SYNCROS IS TUBELESS HANDLEBAR TOOL
FOX RANGER 2.5-LAYER WATER JACKET
£34.99 SPECIFICATION Plugs: 5x1.5mm, 5x3.5mm • Weight: 48g • Contact: scott-sports.com
Strapping a spare tube to your frame or hiding it inside your downtube storage is common practice for many of us, but would we be better served with some tyre plugs and the tool to poke them in with? Afterall, tyre plugs are capable of fixing modest holes, they’re a fraction of the weight and take up far less real estate too.
The Syncros tool is cleverly hidden inside the ends of your bars, but it’s certainly not the only company doing this conjuring trick – Lezyne, Granite and Muc-off to name just three do just the same. With the Syncros version, pull out the plug from the end of your bar and you’ll find a 3in plastic canister. Inside one is a little fork to insert the strip, and five 1.5mm diameter plugs. On the other side the canister holds a little knife to saw off the excess plug when it’s in place, and five 3.5mm plugs for bigger tyre tears.
I recently had the misfortune to ride some XC tyres on rocky, enduro trails, and it proved the perfect place to try it out. It’s easy to get the canisters out thanks to the lipped bar plug, but it’s also held snugly in place when inserted with a helix of grippy rubber. Poking in the strip also proved foolproof. What little remained I tried to trim off with the blade, but it’s as useful as a butter knife.
The Syncros IS Tubeless Handlebar Tool is neatly packaged and securely held in place. The plugs are effective on small cuts but are flummoxed by anything more than about 5mm. There are cheaper tools out there though, and the butter knife isn’t any good.
£119.99 SPECIFICATION Weight: 431g • Sizes: S-XXL • Contact: foxracing.co.uk
The Fox Ranger in an entry-level waterproof jacket with a 2.5 layer construction. This consists of a recycled polyester face fabric, a breathable membrane and a coated inner layer. Having half a layer sounds a bit odd, but think of this as a slightly textured coating on the inside of the jacket that protects the membrane and helps wick moisture.
Jackets with a 2.5 layer construction are generally cheaper, but Fox has made this one more competitive by using a non-branded membrane. This only has a rating of 10K/3K for waterproofness and breathability, which is pretty low. On the first wet ride in the Ranger, I did get a bit sticky, especially since there’s also no way to mechanically vent this jacket other than opening the main zip. Although to be fair, I had to do the same with plenty of the waterproof jackets I’ve tested recently.
The Ranger has quite a lot of features, including two absolutely huge zippered front hand pockets. Unfortunately, they do add two extra layers of material down the front of the jacket and contribute to the weight, which at 431g makes this one of the heaviest 2.5 layer jackets I’ve tested.
The Ranger has a handy zip gutter and both inner and outer storm flaps, but the inner one is too narrow, and I constantly kept snagging the zip. It has simple elasticated cuffs and it does extend slightly down at the back to keep the wet out. The over-helmet hood is a good size and can be tightened right down using two draw cords.
For a size large, I noticed the Ranger did come up a little bit small – it’s a tad short in the sleeves and there’s a tiny bit of stretch across the shoulders. It’s not a problem as such, I just recommend trying the fit if you’re in between sizes.
Initially the Ranger worked pretty well and water did bead up and pool easily on the fabric, but after I washed it the DWR (durable water repellent) stopped working, especially in the areas where it’d got dirty. I tried reactivating the DWR with a bit of heat, but this really didn’t do much.
Due to the weight and low-level breathability, the
Ranger is a warm jacket, which is great if it’s really cold out or you’re riding a e-bike and not generating that much heat. However, if you are breaking a sweat, you’ll heat up quickly in this one. Careful layering is going to help but not as much as adding vents or reducing the bulk.
Paul
Burwell