This tin of Zefal Repair Spray is a nifty little addition to your ride kit if you aren't a fan of fixing punctures at the side of the road, or are often up against the clock whether racing or commuting. It's not a guaranteed fix for every occasion, but nine times out of ten it'll get you home.

• Pros: Works on the majority of small punctures from thorns and flints; cheap fix
• Cons: Attaching to the valve can be fiddly; only fixes holes up to 2mm

The Zefal Repair Spray isn't a tubeless sealant. It's similar, as in it'll react with the air at the surface of the inner tube or tubeless tyre, turning into a solid to plug the hole, but it is purely a temporary solution to get you home/to work/finish the race.

> Find your nearest dealer here

It doesn't just inject the sealant, though, the compressed gas will also inflate your tyre at the same time – ideal if you are travelling light without tube and pump.

I really don't suffer from a lot of punctures as I tend to keep the pressures up to what most people in this day and age reckon is too hard, but hey, it works for me.

In 2019 with 8,500 miles covered, with a split of about 60/40 between road and gravel, I had maybe three flats. Two were from thorns, so small holes, and the other was a short slit no doubt caused by some glass or flint.

Testing the Repair Spray in the workshop, I replicated these kind of intrusions using a drawing pin and then a 2mm slit with a Stanley knife through a 28mm tyre and an inner tube.

The Repair Spray can be fitted to both Presta and Schrader valves (the former by an adaptor that screws into the end of the tube), although you have to be 100 per cent sure it is on correctly.

With the fittings being plastic, it is very easy to cross thread things if you are in a hurry or being a bit hamfisted, and the first you'll know about it is when the sealant starts going everywhere but in the valve...

If you've fitted it right, though, holding the bottle upside down and pushing the button will see the tyre inflate. I got about 40-50psi into the 28mm tyre – enough to get you home if needs be, but Zefal recommends you ride for about 3km to get the sealant all around the tyre and then inflate it up to your preferred pressure with a pump.

> All you need to know about mini pumps + 6 of the best

I pumped the tyre up to about 80psi and it remained inflated fine for at least the next 24 hours.

After a couple of days the sealant would have dried out and the tube could possibly leak again, but it had done the job of getting me home so that I could fix or replace it.

I say 'would have' dried out, because that is what Zefal says will happen. I couldn't test that because I went on to put a bigger slit into the tyre and tube with the knife, about 1mm thick and 5mm long, just to check Zefal's claims that it'll only work on holes up to 2mm.

It had a pretty good go at fixing the hole but it was just a bit too big to let the sealant set before it was being let out through the hole, so this would be a roadside repair job.

> How to fix a puncture

This 100ml tube (75mm and 150ml are available) has an rrp of £5.99, although you can get it for under a fiver if you shop around.

It's more expensive than a patch, but if you are in a rush or the weather is atrocious it certainly pays for itself, in my eyes. Its size also means that it will fit in a jersey pocket, or it is available with a mounting kit.

It certainly looks a bargain compared to the 125ml Kwiki Sealant Inflator at £14.99, although that does look to get more pressure into your tyres by a fair bit, compared to the Zefal.

Decathlon offers its own version for just £1.99 at the time of writing. It only seals holes up to 1mm, though.

Overall, the Zefal is a great little solution to keep you moving when out on the road in the majority of situations. After testing, I've since bought a couple of cans to keep in my rucksack just in case.

Verdict

It won't fix every puncture but it'll sort the majority to get you on your way quickly

The Zefal Pulse Z2 bottle cage offers loads of adjustability for small frames and holds your bottle securely, regardless of the terrain. It isn't a true side-opener, more of an angle, but still works well where space is limited, though you might struggle with larger bottles.

Some cages let you literally insert a bottle sideways, like the Arundel STR DTR Side-Entry, which is perfect if you have no access to get the bottle in from the top, like with a traditional cage. The Zefal's design differs slightly; its reinforced fibre-glass material is too taut to force a bottle in directly from the side, but the shape means you can slide it in from quite an angle, which should still enable you to use it with a small frame or a larger one loaded with a frame bag.

> Find your nearest dealer here

On a compact style gravel bike with a frame bag fitted I could easily fit a 500ml bottle into it, while a 750ml was just a little bit of a squeeze. Once in, though, both sizes of bottle were held firmly, even when full on really rough terrain.

The outside of the cage has a hardwearing matt finish, while the inside has a polished look to it which helps your bottles slide in and out easily.

The Pulse comes in two parts, which allows you to switch the upper bit to either left or right loading, plus you get plenty of adjustment for the bolt holes so you can customise how high up the seat tube or down tube you want it to sit.

It costs £11.99, which is pretty good value when compared to the similar Tacx Radar cage at £13.99. It's only a couple of quid, admittedly, but the Pulse looks a much more refined product.

> Read more road.cc reviews of bottle cages here

Overall, the Zefal Pulse Z2 is a good looking cage that offers very firm bottle retention.

Verdict

Not a true side-entry but looks good and holds your bottle tight

Zefal Pro Dry Lube is a wax-based lubricant that's intended for dry and dusty conditions. On such days it does a good job of providing a layer of protection against wear, rust, and oxidation, but if things turn damp it doesn't have as much staying power as some competitors.

As with all lubes, it's important to start with a thoroughly clean chain. Happily, however, I didn't find the Pro Dry Lube to be quite as sensitive to contaminants as other lubes and, in particular, fully wax-based alternatives.

> Find your nearest dealer here

A 10-minute curing time means this can be added not long before heading out the door, and I'd agree with Zefal's claim that one 'moderate' coat will do the trick.

The Pro Dry has a particularly runny consistency, and although that means it gets into every nook and cranny, it also makes it potentially messy to apply. Even with a rag underneath, you'd be braver than me if you chose to apply this indoors.

To make the process even messier, the childproof 'drip reduction' safety cap and nozzle broke after just a week of use; the cap pulled the nozzle off, ensuring that not only my chain was lubricated but the rest of my bike and the pavement as well.

While still attached, the nozzle worked well, enabling a controllable flow rate for accurate application. The lubricant itself is clear and it was easy to get thorough and even coverage of the chain. By having such a low viscosity (really runny) it's also ideal to use for quick lubrication of cleats and other metal-on-metal surfaces in an emergency, although I wouldn't recommend using it as a grease substitute.

Post-application, the cranks did indeed spin freely and silently without the syrupy feel that thicker lubricants can contribute towards. Out on the road, it's near-impossible to tell how much friction there is, or if indeed any hard-earned watts are being lost; it certainly didn't seem that way, and a silent drivetrain is usually a good sign that no effort has been squandered.

