Bicycle Mechanics - Multifunction bike tools

What's the best multifunction bike tool to take on rides? Thanks.

One that fits the fastener that needs to be turned.

There are many good multitools out there. Pick one that has the tools you need.

It depends on how large you want it to be. I have the Park MTB-3 I use with my road and MTB bike but it's more for MTB's; but I have the MTB3 because it seemed to be better built then the others I saw. But the MTB3's tire levers are too wide for road bikes so you have to carry a seperate set if your using it on a road bike; they also don't come with pliers so I bought a cheap pair of small folding pliers by Eddie Baur (sp?) from Target. The only other tool I carry is something called the QuikStik that makes removing tires off rims very quick.

You'll get all kinds of different opinions on this, but just check them out for yourself and get the one you like.

This (http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=3127512) is my favorite tool.

For yourself or for somebody else?

If it's for somebody else, I take the gadget approach. I think that my current favorite is the Topeak Hexus 16. It doesn't have the most functions but it's relatively compact (important) and contains the tools that you're most likely to need but are often overlooked like an 8mm allen for crank bolts and a torx bit for brake rotors.

If it's for myself, I much prefer individual tools. There's nothing more frustrating than to have a relatively simple problem, like a loose water bottle cage and not be able to orient a bulky multi tool to tighten it. Actually, for road biking I prefer to do my maintenance at home and carry only enough tools to fix a flat tire.

The neglected jewel of multi-tools is Park Tool's MT-1 "Dogbone". It has 3,4,5,6 and 8 mm Allen bits, 8,9 and 10 mm boxes and a small flat-blade screwdrive. The larger hexes (4,5,6 and 8) are oriented so you can get real leverage on them and, in fact, I once tightened another rider's crank bolts adequately using the 8 mm hex. It's also very light (~ 50 gms) and cheap at $10 or so. I also carry a Ritchey CT-5 chaintool (~25 grams) and use the Park's 4 mm hex as the driver for it. Finally, I carry a set of plastic tire levers.

With these three items I can do nearly any road bike field repair.

Here's the Park site for their multi tools, you can see and read about both the MTB-3 and the MT-1 as well as all the others they sell: http://www.parktool.com/products/category.asp?cat=11

...and a torx bit for brake rotors.

...and some FSA crank bolts.

It pays to check that whatever tool you have will fit every fitting on your bike, including little things like the adjusting screws on canti brakes.

If it's for myself, I much prefer individual tools. There's nothing more frustrating than to have a relatively simple problem, like a loose water bottle cage and not be able to orient a bulky multi tool to tighten it. Actually, for road biking I prefer to do my maintenance at home and carry only enough tools to fix a flat tire.

+1 (Sort of)

Multi-tools are stupid; bulky, expensive and not enough leverage to do any job well.

I have allen wrenches for all fasteners and a cheater tube for leverage, all rubber-banded together (as well as a patch kit and a pump). It takes up less space, weighs less and it works.

+1 (Sort of)

Multi-tools are stupid; bulky, expensive and not enough leverage to do any job well.

I have allen wrenches for all fasteners and a cheater tube for leverage, all rubber-banded together (as well as a patch kit and a pump). It takes up less space, weighs less and it works. I think it's a case of each to his/her own. And... frankly, the savings in weight really are irrelevant.

I carry a Topeak similar to what Retro was suggesting as a gimmicky tool for a present to another person, and it includes the tyre levers and chain breaker (the exception is a tiny 8/10mm Topeak wrench). It has served me extremely well for nearly four years on all sorts of tours and randonnees, including replacement of a pivot bolt in a front derailleur that dropped out in the middle of nowhere (if you want difficult roadside repair in freezing cold, try that one!). And I use it a lot in the workshop.

Access to all fasteners on my bikes is not necessarily easy, but the most problems I would have would be bidon cage bolts that have Loctite on them. I have used the tool to undo pedals at the airport, although I would still prefer a shifting wrench for that. And if you want THAT much leverage to do up an item, you are way, way over the top.

I prefer to have all my tools in one like this rather than run the risk of leaving a loose tool or two lying on the ground in pitch blackness. In the end, it works for me... as your collection of loose tools does for you.

The advice early on about picking tools that you *need*, and to ensure your bike is properly maintained and adjusted, is the best yet.

+1 (Sort of)

Multi-tools are stupid; bulky, expensive and not enough leverage to do any job well.

I have allen wrenches for all fasteners and a cheater tube for leverage, all rubber-banded together (as well as a patch kit and a pump). It takes up less space, weighs less and it works.

