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£16.99
VERDICT:
Durable, waterproof and practical way to store tools on the go – if you can fit in everything you need
Weight:
93g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Giant Tool Capsule is a well-made and good looking way to store your tools if you don't want to/can't use a saddle bag and stuffing everything in a jersey pocket isn't practical. It works really well, but could do with being slightly larger.
- Pros: Waterproof, secure hold, good construction
- Cons: Difficult to fit all ride essentials in
One of the pains of cycling is that in order to repair anything you always need to carry the tools around with you. Typically, this means either using a saddle bag or stuffing everything into a jersey pocket. However, if you're happy to sacrifice a bidon, you can use storage options like Giant's Tool Capsule instead.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The Tool Capsule is well made, with an 840D TPU (840-denier thermoplastic polyurethane) laminated nylon outer which keeps out the water, and what feels like a semi-shell which allows it to keep its shape. Around the outside there is a fully waterproof zip and it also has a zip garage which allows you to tuck the zip in to stop it rattling around while you're riding – a nice touch.
Inside, the capsule has two netted compartments, one with a full length zip, the other simply a pocket with an elasticated top coming up just over halfway. These keep everything secure within the capsule and help prevent unnecessary rattling and jangling while out on the road.
The laminated nylon outer and fully taped zip do their job well: the Tool Capsule kept all of my tools totally dry, even in particularly soaking conditions.
Fitting everything inside the capsule was a bit of a struggle compared to my saddle bag, for a couple of reasons. One is that it's simply slightly smaller, but another is that the rigidity is favourable to flatter objects and not really much else. So once I added my CO2 pump, regular mini pump, multi-tool, tyre levers, and patches, there was no room for an inner tube. If I removed my mini pump and added an additional canister I could include an inner tube after forcing it shut, but for me that wasn't ideal.
> Emergency essentials: 10 things you should take with you on every ride
RRP on the Tool Capsule is £16.99 which is a pretty good compared with a similar quality saddle bag, and on a par for similar tool 'bottles'. It's a lot cheaper than Topeak's £27.99 Cage Pack – but a lot more than more basic ones such as B'Twin's (which is also slightly bigger at 750ml) at £3.99 and Bontrager's at £8.99.
Overall, I liked the Tool Capsule for its solid construction, the attention to detail, and the fact that it looks much smarter than a saddle bag. However, for me the difficulty of fitting an inner tube inside with everything else is a bit of a pain.
Verdict
Durable, waterproof and practical way to store tools on the go – if you can fit in everything you need
road.cc test report
Make and model: Giant Tool Capsule
Size tested: 0.6L
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
An alternative to the traditional saddle bag for repair kits and bits and pieces you normally need to on-the-go repairs.
Giant says, "100% waterproof with a rigid case. Tool Capsule offers an alternative storage solution for keeping items in easy reach wherever you have a spare bottle cage. With internal compartments to assist packing and retrieval."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Giant lists:
Material: 840D TPU laminated nylon, 100% waterproof
Closure: Zip
Fixing: Mounts in a bottle cage
Features: Internal compartments
Colour: Black
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Well made with a strong, fully waterproof zip.
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
Keeps everything secure, although it could do with being a little larger.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
All good so far: well made with sturdy material and zips used throughout.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Not a bad price compared to other options on the market, especially some saddle bags, and – not surprisingly – more expensive than basic bottle shaped ones.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It performed well, keeping tools inside comfortably and without rattling, but it would be good to have a little more space for inner tubes.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
It's a sleek and easy to use design that keeps everything secure.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
It could be a bit bigger.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The Fabric Tool Keg comes in at the same price but doesn't offer the same level of hold within the case, while the Vel Tool Bottle is a very similar product but without the zipped compartment and is £1.99 cheaper.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Maybe
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's a well-made solution for storing tools on-the-go, but for me could do with being a little larger to fit everything in.
About the tester
Age: 29
I usually ride: Cinelli Gazzetta My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: Under 5 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking
George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between.
Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.
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13 comments
I have one of these, I can get two tubes and a mini tool in, plus some bits and pieces. I paid 13 quid, it's completely waterproof and it doesn't rattle so well worth the money.
The Planet X version is a fiver with delivery, not a quid.
They fubar'd the listing initially and gave free postage on them but then emailed all those that had bought them for a quid all in and said they'd made a mistake. I did hear of a couple getting their orders but many, like me didn't.
No but they come in a little plastic bag which can then be placed inside them...
The planet x - £1 ones are pretty much identical. And I think it's better they're a tight fit into the cage... less likely to bounce out on the commuter bike.
Those Planet X Poundland jobs don't have a sturdy waterproof zip which is kind of an essential.
Bung your allenkeys or whatever in a ziploc bag inside then ? You don't keep anything electrical in these do you ? Mines just got a tube, levers, maybe a spare co2 canister in there ?
Nice to see a pic with all the stuff mentioned in
Planet X do one for £1
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BOPODSBC/podsacs-eva-tool-bottle-cage-tool-bag
It's a bugger to squeeze into a bottle holder though.
Giant Tool and now Pod Sacs .....Oooooo Missus!
I very much like the non rattley zip garage.
no sniggering about giant tools? What's wrong with you people?
Too busy sniggering about the cost, very similar widely available at a much better price.