After a solid day in the saddle you'll be left with a fairly all-over grubby film covering the chain, but any lube is going to pick up dirt and I was reasonably impressed with only a thin layer of grime; certainly nothing that would be detrimental to performance.

> How to clean your bike – from a quick lick to a full makeover

Out on a dry road, I was happily getting 200 miles in between top-ups, but in more changeable conditions this dropped dramatically. After a damp ride you'd be looking for the bottle before heading out again.

Value-wise, its rrp of £5.99 for 120ml is competitive, but if you want a lube that can cope with typical UK weather it might be worth paying extra.

> Buyer’s Guide: 7 of the best chain lubes

One of my favourites, Rock n Roll Absolute Dry, costs £7.95 for 100ml, but has more staying power when the going gets moist.

Fenwick's is even more expensive, over twice the price at £11.99 for 100ml, but again does a great job on dry days and copes better in changeable weather.

When used off-road, the Pro Dry seemed a little out of its depth, the sound of metal-on-metal appearing before arriving home. To be fair, most barely-there dry lubes would struggle in off-road conditions as, apart from in the height of summer, there's always likely to be some moisture lurking in the woods. If it's dry and dusty then I'd recommend the Pro Dry, but unfortunately here in the UK those days are scarce.

Conclusion

Overall, the Pro Dry is a clean-running, lightweight formula that does its job well when used in the dry conditions it's designed for. When the weather's set fair, it's a strong contender as an everyday summer lube, although personally I'd spend more on one with more staying power for typical UK conditions. The nozzle breaking was disappointing, though that could of course have been a one-off.

Verdict

Clean-running lightweight formula for dry days only

If the hole in your tyre is too big for the sealant to work, Zefal's Tubeless Repair Kit is a simple and effective solution that avoids the faff of fitting a tube – or even removing the tyre. It includes six plugs in two sizes and a tool for inserting them, is light, cheap and no bigger than a regular repair kit. There's little not to like.

I'm lucky enough to puncture very rarely out on the road, but I've picked up a fair few on gravel trails. With the majority of tyres I'm testing being set up tubeless, having some way of plugging a large hole is welcome.

> Find your nearest dealer here

This kit is small and lightweight, so it takes up barely any room in your pocket, bag or seatpack. It contains six plugs – three 2mm and three 5mm diameter, all 50mm long – and can, Zefal says, fill holes between 1mm and 5mm. It also includes the needle tool for inserting them.

As luck(?) would have it, a sharp rock caught my 38mm Hutchinson Override rear tyre on one descent and left a gash about 3mm long and 1mm wide. The sealant did a reasonable job of gumming up the hole, but I was about 30 miles from home with nothing but remote gravel tracks in front of me.

> Buyer's guide to tubeless tyres — find out all about new technology rubber

Rather than risk it opening up again, and using up what little sealant I had left, I decided to plug it. It's a simple task, and basically the same as plugging a car or motorcycle tyre.

With a plug strip in the groove on the tool, you use the needle to push it into the hole and give it a few twists. Then you slowly withdrawal the needle, leaving the plug in place with just a bit of each end exposed. It takes a bit of wriggling and tweaking to get everything seated right, but it's much easier than taking the tyre off to patch it or put a tube in.

I found the fix worked well: the hole stayed plugged as I rode the 30 miles of gravel home, with no leakage or issues at all. I later did a couple of shorter gravel rides on the fixed tyre with no problems too, before swapping to the next set of test tyres – if I hadn't had to, I wouldn't have bothered changing the Hutchinson, as the plug looked secure and pretty permanent.

At £7.99 it isn't badly priced either, especially if you value your time and energy out on the trails. Lezyne's Classic Tubeless Kit has a slightly more elaborately machined needle tool, if aesthetics are important, but comes with only five plugs for £10.

David was really impressed with the Dynaplug Racer Tubeless Repair Kit too, but that costs £34.99. It looks a much neater solution and is designed specifically for road tyres, though, whereas the Zefal uses a more generic plug aimed at all sorts of applications.

The Zefal Tubeless Repair Kit is simple, light, cheap and worth packing as it may just get you of a jam.

Verdict

A neat and simple solution to punctures your sealant can't handle

Zefal's Z Console is a secure system for mounting your smartphone to your stem so that you can use navigation apps as you ride. It provides impact resistance and optional protection from rain and mud too, and is also cheaper than an equivalent system from key rivals.

We ran a review of the Zéfal Z Console Lite iPhone 6 and 6 Plus five years ago and a review of the Zefal Z Console Universal Smart Phone Holder in 2017. The Z Console I've been using is better than either of those.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Setting things up could hardly be easier. You push your phone into the soft thermoplastic polyurethane case (a little hole on the back leaves the camera uncovered) and attach the Z Bike Mount to your stem with stretchy rubber O-rings. It's a simple and effective system, the 32mm and 36mm O-rings provided suiting the vast majority of stems.

You could fit the mount to your handlebar if you wanted, although Zefal doesn't say this, perhaps because this positioning could result in your knee hitting the phone when you're riding out of the saddle – unlikely but possible, depending on your bike setup.

A polycarbonate section on the back of the case fits on to the mount; you twist your phone 45 degrees clockwise and it locks in place, either in portrait or landscape orientation. A big, reassuring click tells you that it is properly engaged. Raised areas on the side of the case allow you to operate your phone's buttons.

Either before or after the case is locked to the mount – I found it easier to do before – you can put the transparent cover in place over the front of your phone. It extends partly around the back to cover the camera hole and a little hatch at the bottom allows you to access the charging port.

You don't have to put the cover on but you might want the extra level of protection it provides. It doesn't keep rain out completely – I'd call it water resistant rather than waterproof. A lot of phones these days have an IP67 rating anyway (which means they can handle being dropped in a metre of water for up to half an hour; although the water-resistance degrades over time). Go out for a long ride when it's hosing down and spray will probably get in at the back of the case, but in practice I didn't have a problem. If you do want complete protection from rain, you'd be better off with something like a Zefal Z Console Dry Smartphone Cover (£29.99) or a Topeak Smartphone Drybag (£25.99). I found the cover most useful for keeping mud and grit off the phone, because getting that stuff off can cause all sorts of little scratches.