That's the most obsurd statement I've ever heard! Well except for maybe the expensive part, but the Park MTB-3 only cost me $25 so how expensive is that?

Anyway multi-tools being bulky and not having any leverage at least doesn't apply to the Park tools (I haven't tried other brands for leverage but have noticed that others I've seen seemed wimper then the Park). I've even used the "silly" Park MTB-3 to even repair things around the office where I work that took more force then anything I found on my bike without breaking the tool...of course I wouldn't want to work on my car with it-duh!

Actually before I discovered the convenience of a multi tool, I use to have a bunch of tools all rubber banded together to prevent rattling, and those individual tools took up MORE space not less and weighed MORE not less as you stated, plus I still didn't have all the tools the MTB3 has! Granted some tools included on multi-tools you may never use due to not having any fittings for that particular tool but that's the only downfall, but some of the tools I carried seperately I never used either while on the road, but not due to being unuseable but rather never got used, but it's comforting to know they were there if you need them.

The MTB-3 is intended more for MTB bikes then road bikes, but since I have both types of bikes I simply transfer the tool from one bike to the other; so while a particular tool may not fit anything on the road bike it will fit something on the MTB. With the separate tool way I had to transfer some of the tools from the road bike to mix with those for the MTB, a silly waste of time.

I have the crankbros tool, the largest number, don't use it much as I ride a singlespeed but no complaints.

If you actually want tools you can use to make repairs, get a small tool kit that has hand tools.

When you have a break down on the road, you don't want to be fooling around with some tiny gadget stuck to a big clunky glob of other tools.

Instead, get real tools in a nice tidy pouch and put it in your saddle bag.

Brooks versus other saddles, bike lanes versus vehicular cycling, helmets versus none, Shimano versus Campy, FG versus geared, clips versus clipless, STIs versus bar-end, multitools versus separate tools.

The my-way-is-so-right-and-yours-doesn't-count list gets longer.

Brooks versus other saddles, bike lanes versus vehicular cycling, helmets versus none, Shimano versus Campy, FG versus geared, clips versus clipless, STIs versus bar-end, multitools versus separate tools.

The my-way-is-so-right-and-yours-doesn't-count list gets longer.


:lol:

You forgot ... leg warmers over your shorts vs leg warmers under your shorts!! :lol:


Personally, I go both ways with the tools. I've got a Topeak Alien which I like (although it tends to be a bit of a puzzle-box), but I also carry a few independent tools too.

+1 (Sort of)

Multi-tools are stupid; bulky, expensive and not enough leverage to do any job well.

I have allen wrenches for all fasteners and a cheater tube for leverage, all rubber-banded together (as well as a patch kit and a pump). It takes up less space, weighs less and it works.

-1

The difficulty I've noticed with a bag of individual tools is the sort of situation I encountered on my Australian tour ...

I travelled with my Topeak Alien and a few extra tools which I kept tucked in one pocket of my Carradice ... always together in the same pocket. My cycling partner travelled with a cloth bag of various tools which he would drop into his Carradice (they wouldn't fit into a side pocket), or his handlebar bag, or one of his panniers.

Something would go wrong, and he would have the contents of his Carradice and a pannier or two all over the road while hunting for that cloth bag of tools. Meanwhile I'd be standing there with my Topeak Alien in hand. Once he did find it, it was an elaborate process of undoing the bag, selecting the tool, and then carefully putting everything away. Using the multitool would have taken about half the time to fix the problem ... mainly because it was so much more convenient.

Also, the tools on a multitool aren't necessarily stuck to a big clunky glob of other tools. The Topeak Alien splits in two, creating a managable handle for the tools that do remain attached ... some even lock in place for better leverage. The only thing I don't really like about the Topeak Alien are the tire levers, so I carry separate tire levers.

That's the most obsurd statement I've ever heard! Well except for maybe the expensive part, but the Park MTB-3 only cost me $25 so how expensive is that?

Anyway multi-tools being bulky and not having any leverage at least doesn't apply to the Park tools (I haven't tried other brands for leverage but have noticed that others I've seen seemed wimper then the Park). I've even used the "silly" Park MTB-3 to even repair things around the office where I work that took more force then anything I found on my bike without breaking the tool...of course I wouldn't want to work on my car with it-duh!

