General Cycling Discussion - Do you carry a bike tool?

If so , which one?

Topeak Alien II multi-tool.

It has various allen wrenches, open and closed-end wrenches, philips screw driver, flat screwdriver, the requisite bottle opener, tire removal tabs, chain splitter, and of course a knife. It's reasonably small, and accommodates most of my needs. Actually I find it pretty convenient to use even for minor jobs in my own garage (rather than hauling out my full-sized tools).

All it lacks are pliers, which are of limited usefulness on a bike anyway, and a spare patch kit. haha. Ok, it doesn't have a big enough open end wrench to disassemble my head assembly either, but nor should it. It's for on-the-go repairs.

Maybe it's just extra weight, but I like having it along.

PArk AWS-10, and a small flip blade pocket screw driver. And of course my bear spray, but that is not a tool for the bike, that is for 4 legged nuisances (2 legged ones as well).

+1 on Topeak, Mini 18, has everything, except for the knife fits in a convenient spot and works well for just about anything you need to do while on a ride. No Pliers here either. It works and it does the job, so I keep using it. Started with some kind of schwinn tool revision, it worked and I still use it on occasion but not near as often as the topeak.

Short rides, within walking distance of the house, no tools.

Longer rides, just take whatever regular wrenches it takes to fit the assorted bolts and nuts on my bike.

Topeak multi-tool with no knife so it won't get confiscated if I forget and take it with me on the plane.

Ha, just bought the Topeak mini 18 today. Will probably need to carry some extra spanners for adjusting rack bolts on tour.

Steve

park mtb 3 with some park levers. the pedal wrench on it even works!

I keep some kinda Topeak tool in my saddle bag, so it's always with me on the bike. Just has a half dozen or so hex wrenches, a Philips, & a flat blade screwdriver. I mostly use it for tightening my cleats.

Some people have said that I carry all of them

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/IMG_0113.jpg

Mind you this is my expedition tool set. For every day I carry some less:D

park mtb 3 with some park levers. the pedal wrench on it even works!

I carry that too, it has most of the tools I use for fixing things at home or away.

Folding allen wrench set and a crescent wrench.

Some allen wrenches, adjustable wrench, cone wrench and of course my Leatherman Supertool. I am almost never without the supertool. I don't have a specific "Bicycle tool".

Yup. But rarely use it. (And I can't remember the name of the multi tool).

Park...

Serfas multi-tool. Works great.
I also carry an adjustable wrench and tire levers.

Yes. Park multi-tool. Forget which one. I've used it on occassion to make fit adjustments mid-ride: saddle up/down, cleat loosened up, etc. Very handy, I don't ride without it.

'Sides, one never knows when one will have to help someone else out on the road.

- i really like this and carry it on one of my rides:

http://www.specialized.com/media/equip/04ToolEMTMini_d.jpg

(my crank bros tools all rusted)

:-(

I carry a modified Bare Bones multi-tool.
http://www.performancebike.com/product_images/250/40-2053-NCL-UNFOLD.jpg

I modified it by switching out the size 4 & 5 allens for longer ones that I yanked off another multitool.

Every bike has a kit. Topeak Alien, spare tube (in a baggie with talcum powder), patch kit with adapter and $5, tire levers, and an air source. It's foolish not to IMHO.

Generally, on a road ride, I just carry enough stuff with me to fix one flat tire. No multi tool.

On the other hand, I've been wrenching bikes for a lot of years and I'm pretty attentive to unusual noises and such. On every ride I make a mental note of any maintenance that needs doing on that particular bike and I'm pretty good about seeing to it before I ride that bike again. In other words, I prefer to do my bike fixing at home.

In the interest of full disclosure I do carry a Park mini-tool kit, and even a few carefully selected spares, on my tandem and on my mountain bike.

Crank Bros. for me.

I use the Pedro's ICU multi-tool. 2mm-8mm hex wreches, phillips/flat-head screwdriver, chain tool, T-25 torque wrench, spoke wrench for normal nipples, spoke wrench for Ksyriums, and 2 tire levers attach to the side of it. Surprisingly small too (Edit: Unlike this picture. Sorry bout that).