You can use the phone's touchscreen with the cover in place, although you often need to be more deliberate than usual in your actions. I couldn't text as quickly with the cover on, for example, swiping up from the bottom of the screen is sometimes difficult, and I occasionally had to press icons a couple of times to get apps to launch. Bear in mind that the cover muffles the sound a bit too, so you might want to whack up the volume in order to hear alerts.

Once it's on, I can't imagine the case coming off the Z Bike Mount accidentally. Never say never, I guess, but it really is super-secure... as you'd hope with something as valuable as a smartphone on board.

Unlike a Garmin Edge computer mount, say, you don't just twist the Zefal case in the opposite direction to release it. You have to press two buttons on the Z Bike Mount at the same time before you can turn the case, so it's a job for both hands.

Even if you hit the case with your knee when you're riding out of the saddle – which would be difficult if it's positioned on the stem, but let's go with it – there's no way that you'll knock it off the mount. You could move the mount on your stem and need to reposition it, but you're not going to lose your phone in that way. It really is a solid design.

> Buyer’s Guide: 28 of the best cycling apps

If you did manage to knock your phone into the road – by dropping it at the start or end of your ride, say – the case and cover offer a lot of protection from impact. You'd have to be really unlucky for any damage to occur.

Your phone isn't going to become dislodged from the case over bumpy terrain either. At least, I tried it on a lot of gravel roads and that never happened.

> GPS cycle route planning made easy

If you're familiar with the Quad Lock mounting system, Zefal's is a vaguely similar concept. They're distinct designs and aren't compatible with one another, but they both involve the phone case clicking into place on the mount and require a distinct, conscious action to release the lock. I wouldn't say that either is any more or less secure than the other.

The stack height is similar too, your phone sitting about 25mm above your stem with each system, although the Quad Lock case has a slightly lower profile than Zefal's when not attached to its mount – there's less of a bulge on the back to accommodate the fixing hole. On the other hand, the Zefal system is significantly cheaper. A Quad Lock case, stem mount and weather resistant cover is £54.95.

Other Zefal mounts are available separately. The Z Armband (£17.99) is suitable for running or gym use, while the Z Car Mount (£20.99)... well, that one speaks for itself. A suction cup attaches it to the windscreen or dashboard.

Naturally, the Zefal Z Console is available for other iPhones and for various Samsung Galaxy models too. There's also a Zefal Z Console Smartphone Universal Holder in two different sizes for other phones (£29.99). If you wanted a second mount for another bike, they're available separately for £13.99 each.

Various other phone mounts for your bike are available from other brands, such as the Quad Lock system I mentioned above. A TopeakRidecase with a mount is £44.99, for example, while an SKSCompit Smartphone Mount is £29.99 and a holder that's specific to your phone is another £9.99. 

> Read more road.cc reviews of phone and computer mounts

Triban also offers a 900 L Waterproof Bike Smartphone Holder for £17.99, although we've not reviewed it.

Compared with the other phone mounts that we have reviewed, Zefal's is a neat system at a very good price. It's a secure solution for carrying your smartphone where you can see it and use its navigational capabilities. It also provides protection against knocks, shielding against rain and mud, and is cheaper than comparable systems from other brands.

Verdict

Secure system for mounting your smartphone to the stem, with decent impact protection and a good price

The Zefal Universal Smartphone Adaptor Bike Kit allows you to fit any mobile phone to your stem via an adhesive adaptor and a mount so that you can see apps on the screen as you ride. It's a secure system that's very easy to use.

What you get here is Zefal's proven Z Bike Mount and an adaptor that you stick to the back of your phone or phone case.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

Zefal produces many kits that comprise a case for your phone, a Z Bike Mount, and a water resistant cover. However, most are designed for specific iPhone or Samsung models. If your phone is a different brand/model, Zefal offers the Z Console Universal Smart Phone Holder that we reviewed a few years ago (which is essentially a tray that'll accommodate a range of phone sizes), a Z Console Dry holder, or this Universal Smartphone Adaptor Bike Kit.

Setting things up is easy. You clean the back of your phone or phone case with the alcohol pad provided, peel off the coating on the back of the adaptor… 

…and stick it in place. That's it.

The surface you're sticking the adaptor to must be flat and non-porous, so the hard plastic back of your mobile phone is ideal. Many phone cases are good too, but soft materials, such as silicone, rubber and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), are out.

The adaptor itself, which measures 65.5mm x 55mm and has a stack height of about 7mm, is made from polyamide and TPU, while the sticky stuff is 3M VHB (Very High Bond) adhesive tape. Ideally, you want to get your aim right first time but there's some leeway there because it cures over 72 hours. After this time, it's not going to come off accidentally; once stuck it stays stuck.

The Z Bike Mount fixes to your bike with stretchy O-rings, a bit like Garmin uses for its basic Edge computer mounts, for example. You get two different sizes in the box – 32mm and 36mm – which fit most stems.

You attach your phone by locating the adaptor on top of the mount and giving it an eighth turn clockwise. A resounding click tells you that the two are locked together. You can position your phone in either portrait or landscape orientation.

Removing your phone is a two-handed affair. You need to push in two buttons on the mount at the same time to release the lock, and turn your phone anti-clockwise. I've used Zefal's system loads, both with this kit and others, and I've never had a phone come off the Z Bike Mount unintentionally. It just doesn't happen. This is a really secure system.

As well as the Z Bike Mount, the adaptor is compatible with Zefal's Z Console Dual Handlebar Mount (£29.99), Z Armband Mount (£17.99), and Z Car Mount (£20.99), all of which are available to buy separately.

One thing you don't get here is any sort of cover for your phone, so if you get caught in the rain it's going to get wet and perhaps dirty from road spray. Most smartphones these days have some kind of waterproof rating, such as IP67, but this still might be a concern for you. If so, the Z Console Dry Holder mentioned earlier might be a better option for you.

Value

The £23.99 RRP isn't as good value as something like the Zefal Z Console for Apple iPhone X (£29.99) that I reviewed recently. The extra £6 you pay there gets you a soft thermoplastic polyurethane case for your phone plus a transparent cover to help keep the rain out.

On the other hand, Quad Lock offers a similar package to this, including a universal adaptor that sticks to your phone or phone case with 3M VHB adhesive and a stem mount, for £29.95.  Having used both systems, I'd say they're of comparable quality and equally secure, so Zefal's Universal Smartphone Adaptor Bike Kit provides better value for money.

> 28 of the best cycling apps

You can certainly get cheaper products that do a similar job. The BTR Silicone Handlebar Mobile Phone Mount that we reviewed earlier in the year was £11.99 at the time, for example, though it's now £19.99, while the Oso Velo X Cyclomount Bike Mount Holder is £17.49. Zefal's system is a little more pricey than those but it's a super-secure design that's very easy to use. The fact that you can buy other types of mount that are compatible with the adaptor might be a benefit to you as well.

