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Zefal Z Console Front Pack L Zefal Z Console Front Pack L Zefal Z Console Front Pack L Zefal Z Console Front Pack L
Zefal Z Console Front Pack L

Zefal Z Console Front Pack L

7
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Oct 11, 2015

4
£24.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Well-made and reasonably priced phone/kit tote best suited to frames with longer top tubes
Weight: 
168g
Contact: 
www.zefal.com
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The Zefal Z Console Pack L is a 1.2-litre, two-tier bag designed to nestle against the stem and top tube, keeping smartphones/GPS units and other essentials within easy reach. It's waterproof, holds its contents securely, and adds a bit of reflective matter on your top tube.

The upper tier is well padded and designed to cater for phones measuring 130x80mm, though to my surprise, compact designs showed no tendency to slide around. The clear window permits proper communication between full-finger glove and touchscreen devices, and beefy zipper tags are another welcome feature.

Find your nearest dealer here

Buy this online here

It's pretty roomy below deck too. I'm not the most orderly of packers and managed energy bar, massive multi-tool, tyre levers, spare tube, patch kit, keys, CO2 inflator and spare cartridges with breathing space for the retro-reflective storm cover. There's also the obligatory headphone port for those who like music, or to take calls hands-free on their rides.

Even when belting along unmade roads at 20-odd mph, that infuriating tool kit percussion has been conspicuous by its absence. Three substantial Velcro straps are more than mighty enough – even when fully laden and riding atop oversized diameters. Despite the rubberised base, though, the overall girth means the straps need pulling ultra-tight to prevent movement when tethered to thin steel tubes.

Speaking of storms, weather-proofing is reassuringly good in torrential downpours thanks to the 420 denier rip-stop nylon's welded construction, which probably explains why the elasticated cover is only stitched.

>> Prefer to carry a bag? Check out our guide to the 10 best cycling rucksacks here

Nonetheless, with the rain cover in situ, my precious tech and tooling remained bone dry despite getting drenched by a passing articulated truck. (The driver had presumably followed their sat nav up a very tight and winding lane marked unsuitable for 7.5 tonners!). Some might prefer DayGlo for overcast conditions but I've been pleasantly surprised by how effective the raincover and Scotchlite logos are – especially along unlit roads and when paired with retro-reflective tyres/other accessories.

Minor gripes? Well, It's a little slab sided and I'd opt for the medium on frames with shorter top tubes – I felt conscious of straddling it when climbing out of the saddle.

Verdict

Well-made and reasonably priced phone/kit tote best suited to frames with longer top tubes

road.cc test report

Make and model: Zefal Z Console Front Pack L

Size tested: L, 1.2l

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?

Zefal says: "2 in 1, the Z Console L is a front bag with an integrated compartment for smartphones. Easy to install on the tube, it has a zippered compartment to carry most accessories (repair kits, CO2 cartridges, energy gels, keys...). Access to the touch screen allows you to look and record your data. The rain-cover guarantees protection during wet conditions."

Fair and factual by my reckoning.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

420 D Ripstop Polyester

Dimensions: 180 x 95 x 110mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Seems pretty rugged throughout.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10

Reassuringly sturdy.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Well designed and very user friendly.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Not the cheapest but well made and I've seen them online for around £18.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Overall, I've been impressed by the Z console's performance – it segregates delicate tech and tooling while keeping the former fully functional. There's no sway or rattle and it's waterproof in the sense most riders will require. However, its size means it's better suited to larger frames with oversized tubing.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Well designed using high quality materials.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Slightly slab-sided but that's inevitable given the size.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Generally speaking, yes.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

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: cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

 

Zefal Z Console Front Pack L
Zefal 2015
Zefal
Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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4 comments

Avatar
DaveE128 | 8 years ago
0 likes

I used the ebay version for a year or so before buying a Garmin, as I wanted to be able to mount the phone somewhere secure and dry where I could see the screen for following routes. It worked well but got in the way when honking and scuffed my top tube paint quite a lot. It's also a long way to look down to the phone screen.

Avatar
BikeBud | 8 years ago
0 likes

Looks good. It would be useful to know dimensions of the medium & small versions, and see pics giving some scale on the bike.

Avatar
ir_bandito | 8 years ago
0 likes

Is it really waterproof?

I've been using the £5 ebay versions for years (on and off road) for GPS purposes and my biggest gripe is they get damp, and the heat from the phone steams the "window" up.
If this is genuinely waterproof, I want one.

Avatar
mikroos | 8 years ago
0 likes

Not a single actual drawback and just 3,5 stars? Ouch!

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