Customer Reviews

Park Tool Super Patch Kit

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I bought several of these kits, based on Park's reputation for good stuff (particularly tools) at a fair price. I was hoping these peel-and-stick patches would replace the glue-on patches I've been using to fix my flats for 20+ years. But alas, I've been sorely disappointed so far.

The Park patches are easy to use... you rough-up a patch-size area on the tube with the included piece of sandpaper, then peel the patch off the backing and stick it on... like a bumper sticker. Put everything back together, pump 'er up, and ride. (By comparison, the "traditional" patch kit has the additional step of applying cement out of a tube, and waiting for it to dry. Not a huge thing, but I'd gladly abandon that step if it were an option.)

Alas... so far my experience has been that the Park patches will hold air for a few days, or a couple weeks... and then they start leaking from the edge. The glue, as sticky as it seems, just can't compare with the chemical reaction of that traditional glue-in-a-tube.

The park patches would probably be suitable in a situation where you just need to finish a ride and get home. But when I get a flat, I like to fix it and forget it. So at least for now, I don't think I'll buy more of these patch kits until they stick a little more permanently.

I have used Park Glueless Patches over the years with both short and long term success. If you've ever kept the old fashioned rubber cement glue patch kit in your repair kit, you've no doubt found the tube of cement dried up when you tried to use it, even if it's been unopened. The glue on thes Park patches seems to last forever. I found it important to abrade the area to be patched, then wipe it clean, then I inflate the tube ever so slightly so that it is about the size it will be when it is inflated inside the tire. You will then likely find that the patch doesn't stretch nor shrink the tube once it is inflated inside the tire, adding long-term durability. It's so nice when a product works the way it should!

I never patched a tube until I moved to New York City; I used to replace the tube every time because flats were so infrequent, but in New York City I have actually had up to three punctures in a single day. When it's wet out I can expect to get one flat at some point. So now I have a two patch maximum rule where the tube is trash on the third puncture, but might have to revise that given how quick and easy it is to use these Park Tool glueless patches that I carried around until I ran out of normal patches before finally using. From now on, this is the only sort of patch I'll use--and I'm switching to kevlar tires.

There's really no need to rough up the surface with these, but you do want to make sure the area you're putting the patch on is free of dirt, sand, dust, talcum powder or anything else that might stand between the patch and the actual tube. This is where the old fashion glue type ones are better, because if you put a gob of superglue on even a dirty surface, anything will stick to it. With these, it's easy enough, and a lot faster to clean and dry that little spot (lick a fingertip and that will do the trick), stick on the patch, and you're set. Gluing a patch on takes time to dry, which is fine when you have enough spare tubes with you on a ride, but intolerable when you have to patch the tube you're presently using in order to continue the ride--where you might find yourself reinstalling the tube while the glue is still wet and later finding it has bonded itself to the inside of your expensive tire.

Also, these patches are paper thin, so they do the job without adding a bump to your ride. They're fairly invisible.

BOTTOM LINE:

They work, and they work instantly. Patch and inflate--no waiting.

Several patches fit in a space smaller than two nickels and come in a little plastic case that fits in even the tiniest of pockets or even a wallet.

Couldn't be easier or cheaper.

I've used two of these on my kids' bike tires and both times it worked without problems. Very easy to apply and no need to wait to inflate tire.

As another reviewer mentioned, these patches are quick and easy but my experience says they only work for 1-14 days before they start leaking without warning. The worst part is that, despite being able to remove the patch, I was unable to remove the glue residue that they left behind so now not even a glued patch will take permanent hold. In other words, not only did they not fix my flats but they rendered the tube irreparable. Perhaps these patches would hold up better on a mountain bike tube with lower PSI? As it is, I'm using them on a road bike and for that they do not work. They're quick and easy to put on but don't last and ruin the tube.

If you want a quick fix for when you don't have time to apply a glued patch, just buy a spare tube and keep it in your saddle bag or backpack. When you get a flat, just swap the flat tube out with the spare tube and fix the flat later when you have time. It's a quick fix and doesn't ruin the tube.

I love these things so much. The package is tiny, about the size of 3 or 4 quarters stacked on each other. Sticker type patches like these are less reliable than properly used glue/vulcanizing patches, but I rarely have issues with them. Most people don't use the glue-type properly, making these more reliable for the average user, not to mention much, much faster. I've had many of these patches last for years, and the ones that have failed seem to do so only on certain tubes. These tend to be cheap tubes that I did not purchase, but rather came with a used bike I bought, or were on another person's bike. While I don't have enough experience to say for sure, I think that these only have a problem with low quality inner tubes.

Glue type patches are great, but only work well when you lay down the glue evenly and let it dry the correct amount of time. Many people don't realize that you have to wait for 5 to 10 minutes for them to set up, and I've found that the ideal time varies with the weather and brand, to the point where I find them less reliable. Plus, who wants to sit on the side of the road for 10 minutes waiting for a patch to get ready, mosquitos biting all over, the sun beating down? Miserable. If you really want reliability, you buy new tubes.

If you use patches and want something to put in a saddle bag, I think these are your best option by a wide margin. They are very inexpensive, super small, quite reliable, and much faster and easier to use than glue-type patches.

I've used these a few times. I agree with some other reviews that they don't last as long. But I'll easily give up a permanent fix for the ease of application.

On my last patch I rode for 2-3mo with the patch on. The rear tire lost air a bit more quickly than the front, but never was low at the end of a ride. Over the winter the tire went flat and the patch let go.

I'm more than happy with those results.

The best when it comes to patching tubes. Work about 80% of the time, compared to 50% of the time for the Slime patches. I highly recommend them.

It saved me a ton of time last time I've had a blown out tube, highly recommended.. Blown out tubes are supposed to be replaced when you had a chance and not re-used... So unless you want to re-use your tube, you should go and get the patch and glue... But seriously, a tube is only about $4, why all the trouble of gluing and re-using?

Product is easy to keep in a small saddle bag. Don't have to worry about dried out glue when you get a flat.