When it comes to fixing a tubeless flat, all punctures are not created equal. Some are small pin holes, while others are large gashes – which can make it challenging to plug with a one-size-fits-all tire plug. As usual, Clever Standard has come up with a better way.
Amusingly called the Bacon Bullet (which we got a sneak peek of here), Clever’s tubeless solution is built to use existing ‘bacon’ tire plug strips in multiple combinations. With two or three different sizes for the ‘bullets’ (production is yet to be finalized), you can choose the number and size of bacon strips to suit the puncture. That includes the smaller 1.5mm strips, or the larger 3.5mm strips.
Not only does this allow you to utilize commonly-found bacon strips which are more affordable than specialty tire plugs, it means that you can insert multiple plugs at once which could be ride-saving for larger holes.
It also means that it’s nearly impossible for the plug to pull out once the bullet is fully inserted into the tire. Clever mentioned that they have been testing prototypes with Mark Weir, who has been loving how secure the tire plugs are once they’re in place.
And when it’s time for a new tire? Simply cut out the Bacon Bullets, clean out the bore, and you can reuse them almost indefinitely.
When it comes to actually inserting the Bacon Bullets, they are designed to fit on top of standard Allen wrenches so you can use almost any multi tool with a 2-3mm Allen as a plugger. Certain tools will work better than others in terms of comfort in your hand, so just dial in your setup at home ahead of time.
The Bacon Bullet isn’t yet available as Clever Standard is looking for a company to partner with, but when they are, it seems like it will be one of the better tire plug options on the market.
Captain Hook
Another smart little tool that Clever Standard had to show was their new Captain Hook. The colorful valve caps not only serve as valve core wrenches, but they have another tool that anyone with stuck valve nuts will love.
The bottom of the tool is shaped to fit the flat found on most valve nuts on tubeless valves. While using one tool to hold the valve core from spinning, you can use the other to loosen the valve nut in cases where it’s stuck with tire sealant, road salt, sea salt, etc.
Additional features include a 3.23mm spoke wrench at the hook side, and a 3.30mm spoke wrench at the valve side. Additionally, the size of the tool allows brands or bike shops to include their logos and a QR code in the laser etching.
This one is also not quite available yet, but you can stay up to date one the Clever Standard Facebook page or bibcreative.bigcartel.com.
