Lezyne clearly believes small is beautiful but I’m afraid the smart kit might be a case of form over function. It’s a compact roadside patch kit, smaller than a book of stamps and comprising of an emergency tyre boot, six glueless patches and a small stainless steel tube scuffer.
As with traditional repair kits, preparation is key. Once you’ve roughened the affected area, peel a patch from its backing and ensure good adhesion by smoothing with your thumb for at least thirty seconds. In principle this works fine but while our patches enjoyed very good elasticity – especially on awkward areas such as the seams – they demanded greater care than usual to prevent lifting. On several occasions I resorted to clamping them in position with a clothes peg and leaving for a couple of minutes.
The tyre boot is little more than a strip of card of the type easily found by most roadsides but is seems to stay put, is easily moulded to most tyre casings and would probably get you out of a jam. Frankly, the kit isn’t a bad idea and in certain situations scores over traditional types but I would only consider it complementary to a well-stocked repair kit, rather than something to rely on.
Verdict
An interesting concept with patches that are very effective in certain conditions but I wouldn't want to be completely reliant upon it.
