Topeak Tubi Pod

The Topeak Tubi Pod is a neat, self-contained tubeless tyre repair kit with almost everything you need to fix punctures at the side of the road easily. However, it's not the smallest or lightest out there, and the size of its tools and plugs means it's only really suited to fixing mountain bike or large volume gravel tyres.

At 11cm long and 2.4cm in diameter, the Tubi Pod is roughly the size and shape of a small cigar, and 92g according to the road.cc Scales of Truth. It's about three times bigger and heavier than the Ruzer Pro tubeless repair kit I tested back in February. So, what is it about this tubeless repair kit that makes it so comparatively hefty?

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Contained within the grippy aluminium pod is a plug insertion tool that also doubles as a reamer, as well as an air stop, and three long and chunky repair plugs that slot through the centre of the pod. When not in use, each tool slots into corresponding outer compartments within the main body. It's all very neat and tidy, and ensures all parts inside are secure.

The Tubi Pod packs easily into most small bags, including saddlebags, though you might find it a bit too chunky to fit neatly in some of the more compact tool rolls out there – the Lezyne Roll Caddy, for instance.

Each end cap is colour-coded, so it's obvious which end goes on which. They fit snugly over the main body, and o-rings keep the innards watertight. Knurled sections on each end add a touch of grip, and the aluminium finish has a grippy texture, making it secure to hold even when your hand is wet.

Both tools are made from stainless steel and appear to be made to a very high standard. There's nothing wrong with the Ruzer Pro I mentioned, but in comparison its solo insertion tool seems pretty weedy stacked up against the tank-like thickness and heft of the tools within the Tubi Pro.

The reamer is a definite advantage in Topeak's kit, and I like the way it's built into the shaft of the insertion tool. I'm not entirely convinced by the air stop, though; I imagine if you've got a pretty sizeable puncture that's not left any debris inside, most of your air will have probably gone already before you can make use of the air stop. And if there is debris left behind? Then you can just leave it in while you get your plug ready.

Personally, I would have preferred the space inside the Tubi Pod to be dedicated to a knife for trimming the excess off the repair plugs – something I do consider to be essential. Without it, you'll have to carry a blade to do the job, so that's yet another thing to carry. The pricier Topeak Tubi Pod X and Tubi Master both come with such a knife.

The advantage of the Tubi Pod's size is the ability to carry repair plugs that are much longer and bigger than some repair kits, like the more compact Ruzer Pro. The Tubi Pod's are 3.5mm wide and 10cm long; that said, I found that you could get away with about half of this, in a pinch.

If you do get a puncture, the Tubi Pod is effortless to use. Just slot a repair plug through the insertion tool end, push it inside the tyre hole, hold down onto each bit of plug sticking out and slowly remove the tool.

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One thing to be aware of is that it's not ideal for less voluminous tyres, by virtue of the tool and the plug being much too hefty to cope with anything below about 35mm in width. There's just not enough room in the tyre to get the tool or plug in properly. I did just about manage to insert a plug into a 28mm tyre by putting the tool on an angle, being careful not to nick the rim tape, but that was just to see if it was possible – I won't be doing that again. For large volume gravel tyres and mountain bike tyres, though, it's well suited.

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Talking of size, I could effectively seal a hole created by a 5mm screw, but anything bigger was a no-go. Not particularly impressive, then, given the Ruzer Pro is capable of doing the same job, with much smaller tools and plugs at its disposal. It's possible the plugs seal bigger holes on chunkier, less fragile mountain bike tyres, but I didn't test this.

As I've already mentioned, the Tubi Pod's main competition comes from the much more svelte Ruzer Pro, which offers a similar level of performance. Sure, you don't get the reamer or the air stop (though I don't think you need it), and the plugs are bigger, but I found the Ruzer Pro to be perfectly capable and effective at sealing punctures up to 5mm. It's much smaller and lighter, too, and it costs £12 less.

For even less cash you could opt for the Zefal Tubeless Repair Kit. It doesn't come with a nice purpose-built container, but you get plenty of repair plugs and a decent insertion tool with reamer built in. It's just £7.99, which is significantly less than the Tubi Pod.

Verdict

High-quality tubeless repair kit, but pricey, and better for gravel/mountain bike tyres than road rubber