Are Bell products any good?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 184
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Are Bell products any good?
I was at Wal Mart and noticed they have patches that don't require glue. You just scuff and stick it on and wait a couple of minutes.
Do you think these will seal and hold or is there no replacement for old fashioned glue and rubber?
thanks
Do you think these will seal and hold or is there no replacement for old fashioned glue and rubber?
thanks
#2
I have senior moments...
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Woodside, CA
Posts: 2,151
Bikes: Many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Title of the thread is misleading. Bell brand helmets (and their other brand Giro) are very good and probably several other product lines I can't think of off the top of my head. Glueless patches are also offered by Park Tool. Could both be sourced from 3M afaik. I've not been a big fan of the glueless patches for high pressure tubes but it's been a while since I've used one. Make good frame protection from housing rub, too.
#3
Engineer
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bucharest, Romania, Europe
Posts: 591
Bikes: 1989 Krapf (with Dura-ace) road bike, 1973 Sputnik (made by XB3) road bike , 1961 Peugeot fixed gear, 2010 Trek 4400
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Bell also makes helicopters , that's another Bell
#4
Oldtimer
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Foothills of the Catskills in New York
Posts: 221
Bikes: 1972 Raleigh LTD, 1985 Cannondale SR300 (2), 1986 ROSS Eurotour, 1991 Giant Sedona MTB, 1992 Trek Antelope MTB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Yes, some Bell products are very good. A bell helmet was the highest rated by Consumer Reports a few years ago (and may still be).
No, glueless patches are not good. Carry a spare tube and patch the puncture properly when you have the time.
No, glueless patches are not good. Carry a spare tube and patch the puncture properly when you have the time.
#5
Senior Member
Bell is part of Easton and Easton makes lots of good products.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Bell sells a lot of low-line and casual/kids bike accessories through Wal-Mart and sells far better stuff through real bicycle shops and specialty bike mail order dealers. Same company, different markets.
As to the glueless patches, results have been mixed. Early ones were very failure prone. Current ones may be better but there are still reports of poor bondings and recurring leaks. It may be just poor patching technique and it may be an inherent weakness in the concept. Dunno. I got stung with the first generation and have never gone back.
As to the glueless patches, results have been mixed. Early ones were very failure prone. Current ones may be better but there are still reports of poor bondings and recurring leaks. It may be just poor patching technique and it may be an inherent weakness in the concept. Dunno. I got stung with the first generation and have never gone back.
#7
Listen to me
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Lexus Texas
Posts: 2,788
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Stick on patches don't work (for long) in my experience.
What is so tough about carying sandpaper, glue, and a patch?
The real pain of a flat is taking the wheel off the frame and pulling the tire off the wheel.
Once you lacated the hole and cleared the source the patch operation is the easiest.
If you want easy (and heavy) get a goo tube. Those are always fun when you get a blowout.
Enjoy
What is so tough about carying sandpaper, glue, and a patch?
The real pain of a flat is taking the wheel off the frame and pulling the tire off the wheel.
Once you lacated the hole and cleared the source the patch operation is the easiest.
If you want easy (and heavy) get a goo tube. Those are always fun when you get a blowout.
Enjoy
#8
Senior Member
Glueless patches are not intended to be permanent. they are emergency repair to get rider through the ride when one is without spare tube. So you should alwys either replace the tube or follow up with a more permanent patch. A proper patch is not a patch per se in that the patch is more than a glued on to the tube. The"glue" more or less melts patch and tube together to form a more complete patch much less prone to failure then just sticking something onto the tube.
As for Bell, Bell and Giro are owned by Easton so they are all as good as the other now.
As for Bell, Bell and Giro are owned by Easton so they are all as good as the other now.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NorCal
Posts: 546
Bikes: 2009 Surly Cross Check Frankenbike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
DOS is right. Those Bell glueless patches will work to get you home, but they are not a good permanent fix in my experience. The patch will dry out and fall apart over time. Fine for a quick emergency road-side fix, but that is all. Better to carry an extra tube and do a proper patch job at home after the ride.
Park swears their glueless patches are a good fix, but I have never used them.
Park swears their glueless patches are a good fix, but I have never used them.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Park claims they have solved the problems and the newer glueless patches are reliable. I've read reports from riders who swear by (not at) them and claim they last the life of the tube if used properly. I don't know if that's true since I've never tried them again.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Boise, ID.
Posts: 1,251
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Bell makes ok stuff for the most part. Their cable kits for example, are quite cheap but work well for low budget applications.
That being said, I've never had luck with pre-glued patches of any brand. However, the kits @ my LBS for $3 that include Vulcanizing fluid are fantastic.
That being said, I've never had luck with pre-glued patches of any brand. However, the kits @ my LBS for $3 that include Vulcanizing fluid are fantastic.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 166
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
People complaining of failures within minutes are either installing them improperly or buying really bad ones. I'll go to my LBS today and get the brand I used to buy, Ive used newer Park Tools glueless and they worked just fine as well. Ive used 3+ on one tube, with none of them failing, which goes to show that they do indeed last (granted I get a good number of flats, probably to the tune of one every week or week and a half.
My experience is based on 23mm tires with 22mm tubes running at 100psi+
I did have 2 fail, but they were due to user error.
My experience is based on 23mm tires with 22mm tubes running at 100psi+
I did have 2 fail, but they were due to user error.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Munising, Michigan, USA
Posts: 4,131
Bikes: Priority 600, Priority Continuum, Devinci Dexter
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 685 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 55 Times
in
37 Posts
My theory could be all wrong, but I've never had a glueless patch hold on a mountain-bike tire long enough for me to even get the wheel back on the bike. I run really low pressures though, between 20-30psi depending on where I'm riding.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 81
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My theory is that they are better for high pressures like you're running, because the pressure will force the tube against the tire tightly enough to help hold the patch in place.
My theory could be all wrong, but I've never had a glueless patch hold on a mountain-bike tire long enough for me to even get the wheel back on the bike. I run really low pressures though, between 20-30psi depending on where I'm riding.
My theory could be all wrong, but I've never had a glueless patch hold on a mountain-bike tire long enough for me to even get the wheel back on the bike. I run really low pressures though, between 20-30psi depending on where I'm riding.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bikebike3
Bicycle Mechanics
73
10-24-22 07:59 AM
seanspotatobiz
General Cycling Discussion
10
07-11-18 12:38 PM