Overall, the Zefal Universal Smartphone Adaptor Bike Kit is a solid design for fixing a smartphone to your bike's stem. It doesn't offer any protection from impact, rain or dirt, but it does a great job of holding your phone securely and firmly so you can use apps as you ride.

Verdict

Secure and stable system for fitting any any smartphone to the stem of your bike

The Z Adventure R17 saddle bag from Zefal swallows a huge amount of kit thanks to its adjustable size and high weight limit, and it's waterproof too. It doesn't quite have the versatility of a holster/dry bag setup, but for the price you really can't complain.

Over the past few months my collection of bikepacking bags has grown to cover everything from daytrips to full-blown excursions, and it's the latter the Zefal is good for thanks to its 17-litre capacity.

> Find your nearest dealer here

For starters, it can carry a lot of kit. I've been constantly playing around with where I'm going to store what, but for now, the Zefal is playing home to a one-man tent, poles and pegs, a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat and an inflatable pillow.

That comes to 2,703g – well below the 5kg limit of the R17 – but pretty much fills it space-wise. There are a few nooks and crannies where I can stash squashable things like a waterproof jacket or my first aid kit in a Sticky Pod.

There is also bungee cord threaded on top for stuffing on a few extra things. Like a jacket, for example, should you want to grab it quickly. If you want to carry less stuff, you can roll the bag down to eight litres capacity.

Fitment to the bike is easy. A couple of straps go over the saddle rails and a large seat post strap keep things secure. You need a good 175mm of seat post showing for a comfortable fit, though.

Once attached and fully loaded there is a bit of sway due to its length, but it's no worse than I've found with similar bags. In fact, I'd say considering its size it doesn't move as much as you'd think, unless you're really honking it over on a steep climb.

Many large bags, like the Restrap Saddle Bag and the Brooks Scape I'm currently testing (review soon) use a holster system to carry a separate dry bag. This has the advantage that you can take the bag off your bike and into your tent. Once refilled, you just stuff it into the holster, tighten the straps and off you go.

> Your complete guide to bikepacking - what kit you need, how to plan and prepare plus inspiration for an adventure

Obviously, with the Zefal you can't do that. It's not an issue if you're carrying your camping kit, like me, as you're just going to pull it out and set up camp.

If you stash the tent in your frame bag and sleeping stuff in a bar bag, leaving the Zefal for your cooking stuff, clothes and so on, then this could be more of a faff. Each to their own though.

As it stands, I really like the Zefal R17. It works for the way I do things. If you do take it off the bike, it is easy to refit when loaded. Just wedge your knee between the rear tyre and the bag to support it, and reattach the straps.

Like many dry bags, the closure is created by rolling it down and then securing the buckles. For waterproofness it's good form to roll the bag over at least a couple of times, and if you do this the Zefal is impressive at keeping the elements out.

I'd still use a dry bag inside just in case, but I've ridden in heavy rain – and given the R17 a pummelling with a hose – with no water getting through.

You also get a couple of neat little additions, like the reflective logos on the side and top, plus as you roll the bag up you find various mounting points for a rear light. Handy, as on the majority of bikes it's going to reduce your ability to run one on the seatpost.

Value

Priced at £69.99 (but closer to £50 online), the R17 is a lot of bag for the money. It's also really good quality. I haven't found any weaknesses in its construction, and it has seen some really rough conditions.

> 23 of the best bikepacking bags — how to choose lightweight luggage

The Brooks Scape I mentioned earlier is smaller and can only handle 3kg. It'll set you back £115. I talked about the Restrap Saddle Bag too, and I'm a big fan of their packs – I own five of them. Restrap's handmade quality is excellent, but you are paying for it.

The Restrap 14l saddle bag is £109.99, while the closest in price to the Zefal is the Saddle Pack at £54.99. That only holds 4.5 litres though.

Alpkit is always a good choice for bikepacking bags. I have the 13L Koala which is currently £74.99 and very good quality; the 17L Big Papa is £94.99. And finally, Apidura's 17L Expedition Saddle Pack is quite a firm favourite with bikepackers, and sits at £132.99.

Conclusion

I'm a really big fan of the R17. It keeps your kit safe and dry, the way it fits means it's very secure for such a large bag, and it's good value for money too.

Verdict

Cavernous bikepacking bag that fits securely and keeps your kit dry, all for a decent price

Let's get to grips with the world of bike pumps and CO2 inflators. We're going to cover track pumps, frame pumps, mini pumps and CO2 devices and we'll give you our choice of the best currently available.

• You'll probably want to own at least two bike pumps: a track pump (aka floor pump) for home and a portable pump for out on the road

• A decent basic floor pump is about £20; pay more and you get features like better gauges, multi-fit heads and the ability to blast air into a tubeless tyre to seat it

• Pocket-sized mini-pumps are portable, but not exactly quick

• Inflators that use CO2 cartridges are portable and quick, but cartridges are expensive

• Full-size frame pumps are fairly quick to use, but take up space many bikes don't have spare

21 of the best pumps, CO2 inflators & accessories for 2021

• Floor pumps
  • Topeak Joe Blow Booster track pump and tubeless inflator — £125.99
  • Birzman Maha Push and Twist II floor pump — £74.99
  • Beto CJA-001S Tubeless Air Tank Inflator — £44.99
  • Cannondale Airport Carry On Floor Pump — £39.99
  • Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive track pump — £59.99
  • SKS Rennkompressor floor pump — £42.95
  • Topeak Joe Blow Sport III — £34.99
• Gauges
  • SKS Airchecker II — £20.49
  • Topeak SmartGauge D2 — £23.99
• Tubeless tanks
  • Topeak Tubibooster X tubeless inflator — £53.02
• Mini pumps
  • Topeak RaceRocket HP — £25.99
  • Birzman Mini Apogee hand pump — £22.99
  • Topeak Pocket Rocket mini pump — £17.99
  • Lezyne Road Drive L Alloy — £47.00
• Frame pumps
  • Topeak Road Master Blaster — £16.99
  • Zefal HPX Classic frame pump — £20
• Carbon dioxide inflators
  • Bontrager Air Rush Road CO2 Pump — £25.00
  • Genuine Innovations Ultraflate 20g CO2 Inflator — £17.00
  • Lezyne Control Drive CO2 Inflator — £25
  • Birzman Infinite Apogee Road with CO2 Mini Pump — £36.99
  • B’Twin CO2 Pump and Cartridge — £12.99

The pneumatic tyre is one of mankind's greatest inventions, smoothing the ride and making bikes faster compared to the solid tyres that came before it. But it's also a pain in the neck, because it's vulnerable to punctures and gradually loses air while your bike is stored. At home and on the road, you need a a way to replace the lost air.