Actually before I discovered the convenience of a multi tool, I use to have a bunch of tools all rubber banded together to prevent rattling, and those individual tools took up MORE space not less and weighed MORE not less as you stated, plus I still didn't have all the tools the MTB3 has! Granted some tools included on multi-tools you may never use due to not having any fittings for that particular tool but that's the only downfall, but some of the tools I carried seperately I never used either while on the road, but not due to being unuseable but rather never got used, but it's comforting to know they were there if you need them.

The MTB-3 is intended more for MTB bikes then road bikes, but since I have both types of bikes I simply transfer the tool from one bike to the other; so while a particular tool may not fit anything on the road bike it will fit something on the MTB. With the separate tool way I had to transfer some of the tools from the road bike to mix with those for the MTB, a silly waste of time.

Oh come on; I'm sure you've heard something more obsurd [sic].

Carry what you want; I know what works for me.
One thing I did not mention is in my experience multi-tools don't have the same quality of steel as indifvidual allen wrenches, leading to rounded edges and stripped out bolt heads.

FWIW, on my rides I'm the guy the other riders come to for repairs because I do them right the first time.

FWIW, on my rides I'm the guy the other riders come to for repairs because I do them right the first time.
This statement is almost as obsurd as your first one ;)

It's *knowledge* that gets the repair job done right the first time, not necessarily having a kit full of the "right" tools.

I tend to carry a pretty big tool load, a holdover from my teenage years when I did more roadside repairs than riding.
In the podbag are a cheap Bell combo too (the one with the 8,9,and 10mm sockets inside), 4 tire levers and a patch kit, tire gauge, 5" adjustable wrench, and a Leatherman tool. In my jersey pockets are a Swiss Army knife and a cell phone (tool of last resort).
Top

It's *knowledge* that gets the repair job done right the first time, not necessarily having a kit full of the "right" tools.

I defy you to repair a broken chain with "knowledge" but no chain tool. :)

Best multi function tool is a cell phone. It will fix anything thats broken.

Humor (and sarcasm) aside, the only tools I carry are a spare tube(s), tire levers and a manual pump. As others have said, the most important thing is the pre-flight check. If your bike is set up properly, there should not be any major calamities on the road.

I guess maybe take a chain breaking tool along, because if that breaks you will go nowhere fast, but I have never broken a chain on the road nor have I ever seen anyone break a chain.

And I guess a spoke wrench in case you break a spoke and want to straighten the rim enough to get home, although usually just actuating the quick release on the brake gives enough clearance.

If you need to use a multi-tool, with sockets, allen keys, etc., you are probably fiddling with things on the road that should have been sorted out on the repair stand.

[snip] If your bike is set up properly, there should not be any major calamities on the road. [snip]

If you need to use a multi-tool, with sockets, allen keys, etc., you are probably fiddling with things on the road that should have been sorted out on the repair stand.

As to the first statement above: true, but things happen unexpectedly. Then what do you do?

As to the second: not necessarily, and not just because people have different comfort levels. I carry a multi-tool (1) for unexpected problems and (2) in case I can help another cyclist who might be less prepared, knowledgeable or "compulsive" than I am. On one ride, an experienced rider, whose bikes are typically well-maintained, suddenly lost one pedal, and he only managed to ride, not walk, home because he could tighten it as necessary, using my multi-tool. As he had no reason to anticipate this problem or to "sort it out" beforehand, he was very appreciative of my having the tool he needed.

Best multi function tool is a cell phone. It will fix anything thats broken.

I've heard the comment that; "a cell phone makes your problem someone else's problem."


I guess maybe take a chain breaking tool along, because if that breaks you will go nowhere fast, but I have never broken a chain on the road nor have I ever seen anyone break a chain.

I'm much more an advocate of portable chain tools since I've been involved with three broken chain incidents on road rides. None of them were my bike but the victims were certainly glad to have the help. Two were the result of poor maintenance/installation but the third was from a stick picked up by the front wheel and jammed into the chain. You can't anticipate or do preventive maintenance to avoid that kind of problem.

+1 (Sort of)

Multi-tools are stupid; bulky, expensive and not enough leverage to do any job well.

I have allen wrenches for all fasteners and a cheater tube for leverage, all rubber-banded together (as well as a patch kit and a pump). It takes up less space, weighs less and it works.
+1

That's the exact same setup I have. It works just fine.

I have a Topeak Alien as well, a couple of years old.

It doesn't weight enough that I would bother replacing it with something smaller and lighter and while I haven't needed all the stuff on it on routine rides I do keep it in my wedge and also use it for at home fixes. It has anything I've needed along the way and it's less fiddly than have a bunch of loose tools along.

