing paint.

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Tire Patches/”/]

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

Next Look Pro: The V Tenets of the Casually Deliberate »

Previous « Riding Without Data

View Comments

scaler911 says:

Nov 2 2013 at 4:03 pm

@frank

@Bigthumpa

@Bigthumpa

Two words: Internal routing.

Did you look at the photo(s)?

@frank

Ah...

My theory is that for the first 30 minutes that an article is up, people read it. After that, 50% of the people glance at the lead photo, skip the article, and jump to the posts. 50% don't even look at the photo.

It's hard to track the analytics on this, so I have to rely on people doing things like that to gather the data. So really you're just helping to support the theory.

Which is all to say that the quality of our writing is irrelevant to the experience of the Community. From this perspective, it amazes me that the book is selling.

Hey, I always read the articles. ALLLLWAAAYYYSSSSS.
unversio says:

Nov 2 2013 at 4:32 pm

@frank Been reading articles intermittently, but also posting intermittently. My category -- intermittent.
mouse says:

Nov 2 2013 at 4:33 pm

@DerHoggz

@mouse

@DerHoggz

Glueless patches are good for getting you home. Anytime I try to use one on the next ride they fail.

Agreed. They always fail after a period of time. Also, good luck trying to make them work in the wet. I've gone back to the old style patches as I've found that they are more secure if done properly.

My last use was in the wet, the Lezyne scraper that is in their patch kit seemed to do an okay job of cleaning it.

Incidentally, I have had more flats in a month on Gatorskins than the 5 months on Veloflex...

Fascinating. I had the exact same experience when Gatorskins first came out. Had the shittiest Vittorias for my commute that would last several months without a flat. Put Gatorskins on and had 5 flats in three weeks. Never have used them again. Using Ultremo ZX exclusively now on my commute (and racing - same bike) and - touch wood - have had exactly two flats in 18 months.
unversio says:

Nov 2 2013 at 4:37 pm

@mouse

@DerHoggz

@mouse

@DerHoggz

Glueless patches are good for getting you home. Anytime I try to use one on the next ride they fail.

Agreed. They always fail after a period of time. Also, good luck trying to make them work in the wet. I've gone back to the old style patches as I've found that they are more secure if done properly.

My last use was in the wet, the Lezyne scraper that is in their patch kit seemed to do an okay job of cleaning it.

Incidentally, I have had more flats in a month on Gatorskins than the 5 months on Veloflex...

Fascinating. I had the exact same experience when Gatorskins first came out. Had the shittiest Vittorias for my commute that would last several months without a flat. Put Gatorskins on and had 5 flats in three weeks. Never have used them again. Using Ultremo ZX exclusively now on my commute (and racing - same bike) and - touch wood - have had exactly two flats in 18 months.

Haven't had a single flat in 18 months on Gatorskin and 4000 s, but convinced to try the Ultremo anyway. Are you riding thru scrap metal yards.
PeakInTwoYears says:

Nov 2 2013 at 4:44 pm

Very, very few flats on either Gatorshins or 4000s. But try descending on the former.
revchuck says:

Nov 2 2013 at 4:48 pm

@Rom

How many still patch their tyres? I do but get told off by the newbies that it's old school.

I do. I learned in, oh, '58? I'm comfortable riding on them as well. My record is five patches on a tube. I had to throw that tube out when I bent the teat at the top of the non-replaceable valve core. Serves me right for doing a road race that included a sand wash, which is where I suspect it got bent.
norm says:

Nov 2 2013 at 4:55 pm

I don't like frame protector patches. Its like people that leave that clear plastic film on their phone screens for as long as possible when then get them. I think they look worse than a wear on the frame. A little patina is good, no?
revchuck says:

Nov 2 2013 at 5:01 pm

@PeakInTwoYears

Very, very few flats on either Gatorshins or 4000s. But try descending on the former.

Or riding in the rain. Last weekend during a rainy ride, we rounded a corner at a moderate speed and the rear tire of the guy in front of me just slipped over 15cm or so. He was riding on Gatorskins. He's a skilled rider, so it didn't mess him up. The guy in front of him was on 4000Ss, I was on Michelin Krylions, and neither of us had any traction problems.
Steve-o says:

Nov 2 2013 at 7:25 pm

@frank

My theory is that for the first 30 minutes that an article is up, people read it. After that, 50% of the people glance at the lead photo, skip the article, and jump to the posts. 50% don't even look at the photo.

It's hard to track the analytics on this, so I have to rely on people doing things like that to gather the data. So really you're just helping to support the theory.

Which is all to say that the quality of our writing is irrelevant to the experience of the Community. From this perspective, it amazes me that the book is selling.

@ frank I think the writing's great, it's what sparks the comments and sets the tone for the experience of the Community. When I first learned of the Velominati and read the Rules online, my S.O. ordered the book for me based on my reaction, before the U.S. version. I enjoy coming here.
piwakawaka says:

Nov 2 2013 at 9:48 pm

Did someone say there was quality writing here?