There are three broad types of tyre inflator: portable hand pumps that you take along on your rides; portable carbon dioxide canister devices; and floor pumps for workshop and trackside use. Hand pumps in turn divide into full-size frame pumps and minipumps that are small enough to fit in your jersey pocket. Let's take a look at all the options and variations.

Floor pumps

Also known as track pumps because they're the most common way to get the very high pressures used in track cycling, floor pumps make it easy to get air into your tyres. A floor pump has a handle to help you get your weight behind the job, feet that are big enough to stand on to hold it in place, and a gauge so you can get the pressure spot on.

The narrower the barrel of a floor pump, the easier it is to get high pressures, but it will take more strokes.

All track pumps have some sort of chuck to attach to the valve, but there are many different designs. Some use a universal mechanism that will fit Presta and Schrader valves, while others have a separate attachment for each type. Almost all have a lever to clamp the chuck round the valve.

There's some debate about where the pressure gauge should be. Some manufacturers put it at the top of the barrel, which makes it easier to read, others put it at the bottom because it's less likely to get damaged there if the pump falls over. If you go for pump with a high gauge, make sure it has some sort of protection against falls.

Some pumps are definitely more robust than others, which is why you'll see a fairly small selection of models being used in bike shop workshops. Very few can stand being accidentally kicked around, an inevitable part of workshop life for a floor pump.

Topeak Joe Blow Booster track pump and tubeless inflator — £125.99

Topeak's Joe Blow Booster is an easy to use, all in one solution for anyone that wants to seat tricky tubeless tyres or just inflate them, using a high-pressure reservoir to provide enough of a blast of air to get even the most stubborn rubber seated. It's expensive but it's the best all-in-one unit we've used, by some way.

Read our review of the Topeak Joe Blow Booster
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Birzman Maha Push and Twist II floor pump — £74.99

Birzman's Maha Push and Twist II Floor pump is a really high quality unit, and the new head is simple to use and effective for both Presta and Schrader valves. It's expensive, but a very nice thing and definitely worth a look if you're after a good-looking pump with performance to match.

Read our review of the Birzman Maha Push and Twist II
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Beto CJA-001S Tubeless Air Tank Inflator — £44.99

The Beto CJA-001S Tubeless Air Tank Inflator is a workshop-quality tubeless air tank with well-thought-out features and excellent performance. It should last you a lifetime of tubeless setup, road or mountain.

Read our review of the Beto CJA-001S
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Cannondale Airport Carry On Floor Pump — £39.99

Most cyclists have a couple of bike pumps: a mini pump for road-side rescue and a track pump for home inflation. The cycling industry is nothing if not adept at creating niches, however, and the travelling track pump might be just such a niche - for when you're on a biking holiday or just need to cram a lot of stuff in a small car for an event. Cannondale's Airport Carry On floor pump is just such a pump, with a capacity equal to many a full-sized track pump and a clever folding design to make it more packable.

Read our review of the Cannondale Airport
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Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive track pump — £59.99

Thanks to its clever Flip-Thread chuck the Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive works with every type of valve and valve extender we've tried and without any of that fuss of wiggling the connector or refitting to get it started. Quite frankly it's a brilliant bike pump.

The Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive is robust and well built with the barrel and base being CNC machined from aluminium. With the base measuring 220mm in width it's stable in use thanks especially to the large diameter pressure gauge bezel creating a kind of tripod effect.

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Read our review of the Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive pump

SKS Rennkompressor floor pump — £42.95

There's nothing terribly fancy about the Rennkompressor, though the latest version has a choice of chucks. What sets it apart, and makes it a very common shop choice of bike pump, is the durability that comes from its beefy cast aluminium base, fold-out steel feet, steel barrel and wooden handle. If you want a track pump you can leave in your will, this is the one to buy.

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Topeak Joe Blow Sport III — £34.99

You don't have to spend the thick end of fifty quid to get a decent floor pump. Topeak's Joe Blow Sport III is deservedly popular for its sturdy construction, double-sided chuck and comfy elastomer-covered handle.

Topeak has put the gauge halfway up the barrel so it's easy to see but not so high that a trivial topple will smash it. Good thinking.

Read our review of the Joe Blow Sport III
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Gauges

If you're really fanatical about air pressure, then a standalone gauge can help make sure you get your tyres to the right pressure every time.

SKS Airchecker II — £20.49

If you've got a track pump, and you're meticulous about your tyre pressures, a standalone pressure gauge is a good investment, giving greater precision and consistency than the typical gauge that's built in to a pump.

The SKS Airchecker is a well-made digital gauge for tyre pressures that's quick to use once you have the knack of getting it firmly seated on the valve. SKS is well known for its mudguards. The Airchecker is a solid digital pressure gauge that comes with the same rugged build quality and carries a five-year warranty.

Operation is mostly self-evident: press the On/BAR/PSI button to wake the gadget up and toggle between scales. The Mode button allows you to change from the default 'snapshot' pressure reading to a real-time gauge that you'll need when you want to let some air out. That's achieved by pressing the little orange 'deflate' button on the valve head.

Read our review of the SKS Airchecker

Topeak SmartGauge D2 — £23.99

The Topeak SmartGauge D2 is a well-designed, tough, user-friendly and compact digital pressure gauge. It fits both Presta and Schrader valves, gives live readings of changing pressures and will last months, if not years, on a single battery. There's little not to like – it's the perfect antidote to analogue track pump readings that are often inaccurate and hard to see.

Read our review of the Topeak SmartGauge D2
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Tubeless tanks

If you've already got a track pump you might not want to buy another one with the capability to burst-inflate tubeless tyres. A tubeless tank is the alternative, providing a high-pressure reservoir that can be dumped into your tubeless tyre in one hit to pop the bead on to the rim.

Topeak Tubibooster X tubeless inflator — £53.02

Topeak's Tubibooster X makes short work of inflating and seating tubeless tyres, with a tough, high-pressure aluminium body that's charged using a separate track pump. It's easy to use, with quality connectors and it's a great addition to your workshop if you don't have a combined pump/inflator already.

