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.

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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.

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frank says:

Nov 3 2013 at 8:29 am

@Andre the Fish

@norm I agree, up to a point; I was just servicing my well used CX and noticed that there was some cable rub around the head tube - the metal shining through the dark gray paint adds character, likewise the scrapes from stacking it. If this was on the #1 carbon I would have been distruaght.

Battle scars on an MTB or CX may be fine and I guess even on an older ride, but on a shiney new #1? no.

There is no excuse for breakig Rule #65 - pantina from use is one thing, neglect is something quite different.

I actually agree with this; It adds character for sure. In fact, I wrote a bit on this before, but have taken to adding some patches since getting the custom painted Veloforma bikes and running Yokozuna cables, which really tear into the paint. Once the paint gets beat up, I'll get over it and go back to letting it evolve.
EricW says:

Nov 3 2013 at 9:37 am

@frank I try to read all the articles in spurts, hence my sporadic commenting pattern. I think the quality of writing on the site is excellent. It strikes a great balance between conversational and formal. To me, the greatest asset of this site is the conversation the articles foster, and the lunatics that participate in them.

When you stand back and think about it, a bunch of middle aged guys who mostly haven't met one another and like to wear lycra in public while riding bikes for fun like little kids are an unlikely bunch to maintain decorum, focus and humor in an internet conversation. Yet here we are, with our tongue in cheek seriousness, genuine camaraderie and hilarious arguments about something that the rest of the world considers (at best) kind of silly. You must be doing something right, just keep doing what you're doing.

That said, what happened to good old fashioned electrical tape? Comes in a bunch of colors, sticks well, and (if you use the good stuff) leaves no residue.
Andre the Fish says:

Nov 3 2013 at 9:52 am

Good scars, bad scars....like a lot of what we do, its nuanced @Frank. Nice writing by the way, sums it up perfectly.

@Norms use of the word patina is spot on; both good and bad come with age and use - its a time thing.
eightzero says:

Nov 3 2013 at 9:56 am

Repurposing quality materials is pro. I do this all the time. All real engineers have a repurpose gene.

It is seldom that I have a flat traceable to a patch. Fairly, since I have gone tubeless, I have not had a tube issue. My VMH is still on tubes, and since I do the maint on her bike, I have a system for patching: She carries spare tubes, and if there's a puncture on the road, we replace with a new tube. I keep the punctured one, and if repairable, I patch it. I save those for when gyres get replaced. Fairly, not all punctures are patchable-large gashes, or a seam blows. Those get recycled.

So far, about 2000 miles on tubeless fusion 3 with SNT conversions of stock Neuvation clinchers, and no one the road failures. One puncture on a (Imperial) century that self-sealed as designed. Next upgrade for the Fucking Bike is to move to tubeless specific 2014 Eastons when the Price is Right.

But...to the point of the article, I also like purposed tech, like the Jagwire Tube Tops:

http://jagwire.com/products/v/Tube_Tops
Chris says:

Nov 3 2013 at 12:57 pm

@Mike_P

@JohnB

Do these Park patches have a use by date? For years I've carried a pack as an emergency get me home fix if I ran out of new tubes. Never ever used one. If I repair when I get home it's by the traditional feather edged patch, vulcanising solution and French chalk method. Done right that doesn't fail. By all means leave the cellophane backing in place but not any metal foil backing. I've never even considered using a PT patch as a frame protector. Thanks Frank. Better than clear Lizard Skins?

iphone still predominantly a calling device for me.

I used one that was 5 years old a couple of months ago. It's still attached and working ok.

I've suffered a bit of a glut of punctures recently after a couple of years of with only a couples of punctured tubulars so I really can't remember how old my park patches are (possibly pre-road bike) but I've had a few fail when I've used CO2 to reinflate.
Bigthumpa says:

Nov 3 2013 at 2:16 pm

I participated in a recent sportive that had a great idea to prevent littering: They gave you a free gel if you brought your empty wrappers back to the finish.

A free gel per empty wrapper would have been nice, but it's a good start.
frank says:

Nov 3 2013 at 4:31 pm

@Bigthumpa

I participated in a recent sportive that had a great idea to prevent littering: They gave you a free gel if you brought your empty wrappers back to the finish.

A free gel per empty wrapper would have been nice, but it's a good start.

Based on this post, I have to ask a question: are you Scottish or Dutch? You cannot be of another origin, being that cheap.
frank says:

Nov 3 2013 at 4:33 pm

@eightzero

But...to the point of the article, I also like purposed tech, like the Jagwire Tube Tops:

Have used those as well; however, if you ride cobbles or gravel, you will find them at the end of your cables where do do little good.

But they're great for people like you whose bike sit in the house all winter rather than getting ridden.

*ducks and runs*
eightzero says:

Nov 3 2013 at 4:53 pm

@frank

@eightzero

But...to the point of the article, I also like purposed tech, like the Jagwire Tube Tops:

Have used those as well; however, if you ride cobbles or gravel, you will find them at the end of your cables where do do little good.

What is this "cobbles or gravel" you speak of?

But they're great for people like you whose bike sit in the house all winter rather than getting ridden.

*ducks and runs*

When as old as am I you reach, look as good you will not.
roger says:

Nov 3 2013 at 5:44 pm

@frank

@Bigthumpa

I participated in a recent sportive that had a great idea to prevent littering: They gave you a free gel if you brought your empty wrappers back to the finish.

A free gel per empty wrapper would have been nice, but it's a good start.

Based on this post, I have to ask a question: are you Scottish or Dutch? You cannot be of another origin, being that cheap.

Oh Frank, how you neglect Asians in this equation. Why, I bet you there were families of them out there picking the wrappers out of garbage bins and heading to the finish line with them, trading them in for a full one. In true Asian spirit, it would have been each member of the family making an exchange, 1 at a time...acting like they didn't just come through the line 10 minutes earlier