off-road.cc

The Muc-Off Stealth Tubeless Puncture Plug kit provides a whole tubeless repair solution that hides neatly in your bar ends. While its price tag tops the competition, its superb build quality, versatility and sheer handiness means it's definitely worth every penny.

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For your £30 you get a serrated knife, a reamer and insertion tool, three sizes of plug with five in each size, and three pairs of rubber bungs (17, 19 and 21mm diameters).

The bar ends and covers are neatly CNC-machined aluminium, and weigh in at 33g per end.

The build quality of the Stealth kit is truly stellar. The threads are good and thick, and there are tactile serrations machined into the tools for grip. You get o-rings where the cover and bar end screw together too, which act as a secondary barrier to stop water and muck from finding its way in.

The inclusion of various bung sizes is really thoughtful. I’ve come across a few bar end stowed tools only to find  they’re too fat to fit my favourite handlebar (the Nukeproof Horizon V2 Carbon). With this kit's smallest bungs fitted, the Muc-Off fits perfectly.

Thanks to the varied bungs, the Stealth kit is super versatile. It can fit in a range of drop bars as well as mountain bike handlebars with larger tube diameters. They’re really easy to swap around too – all you need to do is unscrew the bolt to remove the end cap, then pop the new sizes on. There’s nothing complicated here.

Unlike some bar end tools, this kit uses an Allen bolt to squish the bung against the inside of the bar, and I’ve found it perfectly secure. It does mean, however, that you need a 4mm Allen key to use it. That’s great if you use an bike mounted multitool, or always pocket one, but not so handy if you're travelling light.

If you typically carry a pack and a multitool inside that, you may as well save yourself £17, get Muc-Off’s non-stealth Tubeless Puncture repair kit instead, and chuck that in your pack too.

Something to note is that the bar end itself can spin when being tightened and loosened, though it only takes a finger to stop that and security hasn't been an issue.

With that extra unscrewing step in mind, it’s not the quickest tool to whip out in a race scenario. It comes into its own when paired with on-bike stored multitools.

Once freed it’s super easy to use though, and the ability to chop away excess plug with the serrated knife is a great bonus, as is having the selection of plug sizes. It’s got you covered for all but the most ride-ending of punctures.

For some, £30 on a tubeless repair kit will be hard to justify, but the Muc-Off Tubeless Puncture Plug kit puts its money right where its mouth is thanks to its superb build quality, ease of use and versatility. Plus, it adds an extra flash of bling to your bike, It’s found a very welcome home on mine.

• muc-off.com

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