Read our review of the Topeak Tubibooster X
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Mini pumps

A scaled down version of a frame pump, a mini-pump is small enough to fit in a bag or pocket, or clips into a mount that fits under a bottle cage. Mini-pumps are popular because they're light and tidy. They don't get a tyre up to pressure very quickly, but their fans see this as worth putting up with given how rarely they need them.

Mini bike pumps vary widely in how well they work. Some just won't get your tyres up to recommended pressure, so you'll have to ride carefully after using one to avoid a pinch flat, but there are a few gems out there that work almost as well as frame pumps.

Topeak RaceRocket HP — £25.99

The Topeak RaceRocket HP disappears inside a standard jersey pocket yet inflates a tyre with less effort than you might expect given its size. It looks good and functions well, and Topeak's SmartHead makes it compatible with both Presta and Schrader valves.

At only 18cm the RaceRocket HP is, as I said, perfect for stashing in a jersey pocket – though it does also come with a frame bracket – but despite its small size it pumps effectively, inflating a tyre to 90 or 100psi with less pain than is often associated with mini pumps, thanks to a reasonable chamber capacity and a comfortable and tactile design.

If 88g is too hefty for you, there's a carbon fibre version at just 73g for £41.99.

Read our review of the Topeak RaceRocket HP
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Birzman Mini Apogee hand pump — £22.99

The Birzman Mini Apogee Hand Pump is really small, light and nicely made, with a crackingly good head. Made to Birzman's usual high standards, it's a tidy bit of kit.

At 136mm long it's shorter than your average-sized modern mobile phone, and at 79g about half the weight. So physically it disappears into even the tightest or shortest jersey or shorts pocket alongside your other kit. Depending on design, it's pretty likely it'll fit into your saddlebag or pocket tool pouch too.

Inflating a 23mm 700C tyre took 200 easy strokes to get to a get-me-home useable 63psi.

Read our review of the Birzman Mini Apogee
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Topeak Pocket Rocket mini pump — £17.99

The Topeak Pocket Rocket weighs in at a measly 109g and is a smidge over 22cm long, meaning it can easily nestle down in a jersey pocket without falling out. Despite its small size it works really well, pumping up a 28mm tyre in around 150 strokes. It's well made too, and looks a much more expensive pump than it is.

Read our review of the Topeak Pocket Rocket
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Lezyne Road Drive L Alloy — £47.00

At 297mm, the L-for-Long version of this mini-pump isn't terribly mini, but it works well. It comes with its own bracket and it's very shiny and beautifully made with some well thought out little details. Both ends of the CNC-ed aluminium bike pump are protected by rubber caps to stop road gunk getting inside and the connecting hose screws securely inside the handle.

For pocket-stowage, try the 216mm-long M version

Read our review of the Lezyne Road Drive Alloy
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Frame pumps

Your classic frame pump is intended to fit along the seat tube, between the top tube and down tube. Problem is, almost all bikes have two water bottles these days and one of them is on the seat tube. That means you may need to get imaginative to carry a bike pump on your frame, fitting it along the top tube, perhaps with the help of straps or a clamp-on pump peg.

The length of a frame pump means it's a fairly quick way to inflate a tyre out on the road, and it doesn't cost you the price of a carbon dioxide cartridge every time. Some riders feel a frame pump spoils the look of their bikes though.

Frame pumps usually come set up for Presta valves, but can be switched to Schrader by swapping round some parts in the chuck.

Topeak Road Master Blaster — £16.99

Topeak's Road Master Blaster is a well-thought-out bike pump that's a reliable companion for longer excursions. Well built and capable of high pressures, it's a great touring or Audax pump.

The Aluminium-barrelled, plastic-ended Master Blaster has a sprung handle and comes with a strap to keep it snugly attached to your bike; there's four sizes to fit pretty much any frame. Once removed you can lock the handle and pump either Presta or Schraeder tubes (via interchangeable internals) to a claimed 160psi. As usual this is a wildly optimistic maximum, but I stuffed 100psi into a 700x23c tyre in just over 100 strokes without any problems at all.

Read our review of the Topeak Road Master Blaster
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Zefal HPX Classic frame pump — £20

Legendary US bike shop Rivendell Cycles calls the HPX "the biggest commercial mainstream normal zero-snobbeury bicycle success that has ever come out of France" and we can't argue with that. The narrow barrel makes high pressures easy, the thumblock grabs the valve firmly and the switchable sprung handle means no wasted effort.

The design's been around since the early 1970s. HPXes are tough and durable enough that we wouldn't be surprised if there are still a few of the first batch in use.

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Carbon dioxide inflators

With the work done by a small bottle of compressed gas, carbon dioxide (CO₂) inflators are the fastest way of getting back on the road. They're perfect for sportives or fast training rides where you don't want to be holding up the rest of the group by labouring with a bike pump.

As a gas expands it cools, so look out for CO₂ inflators that protect your fingers from the canister, either with a rubber cover for the canister or by enclosing it in a plastic shell.

Some inflators only pop open the canister when you use it, and don't allow you to use only part of the available gas, others have a trigger so you can use just part of the contents.

A 16g cartridge will get a 23mm tyre up to 90-100psi, which should be plenty to get you home. Threaded cartridges are usually slightly more expensive than unthreaded. Buy in bulk if you're relying on CO₂ as your main way of fixing flats on the road.

Bontrager Air Rush Road CO2 Pump — £25.00

The Bontrager Air Rush Road CO2 Pump is a nifty little dual design that won't leave you deflated on the roadside.

The problem with a mini bike pump is that they are slow, and also an unnecessary upper-body workout for the weedy cyclist. The problem with CO2 canisters is that they are a one hit wonder. Combine the two and you might just have the ultimate solution.

Read our review of the Bontrager Air Rush
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Genuine Innovations Ultraflate 20g CO2 Inflator — £17.00

The Genuine Innovations Ultraflate CO2 inflator is a super-useful bit of kit, albeit a shade heavier than, say, carrying a cartridge and a head unit. It uses threaded and non-threaded canisters up to 20g and threaded 25g cartridges and works on both Schrader and Presta valves.

The trigger means you can ease the delivery rather than dump a big load of gas as with some simpler heads, which can cause a popped tube with the sudden pressure. The holder keeps your hands safe from the sudden thermal change in the canister, which literally freezes as the gas is discharged, and the plastic sections of the head and trigger keep your fingers away too.