Mod removed pic, just too large, please reduce size before reposting

How often have you each found yourself using the tools?

most of the folks i ride with say i am a tool.

i carry levers on my roadie and geared cross bike. that's about it.

Nashbar multi tool and others depending on my ride(Bike).

Had an Alien II for a while, but the plastic bit that connects the two halves broke, so now it stays at the office. I replaced it with a Park IB-3: lighter, smaller, blue.

It has pretty much everything I need, with the exception of a decent knife blade. Use it to make minor adjustments, and once to change a tube. Also along for every ride is a patch kit and one dedicated lever.

Topeak Hexus. I use it frequently, usually to adjust the seat or tighten something that has come loose. Less frequently to change a tube, and rarely to repair a chain.

I carry a parktool multi tool with chain breaker, spoke wrench and tire lever, I carry a small pack with 2 more tire levers, patches, and 2 c02 carts, 2 tire tubes as well (Presta or schrader depending on which ride I'm taking). It all fits in a small part of my Adidas water pack (like a camelbak but cheaper), hardly even notice any of it is there. And considering me or one of my buddies manage to break something or get a flat every freekin ride, I need it!

spare tube (in a baggie with talcum powder), etc.

What's the point of the talc? Does it prevent rubber degradation somehow...?

No. Until one comes out with a teflon coated cork screw.

Get this Park tool pack (http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=11&item=PPM%2D3)... it takes care of a lot of what you will need.

I used to have a Topeak, but the Park tool is just way more solid. I never even bother with my normal tools (except for the occasional philips head) for most things even around the house.

Topeak multi-tool with no knife so it won't get confiscated if I forget and take it with me on the plane.
Won't matter, you're not allowed to bring tools of any sort. I had a small phillips head screwdriver bit on a key head once, but it was confiscated at the airport.

Won't matter, you're not allowed to bring tools of any sort. I had a small phillips head screwdriver bit on a key head once, but it was confiscated at the airport.

I think they might have eased up a bit on confiscating tools. Pocket knives are still prohibited but screwdrivers & scissors are allowed, (under 7" in length).

I use the Crank Bros tool that has the integrated chain tool. I use it for just about everything as i never lose it which I can't say the same for all my good tools. It goes everywhere I go on a bike along with a patch kit tube and a pump.

In the way of tools etc. I carry:


A cheap, chainstore cycling multi-tool which my son gave me as a gift when I started cycling.
Patch kit.
One spare tube.
A small pair of pliers.
Mini-pump.


The one time I had to actually use tools whilst riding was to adjust a front fender which had worked loose shortly after being fitted, I had to borrow a pair of pliers to grip the nut in order to tighten the mounting bolt adequately, and the small pair of pliers have been part of the kit ever since :)

What's the point of the talc? Does it prevent rubber degradation somehow...?


It ostensibly prevents the tube from sticking to the inside of the tire, which can apparently lead to flats and/or improper seating. Or so I've been told.

Plus it gets all over your hands and clothes when you change the tire; this I haven't had to be told, I've experienced it first hand. A lot.

But it sure makes 'em smell nice!

If so , which one?
I make it a point to carry two different ones.

I have run into a couple situations where a single type of tool would not work. For example--chainring bolts. If your chainring bolt comes loose, it's like a 6mm on one end,and a 4mm on the other. But if your multi-tool is built like a swiss army knife, then the 6mm and 4mm wrenches can't be used separately. So you need two tools. And sometimes, one multi-tool can't reach a part nearly as well as other types can, so I make sure to carry two different types.

----

I'd like to buy a couple more Cool Tools, but I can't find anyplace that sells them.
Someone else showed me this website:
http://www.valuumall.com/gerbmulti2.htm
which has them, but I tried ordering (with credit card, online) and got the confirmation and all, but the order was never delivered and my credit-card never got charged. So then I tried emailing them two or three times, and none of those got any response either.
Does anyplace else still sell new Cool Tools?
~

crank brothers 10

My usual kit... my pump won't fit in this.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/toolkit.jpg