Originally Posted by
exRunner
that I have no desire to work on a bike on the side of the road with tools that will fit in my jersey/seat bag on a Saturday or Sunday, except for fixing a flat. Besides, I would not consider holding up the group long enough to do anything else. I consider it bad form to repair a flat instead of changing the tube on a group ride.
Could I fix most things if I had to? Probably. Would I attempt it? Doubtful.
A tweak of a derailler limit screw can be easily done in 30 seconds provided one has a phillips head screw driver with them. Without one, you are stuck with the compromised shifting throughout the ride. Granted, this would only happen right after some other major work on the bike (like a new bike build that hasn't fully been sorted yet) but I have been in a situation where it's happened. I had done a few hundred miles on a new build and never had an issue with over-shifting going into the big ring. 10 miles into a century ride, I drop my chain off the outside of the big ring. Multi-tool to the rescue!
A headset adjustment is another repair easily done with a multi-tool in a very limited amount of time that could turn an otherwise fun ride into an annoying experience with shuddering at every braking oppurtunity.