Read our review of the Genuine Innovations Ultraflate
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Lezyne Control Drive CO2 Inflator — £25

Lezyne's Control Drive CO₂ Inflator makes it really easy to get any Presta or Schrader inner tube fully inflated. It provides easy control of the flow of gas and has a jacket to protect your hands from freezing to the canister during use.

The Control Drive is as simple as they come, is very nicely designed and works effectively. The dual head screws onto any standard threaded CO₂ canister and provides Presta and Schrader compatibility. You simply push the Control Drive onto the valve, and turn the inflator head to release air.

Read our review of the Lezyne Control Drive
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Birzman Infinite Apogee Road with CO2 Mini Pump — £36.99

The Birzman Infinite Road + CO₂ pump is a 2-in-1 pump and C02 inflator that's a good-looking efficient machine to get you back on the road in the minimum of time. You can either inflate your tyres manually, use a CO₂ cartridge or if you're determined to get to 120psi, start with the hand-pump and top off with CO₂.

Read our review of the Birzman Infinite
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B’Twin CO₂ Pump and Cartridge — £12.99

The B'Twin CO₂ Inflator & Cartridge Set is probably the best-value inflator on the market. At £13, fitting 16 or 25g canisters with precisely-controllable one-handed inflation, it's a great buy.

With the head threaded most of the way onto the cartridge it's 12cm long, and easily slips into a pocket. Removed from the cartridge it's as small as these things get, so easily put into a tool roll.

It's hard to imagine a simpler process: screw on the canister fully, press onto valve, done. Pressing down on the valve will push it through the rim if you've removed the lockring from your valve stem, or are running unthreaded valves. Either way, applying pressure opposite onto the tyre to keep the valve in place is dead easy, and as the tube starts to inflate, the valve very quickly resumes its natural position and pushes back against the inflator head.

Read our review of the B’Twin CO₂ Inflator and 16g Cartridge
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Explore the complete archive of reviews of pumps and inflators on road.cc

The Zefal Z Adventure R5 Waterproof Saddlebag is a great compact way to carry around a few essentials on a day tour, gravel adventure or the daily commute. You can attach and remove the bag quickly with very little hassle, and its excellent waterproofing means you can store clothing or electricals without fear of them being exposed to the elements.

Despite what Zefal says, though, it's a bit on the small side to carry 'large volume of items' or be an alternative to any but the smallest of backpacks.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

Zefal says the Z Adventure R5 is designed for people who want to carry a substantial amount of kit on their bike without the need for a rear rack, or as an alternative to a backpack. It's likely to appeal to those doing audaxes, long one-day rides or training in bad or changeable weather.

Both the outer and lining are made from a heat-sealed waterproof material (TPU 420D) that feels tough and hardwearing, with a roll-top closure to ensure no rain gets inside.

As the fabric is flexible towards the opening, you can add a few more rolls if you don't want to pack the bag out to full volume but still want to keep everything nice and tight inside.

The main half of the bag that attaches to the bike is more rigid, to help it keep its shape. This works well, stopping this part of the bag from distorting and then possibly hitting your legs while riding.

On the underside of the bag, Zefal has used a thicker, tougher material – a good idea seeing as this is the area most likely to be impacted by dirt coming off your tyres in bad weather.

Mounting

The bag mounts easily to your bike with three straps – a Velcro one for the seatpost and two saddle rail straps.

The seatpost strap is around 2in wide and is long enough to accommodate an aero seatpost. One of the features I really like about this design is that the corresponding Velcro area on the bag is long enough to secure the entire strap; some bags I have used don't have enough, and it can cause the Velcro to catch on your leg while riding, wrecking your shorts and your bike ride.

The two saddle rail straps slide over the seat rails and down through buckles on another strap attached to the bottom of the bag; this gives you a lot of leverage to pull the straps tight.

It's a simple system that works well for this size of bag. It never came loose or swung around like some large saddle bags can.

Because of the way these straps are placed, you can attach the bag whether it's open or closed, so you have the option of opening the bag to fill it or remove items while it's still on the bike, or removing it before opening.

Other features include reflective logos/tags on the side and back of the bag, and a handy loop for attaching a rear light.

Performance

The bag works well – everything I put in it remained dry, and everything made it as far as I needed it to go. The only real limitation is the size. With a volume of 5L and a weight limit of 3kg, it's not the biggest bag to replace a backpack or rack and panniers. (You can see the exact dimensions here.)

I mainly used it to transport things to and from work, but I really had to plan what I needed to take. If I knew that I needed a full change of clothes or a laptop then I would revert to a rack or a backpack.

> Buyer’s Guide: 10 of the best cycling rucksacks

When I did use it for my commute I could fit in a pump, a small bag full of repair equipment, some charging cables plus two 30mm 700C tubes and a small lunch box.

For longer day adventures I was a little restricted on what I could carry – I didn't ever take the Jetboil stove system I usually use for longer day adventures as once that was in, there wasn't room for much else.

You can add to the load by using the external straps; these come in handy for attaching anything that you don't mind getting wet. I regularly strapped a bike lock to the outside of the bag for quick access if I ever need to stop.

Durability

After a month or so of testing I thought the bag was looking just as good as when I got it out of the box – the inside immaculate and the outer fine, the reflective patches and logos still great. On closer inspection, though, I have noticed that where the bag has to be folded to close, the outer material is starting to wear, which might cause some issues in the future. It's still watertight at the moment, though, and might continue to be fine; I'll update the review if anything untoward occurs.

> The 10 best bikepacking bags in 2022 — how to choose lightweight luggage

The clips don't feel particularly robust either, but I haven't had any issues so they might be fine. I've had a similar sort of clip snap on a different pack in the past, which has left me a bit wary of plastic clips, but again, all fine so far and if anything fails, I'll update the review.

Value

At £51.99 this is a pretty cheap way of carrying kit on your bike for a lot of different situations.

Apidura's 4.5L Backcountry Saddle Pack is £118, for example, though Altura's 4-6L Vortex 2 Waterproof Compact Seatpack is closer at £60.

That said, you can find cheaper – Lifeline's Adventure Seat Pack is both bigger (7.5L) and cheaper at just £40.

Conclusion

This is a good little bag, despite the limitations of its size. Having a backpack can be a pain (literally and metaphorically) and racks can weigh a lot more, though they do enable you to carry some large, odd-shaped things like laptops and the like. With the Zefal I can carry the things I need most of the time to work and back – I could really have done with a bag like this on some of my longer gravel days.