I agree with Machka as to the tire levers on the thing, I didn't even realize that they served that purpose, and had already bought a couple-three levers that I keep in the seatbag which are cheapo parks. No complaints on those either.

Right now I'm a big fan of Topeak's Survival gear Box. It's got an assortment of tools, is relatively compact, and best of all the tools are seperate so you can easily use them.

http://www.topeak.com/2007/products/tools/sgb.php

I also have a Specialized Multi tool, but having to retighten the bolts on the side is aggrivating.

The only multitool that I've found to be of any use is the very old CoolTool. It actually fits your hand like a tool. I can almost literally take my entire bike apart with one. Unfortunately they aren't made anymore but you can occasionally find them in old stock or on E-bay.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/IMG_0107.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/IMG_0109.jpg

I defy you to repair a broken chain with "knowledge" but no chain tool. :) Read my post carefully... knowledge is what gets a fix done *properly* the first time ... not the quality of the tool kit, the latter which seemed to be the point in rmfnla's post. Anyone with knowledge can do a permanent and "proper" fix with either a kit of separate tools or a multitool. A tool of any sort is useless if that person doesn't have any idea of how to use it or to go about a repair.

By the way, the scenario you put... it *can* be done... it won't be a comfortable, pretty or a fast ride, but it can be done... it is not dependent on having a chaintool (some multitools, including mine, have a chaintool, too, you know). Not that I have ever needed to repair a broken chain, because I check and maintain my stuff and have gentle gear-changing technique... ;)

But then, as for bush repairs, I *have* dealt with a broken cup on a rear hub and ridden quite some distance with it. And while a multi-tool was not involved, I have done a complete pedal rebuild for another rider on the roadside, somewhat to the amazement of others in the touring group -- all with just a shifting spanner/crescent wrench and a pair of pliers.

But patently, people use multitools all the time on the road and in the workshop with likely equal success to those who use the same multitool components but as separate items Equally, a multitool is not the ONLY tool one would take with them, but much would depend on the type of ride it was.

>>> A tool of any sort is useless if that person doesn't have any idea of how to use it or to go about a repair.

Agree. One of my personal drumbeats to folks who use 'em is to find their weaknesses and limitations by attempting as many maintenance tasks at home using the multi. This lets you know what else you need to carry and gives you experience in using what can be an awkward tool. It may even encourage one to leave it at home, per some of the sentiments expressed above.

I have the crank bros. 19 tool multitool and it works well. The only complaint I have about it is that the 8 and 10mm wrenches are terrible. However, now that probably every fastener on my bike is hex-head, it doesn't really matter. The spoke wrenches it has saved a couple of nice swiss gentlemen i ran into a few days ago. I also carry a stubby craftsman 15mm wrench since my back wheel isn't QR. I try to do all my repairs at home with real tools, but the idea of having to call my girlfriend to pick me up 15 miles from home because my bars came loose, or my seatpost fell just seems stupid.

Aside from the older cantis & mountain bikes that use 8, 9, & 10mm wrenches that I know of, what other bikes or components require use of these tools?

On one bike I have a topeak alien, on the other I have a folding hex-key set (something like this (http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/ekl21172.html)) and a leatherman (which may have cost the person who gave it to me the equivalent of 2 bike multitools). On the bike w/ the topeak, I use the box wrenches to adjust fenders from time to time. On the other bike, maybe I've just been lucky in not needing a wrench.


Aside from the older cantis & mountain bikes that use 8, 9, & 10mm wrenches that I know of, what other bikes or components require use of these tools?

Fenders, for me.

Fenders, for me.

Living in LA, I would of never thought of that...:D

And on second thought, tour/commuter bikes with racks sometimes require wrenches....

Read my post carefully... knowledge is what gets a fix done *properly* the first time ... not the quality of the tool kit, the latter which seemed to be the point in rmfnla's post. Anyone with knowledge can do a permanent and "proper" fix with either a kit of separate tools or a multitool. A tool of any sort is useless if that person doesn't have any idea of how to use it or to go about a repair.

Not that I have ever needed to repair a broken chain, because I check and maintain my stuff and have gentle gear-changing technique... ;)

I did read it and my reply was intended to be a bit facetious. Hence the :)

If you read one of my earlier posts, I agreed that good preparation will prevent most on-road repair problems but not all. My take was that you were too dismissive of that possibility. The broken chain I had to repair that was caused by road debris could not be anticipated and had to be repaired on the spot.

