Customer Reviews

Bell Deluxe Patch-It Tube Repair Kit

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I have used this product many times (what was I thinking?)and it has NOT WORKED ONCE...It will even fool you long enough to put your bike back together only to hear the hiss as you were hoping to take a ride.Sent an email and complained to Bell and they sent me a new kit.Thinking maybe I just got a bad kit the first time,I tried again (on a 60 psi tire)only to get the same results...Fooled me twice,Shame on me.

It came with 20 patches. Only one would come off the backing; the other 19 tore backing off with them and so were unusable. The one that did come off did not seal well enough to keep air out, even though it scuffed with the included scuffer in different directions and rubbed it on thoroughly.

I just got a new Schwinn Volare clone, and on the first day got a flat from a misaligned rim strip (a sharp-edged spoke recess). I wanted to ride the bike around, to finish adjusting the derailleurs, and used this patch kit. I followed the instructions EXACTLY. The patch failed when I inflated the tube to 60 psi (the bike has Kenda 700 x 28 tires, which have a max inflation of 85 psi).

To be sure, the puncture was fairly extreme...it was ragged, with 2 small "tears" each about 1/16th of an inch. Also, this was near a juncture of 2 of those raised ribs that come about during the manufacturing process. But still, the site was well buffed, and the patch itself seemed to adhere well.

This patch kit may suffice for a small, well-defined puncture on a smooth part of the tube, but otherwise, it's a roll of the dice. You really can't choose what kind of flat you will get, so I can't recommend carrying this kit.

As an aside, the wrench is no longer included with the kit (it's not listed on the kit package labeling). The tire levers are EXCELLENT, and they nest together, so I'll be keeping them. I have a seat bag, and carry an extra tube, and have ordered a patch kit which uses glue.