Why the preset rune pages suck.

The preset rune pages basically exist to satisfy two groups of players: The Confused and the Uninterested

Confused: Generally new or returning players who don't know what the new rune pages are and aren't aware of their options and how powerful those options are. They are scared of screwing up, they are worried about how they're using their time during champion select and are paralyzed by options. They're OK not getting the optimal choices on the first try but they'd like to know they got close, and they'd like to learn over time.

Uninterested: These players do not care as much about the pre-game options and find filling out rune pages to be tedious. They care more about getting to the action in the game and crushing their opponents. While filling out a rune page they are bored and want to check their email or go poop instead of deciding between 5% armor after being healed or 5% magic resistance after being healed. He knows what effects are good and bad for his champion, but simply doesn't want to keep having to read effects to make those decisions over and over again.

Preset rune pages fail both of these players for the following reasons.

1. Still a lot of options: There are still five separate pages you have to choose from and it isn't obvious what pages are good for which champions until you open them up and read through everything. The confused player doesn't know if a mage champion should grab sorcery or domination, if a bruiser grabs resolve or precision, or what they should grab if they're on a support. The uninterested player still has to familiarize himself with what every rune in every page does to know if he's grabbing the right preset page.
2. Some of the options are just bad: This mainly applies to "The Timeless," although there are some other stinkers among the preset pages. The showcase for the Inspiration tree is not a good general fit for supports (which is everyone's first assumption for the Inspiration tree) and features the most intricate, bizarre, and situational keystone in the game right now along with a total mess of other runes that is not clearly moving towards any specific goal. The confused player should be put nowhere near "Unsealed Spellbook," and odds are the uninterested player will immediately turn his nose up at this page and file it under "no thanks." Also that one appears first in the list of presets despite likely being the least desirable. Other mistakes include pages that take Gathering Storm and Overgrowth which are extremely bad in the current meta because they provide no power in lane.
3. Other options are missing: Wardens and enchanters have no good page available. Poke mages who don't lead with cc are stuck with Arcane Comet when Summon Aery is leagues better. A second page in Sorcery or Resolve to cover some of these champions would have been loads better than "The Timeless."
4. Close but no cigar: If you see a page that almost works for the champion, you have no options to change any of the runes. You're an assassin without cc and you picked The Executioner? One of your rune slots is wasted on Cheap Shot instead of Sudden Impact, too bad for you. The only way to fix it is to load up one of your personal rune pages, erase whatever was there, and rebuild the full page completely from scratch before saving it. The confused player has no room to experiment and learn within the framework provided to them and the uninterested player quickly realizes that he'll have to resort to building pages from scratch nearly every single game or else be stuck with completely worthless runes that cost him tons of early game power.

I think a better option for these players would have been a 'recommended page' akin to the recommended items page that changes depending on the champion you picked into a typical page for that champion. Then allow players to make changes to this page as a 'temp' page that apply only for this one game. It would be easier to use, give players better results, and allow for more slight experimentation.