Verdict

Good little bag for your one-day adventures or carrying light loads to work, and well priced too

The Zefal is branded as a 'classic bike bell' and the look and sound certainly feels vintage in a good way. However, a limited range of diameters catered for significantly restricts fitting options on your bike.​

The most important thing about a bell is of course its sound. I liked the ring of the Zefal classic bell, which rings out true with a loud ting which is recognisably a bike bell. I'm never keen on confusing pedestrians in front of me with more random horns and the like.

Best bike bells 2022 — make sure you're heard on the road

People on shared paths heard this bell, knew what it was, and that enabled everyone to pass and stay safe. Using a phone decibel app to test the loudness, the ring was consistently around 100 decibels when measured next to the bell, and about 75 decibels at three meters – a reasonable approximation to when I might use a bell approaching other road or shared path users.

I was also impressed by the looks of this bell. It is not dissimilar to the Spurcycle bell reviewed by George Hill a while back – but that retails at nearly five times the price.

The Zefal Classic is also available in an all-black version but I liked the brass of the one I tested, and the brass ringer on a brass head is both aesthetically pleasing and contributes to the clarity of the sound.

The bell is very sturdily built and a welcome change to the cheap 'n' nasty bells that typically ship with commuter bikes. It attaches to your handlebar with a solid polymer ring, which is secured by an even more solid metal screw. The head of the screw is ridged, which lets you tighten it by hand, so no tools were required.

Although the bell was easy to attach to the bar, I found positioning a real issue. Unlike some of its competition, the Zefal mount only expands from 22 to 25.4mm. On a 22.2mm bar you use the supplied additional rubber shim to secure it. Although this is technically universal, in that almost all handlebars will be that narrow at some point, this severely restricted where the bell could be placed.

On my commuter bike, the positioning of a gear shifter next to the handlebar grips meant the bell was out of reach and I had to take my hand off the grip and move it 10cm to use it. I felt this was a significant safety issue because, if I was braking or cornering, the bell wouldn't be near enough to use.

On road bikes, mounting this bell on the drops isn't an option, nor can you position it near the stem if you like your bell to be out of the way for occasional use. The majority of bells we have tested have a wider range of diameters, with anything from 31.8 to 45mm maximum diameters being common.

The other issue I found was the degree you need to depress the ringer to ring the bell. After a few confused dull thuds, trial-and-error testing showed me that the ringer needs to travel at least 15mm to make a ringing sound. In practice this meant that I had to depress the lever more than I had anticipated. It's something you learn, but if you don't use your bell regularly it's not necessarily going to enter your muscle memory either.

Conclusion

Overall, if you are happy with where the Zefal bell will fit and you aren't lazy like me over how much you depress the lever, this is a good quality bell for a reasonable price.

Verdict

A bell with a lovely tone, but check where you want to place it before purchase

The Zefal C2 Adventure frame bag is a 2.2-litre bag that's attached to the frame using Velcro. It provides ample storage for longer rides and is a great addition for a big day on the bike. It's water-resistant, has a water-repellent zip and it's good value at its RRP – and even better value at the sort of price you can typically find it at.

If you are looking for a frame bag, check out the best bikepacking frame bags buyer's guide at our sister side off.road.cc.

Thanks in part to the popularity of bikepacking, bike bags and frame bags such as this have become popular over the last few years. At 2.2 litres the Zefal C2 Adventure frame bag is at the smaller end of the spectrum, making it ideal if you're looking for a bit of extra space without taking up the whole underside of your top tube.

Its 280 x 10 x 65mm dimensions leave plenty of space for water bottles, and even on my 52-centimetre frame I could comfortably fit a 500-millimetre bottle under the bag.

As with many frame bags, the Zefal is secured using Velcro straps that fix around the top tube and down tube. I found these resulted in a firm and secure fit even when carrying heavier loads. The straps are pretty long, but once you know how much strap you're using it's easy to cut them to length if you choose.

The straps also have a thin layer of material on the inside, which prevents the frame being rubbed and scuffed. Due to the shape of the bag, the doesn't always sit completely flush to the front of the triangle of the frame, but this didn't affect the bag's performance or usability.

The zip runs along the top side of the bag, running parallel to the top tube. The large z pull is very easy to locate and makes it very easy to open. However, the zip's position does mean it has a slightly tighter opening than a bag with a zip on the side, but this would only really limit you if you were storing large, inflexible items. When it comes to larger cargo, the bag has a slight tendency to bulge outward, which can result in knee rub.

While this is common with many frame bags because of their soft sides, companies such as Tailfin have combatted this by using a frame that keeps the shape of the bag.

> Your complete guide to bikepacking – what kit you need, how to plan and prepare plus inspiration for an adventure

The frame bag also has a water-repellent external coating. This results in an IPX4 rating, which means it's protected from splashing water from all directions. In practice this worked well, though some moisture did make its way through in very heavy rain. And with many of today's frame bags now fully waterproof, this is an area that could be improved.

The bag also features a rubber 'bumper' around the edges. This seems to reinforce the bag and helps it to keep its shape nicely even when filled with heavy contents. It also adds a little bit of extra protection and helps keep water out of the seams.

Once open the bag has a hidden zipped pocket on one side. This is perfect for cash or a credit card or even longer items, as it runs the full length of the bag. If you put too much weight or bulk in this side it can bulge slightly, though this isn't a concern if you pack the bag carefully.

The bag also has a bungee-style strap along the bottom, which is useful for items such as a mini-pump. There are no external mesh pockets, which would have been a nice addition.

At 180 grams this is a little heavier than the likes of the 2.5-litre Restrap frame bag, which weighs just 137g. Both bags use Velcro straps with the Restrap also having a couple of clips to secure it to the down tube. I was testing the two bags alongside each other and didn't find much difference in security.

Value

The Zefal C2 scores well when it comes to value. The retail price is £29.99 but as our buying links show you can find it for a good deal less.

This puts it in the same ballpark as the 2.1-litre Lifeline Adventure Frame Bag that Matthew liked a lot. This was £20 when he tested it but is now £24.99, or less when discounted.

If you're looking for a little more capacity and still want to keep to a tight budget, you could consider the 4-litre BBB Middle Mate frame bag that Patrick really rated, which costs £34.95.

But even at its full RRP the Zefal is only half the price of the Restrap, which is yours for £59.99.

Conclusion

I really got on with Zefal bag. It's not fully waterproof and those Velcro straps are a little longer than necessary, but the quality and price make it a product that's definitely worth considering if you're looking for a small bag for bikepacking or just want a little unobtrusive extra storage for day-to-day riding.

Verdict

A great-value and well-designed frame bag that performs well above its modest price tag