I'm sorry, if somebody can't get enough leverage for bike fasteners with an average multitool, then the problem is not with the tool...
(Apart from installing cranks but I suspect that's not something you guys do on the roadside:rolleyes:)
I'm pretty sure I could strip a few threads with one if I really wanted to.

I have found my own sweet spot to be between the park mtb3 and bag of individual tools.

What I carry is:

Hans Toolz multitool, 2/2.5/3/4/5/6/8, and +/- screwdrivers
Official shimano HG 10speed chainbreaker
soma tire levers
zip ties


I found that the park chainbreakers don't support a 10 speed chain enough and the chain can easily break again. Also that hans toolz is way more solid than the park mtb3 multi tool I had for tightening the crap out of things.

It's also important to carry around small disposable replacement parts, I carry a der. hanger, replacement pins for the chain and a few spare links. These are all crammed into a patch kit box, along with the patch kit itself. This all goes in a very small saddle bag along with a spare tube.

I defy you to repair a broken chain with "knowledge" but no chain tool. :)

I was going to reply with one of my usual snipes but you said it so much more eloquently.

Read my post carefully... knowledge is what gets a fix done *properly* the first time ... not the quality of the tool kit, the latter which seemed to be the point in rmfnla's post. Anyone with knowledge can do a permanent and "proper" fix with either a kit of separate tools or a multitool. A tool of any sort is useless if that person doesn't have any idea of how to use it or to go about a repair.

By the way, the scenario you put... it *can* be done... it won't be a comfortable, pretty or a fast ride, but it can be done... it is not dependent on having a chaintool (some multitools, including mine, have a chaintool, too, you know). Not that I have ever needed to repair a broken chain, because I check and maintain my stuff and have gentle gear-changing technique... ;)

But then, as for bush repairs, I *have* dealt with a broken cup on a rear hub and ridden quite some distance with it. And while a multi-tool was not involved, I have done a complete pedal rebuild for another rider on the roadside, somewhat to the amazement of others in the touring group -- all with just a shifting spanner/crescent wrench and a pair of pliers.

But patently, people use multitools all the time on the road and in the workshop with likely equal success to those who use the same multitool components but as separate items Equally, a multitool is not the ONLY tool one would take with them, but much would depend on the type of ride it was.

Once again I was probably not as clear as I could have been. Must have been that second scotch...

I don't like multi-tools because they do lots of things adaquately but none of them well. I find that blued steel allen wrenches are much better than the plated ones used in M-Ts and I do like the extra leverage when it's needed (sorry LóFarkas) as well.

The fact remains that four or five allen wrenches will cover almost every fastener on a modern bike. Add your patch kit, a chain tool and a pump and you're set.

BTW, knowing what tools work is part of knowing how to fix a bike (or anything else, for that matter).

Cheers!

I was going to reply with one of my usual snipes but you said it so much more eloquently.
It just shows your lack of ingenuity.

It just shows your lack of ingenuity.

I guess your idea of ingenuity is to go buy whatever widget the latest issue of Bicycling magazine tells you will make you look like a "real rench."

I fix bikes.

Once again I was probably not as clear as I could have been. Must have been that second scotch...

I don't like multi-tools because they do lots of things adaquately but none of them well. I find that blued steel allen wrenches are much better than the plated ones used in M-Ts and I do like the extra leverage when it's needed (sorry LóFarkas) as well.

The fact remains that four or five allen wrenches will cover almost every fastener on a modern bike. Add your patch kit, a chain tool and a pump and you're set.

BTW, knowing what tools work is part of knowing how to fix a bike (or anything else, for that matter).

Cheers!
What you did make yourself clear about was this:

"Multi-tools are stupid; bulky, expensive and not enough leverage to do any job well."

The implication is that because (a) multitools are stupid then (b) the people who use them are stupid. You are clear in saying that they don't have enough leverage which is patently not so unless you are talking about undoing overtightened or corroded items, and then you are clear that they don't do any job well, when there are hundreds of thousands of bicycle riders out there who use multitools without a single problem either on the road or in the workshop.

I just priced a set of reasonable quality metric Allen keys (gee, they weigh a ton), along with a small phillips head screwdriver, and a flat-head srewdriver, plus I went to a bike shop and priced a chain tool, some tyre levers... and the price works out about the same as for my Topeak multitool.

We'd all like the luxury of having a full workshop out on the road -- BB remover, cassette lockring, chainwhip, rollsroyce quality allen keys... a workstand! But it don't work like that, and good bike maintenance, knowledge and a basic tool kit of EITHER multitool variety or loose tools to fix minor problems is the best we can hope for.

