The Ruzer Pro is one of those must-carry items when you're running tubeless. It effectively seals punctures up to roughly 5mm in diameter, is easy to use, and because it's so small and light, you won't worry about taking it everywhere. The canister is a neat way of housing the kit, but you do pay a small premium for it, though.
Our sister site off.road.cc tested the Ruzer Pro Tubeless Repair Kit only a month ago with fat tyres, but I'm here to see how it works with road tyres specifically.
> Buy this online here
There are loads of tubeless repairs kits out there, and essentially they all do the same thing – plug holes with little strips you stuff through the tyre. What's different about this kit?
The most obvious thing is its size. It's only 7cm long, and weighs a scant 30g. It's basically the size of a CO2 canister, so easily fits in your pocket, saddle bag or wherever, and you barely notice it's there.
If you're running tubeless it's probably the most essential thing you can carry with you at all times, and it's so effective that you can pretty much say goodbye to those 'just in case' inner tubes.
It's nicely designed, too. Everything is neatly contained within the CNC-machined aluminium case.
Just unscrew the top and you find the plugging tool attached to the top – which acts as a handle – and two plugging strips neatly wrapped around the tool. The kit is very well sealed with an o-ring around the cap, and I've not noticed any moisture inside the unit.
Performance
To plug a hole, just select a strip (brown for road), slot it through the fork, and push the rod inside the tyre. You then carefully remove the tool while holding either end of the strip as it pokes out the tyre. That's it – puncture sealed. I found it easily plugged small holes and then held pressure, even when left overnight at around 80psi on a 28mm tyre.
Interestingly, though Ruzer says the brown strips are more malleable and better for road tyres, and the black strips are for mountain bikes because they're more hardwearing but harder to plug with, I found both types easy to use. They work equally well on road tyres.
> Buyer's guide to tubeless tyres — find out all about new technology rubber
The Ruzer Pro works pretty much perfectly. There's no blade to cut the remaining strip, though I've not seen any kits that include one, to be fair.
There's also no reamer to roughen up the hole and help the strip stay in place, something the Muc-Off Puncture Plug Repair Kit does have. I'm not certain it's entirely necessary though – apart from one failure, which I'm pretty sure was down to me not inserting it far enough, I had no issues with the strips staying in place.
Because road tyres are quite thin, you do have to be careful of nicking the inside of your rims with the tool. That's a potential problem with any of these tubeless kits, mind.
I used a selection of screws to create the holes, to see just how big a hole the strips could plug. A 4mm and 5mm screw was no problem, but a 6mm screw proved just too big to seal, even with sealant working around the edges of the strip. If you get a hole this big in your tyre, though, you've been pretty unlucky.
Value
At £18, this isn't the cheapest tubeless repair kit we've reviewed on road.cc – that accolade goes to the £7.99 Zefal Tubeless Repair Kit which is much the same thing, but packaged in a much less compact and refined form.
It's £2 cheaper than recently reviewed Birzman Tubeless Repair Kit though, which is similar both on the outside and inside bar the inclusion of a reamer.
If you're running tubeless, the Ruzer Pro is an essential companion on all your rides, and it's great that it works with both on and off-road tyres. It's light, compact and works brilliantly. It's not the cheapest option, but it's elegant enough to justify its still modest price tag.
Verdict
Elegant, easy to carry and effective way to plug tubeless tyres
Make and model: Ruzer Tubeless Glueless Bike Tyre repair kit
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?
It's a simple way of sealing holes in tubeless tyre setups.
Ruzer says, "Fixes tyre holes rapidly. If you have tubeless tyres this is a must have product. If you get a puncture or a hole in your tyre simply use this item to 'PLUG' the hole/gap in your tyre and inflate it back up again bike pump or CO2 inflator.
"Two types of strips, one for MTB and one for road tyres. We have carefully selected the strips to suit the different road conditions you will face with each type of ride. The brown BACON strips are suited to slimmer road tyres and are more maleable, while the Black strips are more hardwearing and suited to cross country or rugged terrain rides, but are firmer to plug with."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
7cm long
1.5 cm diameter
29g
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Works perfectly sealing holes up to 5mm.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
CNC machined outer is very tough, while everything is sealed from the elements, so it should last a long time.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
9/10
Very light, even against similar kits.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Not the cheapest way to carry a tubeless repair kit, but having it all in one kit that's easy pocket adds value, in my mind.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Effective and very easy to use.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Tidy storage.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's not as cheap as a basic kit such as the Zefal Tubeless Repair Kit, but if you want neatness and convenience you do pay a slight premium. Even so, it's a bit cheaper than the very similar Birzman Tubeless Repair Kit.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Definitely
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
If it weren't for the slight premium over a basic kit, this would easily be a five star review. The kit works as intended, and having everything in a neat, weatherproof package means it's convenient and always ready. There's little or nothing to improve.
Age: 39 Height: 6'4 Weight: 175lbs
I usually ride: Steel audax bike My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives,
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