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review
£10.00
VERDICT:
Pretty similar to many others, but decorated with nice bold cycling designs and not a bad price for a versatile product
Inexpensive
Versatile
Cool print
Weight:
34g
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.
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A lightweight, multi-purpose tubular bandana scarf thingy is versatile at any time, but the inexpensive VeloPac Allez Boy Multitube is easy to pop in a pocket and makes a great emergency face covering for those impromptu shop stops too.
Seam-free tubular microfibre bandanas are now pretty much ubiquitous, for a very good reason. They make a great superlight addition to kit for a ride and can take the edge off cold air when worn as a neckwarmer, scarf or face covering. With a bit of creativity they can also be turned into a beanie, or why not channel your inner Marco Pantani and go for a pirate-style head-rag to sop up sweat under a helmet on hot summer days? And of course, these days they are handy as an emergency mask substitute for those on-spec shop stops on the way home.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The Velo Pac multitubes come in a variety of cool prints as well as plain colours. I particularly like the illustrations by Spencer Wilson that feature in many of the designs (including the Allez Boy tested; there's an Allez Girl one too). It's a bold design (and therefore hopefully less easily lost than some) but still uses the seamless 100 per cent microfibre polyester which makes it so handy.
It offers just the right amount of warmth to make a difference on a chilly day, weighs next to nothing and stows easily in a jersey pocket (or winds around a wrist).
It's long enough to wear over the nose and mouth while still keeping the throat and upper chest from getting chilled. It's breathable and wicks moisture quickly enough to just about prevent steaming up of glasses too.
The fabric offers UV protection too, making it handy for summer use too, as a skullcap/head rag or to protect the noggin from those brutal rays at café stops.
Fundamentally, apart from the cool cycling-specific illustrations, there's little difference between this particular multitube and many others available. The original Buff costs around £17 but numerous options are available around the same price as the Velo Pac, with much the same features, such as the Fat Lad At The Back Hexy Neck Do Dah at £9.99.
> Christmas gifts for cyclists: presents for less than £50
A few cheaper options are available too, like the Lusso Zig Zag Multifunctional Neck Warmer which was £9.99 but is now £7.50, and Galibier's bargain at just £4.55.
Ultimately, it's down to personal preference with design really. The funky graphics of the Velo Pac option are worth a few extra quid to me.
Given that it's as versatile as you'd expect, for both summer and winter use, and that it looks cool too, the Velo Pac Allez Boy Multitube is an easy one to recommend.
Verdict
Pretty similar to many others, but decorated with nice bold cycling designs and not a bad price for a versatile product
road.cc test report
Make and model: Velo Pac Allez Boy Multitube
Size tested: One size
Tell us what the product is for
It's a multi-function lightweight seamless tube for a variety of uses – neck warmer, face covering, beanie, head rag...
Velo Pac says: The multi-tube, snood, bandana, buff or whatever you like to call them are one of the most versatile and essential items of kit for cyclists.
Our seamless microfibre Multitubes are windproof, UV protective & quick drying. Cooling in the summer and insulating in the winter to make the ultimate all year round essential kit item.
Wear them as you like:
BANDANA: To protect the head from the sun or under a helmet to keep sweat out of your eyes
BEANIE: Double layer for extra thermal insulation. Worn this way they are the perfect low bulk design that can be worn under a helmet to keep the head warm on cold winter rides.
NECK WARMER: Keeps neck warm in winter riding (Or can also be a neck cooler in the summer if you soak in cold water!)
FACE MASK: Wear as a neck warmer & simply pull up over the mouth & nose when required. (Perfect for mid-ride shop or cafe stops when a face covering is required)
SCRUNCHY: Instant pony tail!
Not only are they popular with cyclists but also essential kit for motorcyclists & any outdoor pursuits in all weathers.
Our Multitubes are available in a range of designs: ALLEZ GIRL is one of a set of licensed designs produced in collaboration with renowned illustrator Spencer Wilson featuring fun, funky designs & strong vibrant colours. Check out the whole range to find your favourite!
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Velo Pac lists:
SPECIFICATION:
100% Microfibre Polyester
Seamless tubular design
Quick drying & Sweat wicking
Windproof, Thermal insulating & cooling
UV protective
Multi-Use – wear it how you like
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Soft and pliable microfibre polyester with no seams.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Performs very well as a lightweight multifunction neckwarmer.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
It'll last for as long as you want it to, or until you lose it...
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
A good length, not too narrow, not too loose.
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
Fairly standard for a product of this type.
Rate the product for weight:
10/10
Light, compact and packable.
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
Soft and pleasant to wear, breathable and moisture-wicking.
Rate the product for value:
6/10
There are cheaper but there are also more expensive. The funky cycling illustrations are worth the few extra pounds I reckon.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Washed just fine.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Performed very well in various ways.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Versatility, cool print, not a bad price.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing really.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The original Buff costs around £17 but numerous options are available around the same price as the Velo Pac, such as the Fat Lad At The Back Hexy Neck Do Dah at £9.99. A few cheaper options are available: the Lusso Zig Zag Multifunctional Neck Warmer is £7.50 and Galibier's super bargain is just £4.55.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's quite similar to many others on the market, performs well and isn't a bad price; the cool cycling illustrations make it extra appealing.
About the tester
Age: 48
I usually ride: Liv Invite My best bike is: Specialized Ruby Elite
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,
Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling.
Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other.
She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting.
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