You took a position, and that's fine. Being elitist about it and calling people by implication stupid, is not fine.

I guess your idea of ingenuity is to go buy whatever widget the latest issue of Bicycling magazine tells you will make you look like a "real rench."

I fix bikes.
You really are showing that you are elitist and don't know what you are talking about. And yes, we all know how well you fix bikes. You keep telling us.

You took a position, and that's fine. Being elitist about it and calling people by implication stupid, is not fine.

Your inference is not necessarily my implication.

Name calling is the last resort of the impotent.

You can do better.

(Apart from installing cranks but I suspect that's not something you guys do on the roadside:rolleyes:)

Actually, I had to do this once. At a food stop on a local charity ride, one poor fellow was going around asking if anyone knew how to tighten a crank as his had loosened to the point where it was on the verge of coming off. Fortunately he had the crank bolt and my Park MT-1 was able to snug it down enough to get by the rest of the day. But, no, this isn't a routine problem.

Actually, I had to do this once.

I had to do this more than once. I had an old Campy Record Crank set that the drive side crank decided to start loosening on. Torque was not the issue as the bolt bed was starting to show wear from overtightening. My solution was a lightweight crankarm bolt wrench. Eventually I had to add a lockwasher to that crankarm. I don't carry it anymore but am glad many crankarms are allen wrenches, much easier to have a tool ready along for that.

The only multitool that I've found to be of any use is the very old CoolTool. It actually fits your hand like a tool. I can almost literally take my entire bike apart with one. Unfortunately they aren't made anymore but you can occasionally find them in old stock or on E-bay.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/IMG_0107.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/IMG_0109.jpg

Very Cool indeed, cyccommute!

My solution was a lightweight crankarm bolt wrench.

Remember the Campy "Peanut Butter wrench" and it's Park copy?

Oh come on; I'm sure you've heard something more obsurd [sic].

FWIW, on my rides I'm the guy the other riders come to for repairs because I do them right the first time.

Your right, that wasn't the anywhere near the most obsurd thing I've heard; the most obsurd things I've heard are on the Politics and Religion forum!

I'm always surprised when I run into some roadie with an expensive bike that carries no tools or doesn't know how to fix a flat even though they may have the tools to fix a flat! The first thought I have when this happens is, why the heck are you even riding a bike! The answer I get when I ask why their not prepared is: "I don't want the excess weight"; or "I didn't think something like this would happen"! I expect this from some person that can't afford a decent bike...as odd as that sounds; but I've run into people that have a bike as their sole transportation and may be without jobs or kids and I've stopped to help them. But what surprises me is when I run into a doctor or lawyer (which have on several occasions) that ride $4,000 plus bikes because they can, and yet carry no tools, or don't know how to fix a flat! The only person I ran into that ever paid me back wasn't adequately prepare; he was a doctor that was riding in the mountains above Bakersfield Calif when he lost a tire and the tube, which he had neither and his cell phone wouldn't work to call his mommy...er wife; (I've run into riders sitting on the side of road decline help because their waiting for their mommies to come). So I gave him my spare used tire and tube, for which he was extremily grateful and took my name and address to his memory to pay me back...well of course I thought I would never see any payback not alone remember my name and address. BUT about 5 days later I received box with 2 brand new and very nice tires and tubes in the mail with a thank you card. Unfortunately this kind of grace is very rare in todays society.

I guess what I'm trying to say is make sure you carry tools and know how to repair at least most minor things, either a multi-tool or seperate tools, it doesn't matter just carry tools so your less likely to be stuck on the side of the road. And depending on how far you ride from your home you should carry a spare tire and tube along with patches and a tire boot patch. A multi tool, tire levers, an ultralight folding tire along with a tube can easily fit in a expandable seat wedge bag along with patches that take up no space.

The first time you have to walk home...assuming you don't use your cell phone to call your mommy, your going be extremily sorry for not carrying someway to fix your problem. Obviously your not going to be able to fix all problems like a broken BB or hub, but those kind of problems are extremily rare

Crank Bros. has some nice multi-tools. As of late I have found myself fixing other peoples' bikes on rides for some reason and have found this multi tool does provide adequate leverage and can be squeezed into ackward positions. Is it as good as individual tools ? No, but I find it more convenient especially while fixing a bike in the mist with darkness moving in. Last thing you need is to be looking in the dirt for a dropped allen wrench in the dark.