petalpower

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a decent multi/mini tool I can buy to bring with me in my luggage to be able to assemble a new bike?

I bought an inexpensive Merlin road bike to ship to Italy, and just need something to assemble your average newly shipped bike shop bike. I've never seen one out of the box from the manufacturer, so I'm not sure what all is needed.

Thanks

HillRider

What you will need will depend on the components on the bike. Generally you will need 3,4,5 and 6 mm hex wrenches and possibly an 8 mm if it has a square taper or Octalink/ISIS bottom bracket or if the pedals take an 8 mm hex wrench. If it has bolt on wheels you will need a 15mm open end or box wrench and perhaps a 15 mm pedal wrench. A couple of small flat and phillips screwdrivers may be useful to adjust the derailleur's limit screws.

Frankly, most multitools don't have the leverage or tool orientation to work effectively and are emergency tools only. You will do better to buy a complete set of metric Allen wrenches, a 15 mm pedal wrench or a 6" adjustable wrench and a couple of small individual screwdrivers.

Andrew R Stewart 

A tool that has all the wrench types and sizes YOUR BIKE needs to complete the reassembly. There is no other answer that works. There might be a number of multi tools that could work. But since we don't know all YOUR BIKE'S fittings nor what you will take apart to box up the bike we really can't answer this question with authority. I think you need to see YOUR BIKE out of it's box to determine the tooling needs first or be willing to bring more then you seem to be thinking. As example a 15mm pedal wrench (open end, not box end) is not the typical multi tool offering. Additionally the ability to get a pedal tight is somewhat limited by the multi tool's short lever size. Andy.

petalpower

Thanks guys for the quick help. Here is the info on the bike, if that helps ( maybe all Shimano, FSA components have the same hardware?).

https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-...016-85148.html

Full specification

• Frame: 6061 Aluminium Road Bike Frame
• Fork: 700c UD Carbon Road Fork With Alloy Steerer
• Wheels: Mavic CXP-22 Black 700c Wheelset with Joytech hubs
• Tyres: 700x25c CST Road
• Chainset: FSA Tempo 8 Speed Road Chainset - 34/50 Chainrings (Not as pictured)
• Chain: Shimano HG50 8 Speed Chain
• Front Derailleur: Shimano Claris FD-2400 Front Derailleur
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano Claris FD-2400 Rear Derailleur
• Gear/Brake Levers: Shimano Claris ST-2400 Gear/Brake Levers
• Cassette: Shimano HG50 8 Speed Cassette 11-30T
• Handlebars: Merlin Alloy Black Road Handlebars
• Stem: Merlin Alloy Black Road Stem
• Seatpost: Merlin Alloy Black Seatpost
• Saddle: Merlin Black
• Pedals: Wellgo alloy flat pedals & toe clips
• Weight: 10.4kg
• Rack mount: Yes
• Rear mudguard eyelets: Yes
• Front mudguard eyelets: No
• Sizes: 50cm, 53cm, 56cm, 59cm

dr_lha

A "Bike in a box" can be assembled adequately with a set of allen wrenches (4, 5, 6mm and maybe 8mm) and a phillips screwdriver (for derailleur adjustments), in my experience, sometimes they will even include those wrenches in the box. A torque wrench would be better though.

I'll add that some cable cutters to trim often over-long cables might be useful too.

Retro Grouch 

How is the bike getting packed? That's a big deal.

I think that the smartest thing that you could do would be to disassemble the bike for shipping yourself using the exact tools that you plan to use for reassembling it. That way you'll know for sure that you have what you need.

Multi-tools have their place BUT! It can sometimes be a challenge to figure out how to orient the tool that you need. A job as simple as installing a water bottle cage might not be possible using a multi tool. Multi tools with a plethora of functions can actually be less useful because their bulk makes them harder or even impossible to use in some places.

HillRider

A 3 mm allen wrench is usually needed for water bottle cage bolts. Based on the specs and link the OP posted this bike has quick release hubs so a wheel nut wrench isn't needed but a 15 mm pedal (as noted, open end) will be. The fork/stem is threadless so he won't need a headset wrench either.

dr_lha

OK, good point.

Depends on the pedals of course, all of my pedals can be put on with either a 6mm or 8mm allen wrench, only some work with a 15mm pedal wrench. EDIT: I should say, even the crappy Wellgo platforms that came with one of my bikes can be put on with an allen wrench, if the OP wants to ride with those.

cny-bikeman

A pedal wrench is of course awkward to have to carry, but I can suggest two options: 1) See if the box can be stored at the airport during your trip. I was able to do so when I went to Italy, and I don't recall it costing much at all (if anything) That way you can keep all packing material and tools you may not need during your travels in the box. 2) Tighten with a long allen wrench and retighten at a bike, moped or auto shop when you get to the city. Be sure to pack the bike very carefully, especially protecting the rear derailleur and putting spacers between the front and rear dropouts.

If you like you can PM me about my experience touring Italy by bike and train.

dsbrantjr

+100 - I cannot recommend this advice enough. You don't need to round out/off a critical fastener while you are on a trip. Make sure you bring along any open end/box wrenches (and a pedal wrench if needed) YOUR bike may need as well. You will need small screwdrivers for most derailleur adjustments. Do a dry run with the tools you plan to take to make sure you haven't forgotten anything.

mconlonx

For that particular bike, I would bring:

- Multi-tool with 4, 5, 6, and 8mm hex wrenches, #2 Philips screwdriver
- Leatherman with pliers which also feature a decent wire cutter
- compact 15mm wrench for the pedals
- compact road-bike specific pump

Most components on the bike will be 4, 5, and/or 6mm. 8mm for the crank bolts, to make sure they are on, or tighten them if they are not. #2 Philips for the derailleur limit screws. Leatherman multitool specifically for the pliers and wire cutters to cut cables down to correct length and crimp cable ends. Come to think of it, I'd also bring a few spare cable ends. Some pedals have a hex recess in the pedal axles which would make the 15mm wrench superfluous, but why chance it with an unknown spec. You'll also need some way to pump up your tires.

However, I would also question the wisdom of bringing a brand-new new bike-in-a-box to a foreign country, with a plan on assembling it there into any kind of working order... especially if you need instruction on what tools to bring. It will need to be tuned before riding, with adjustments made to derailleurs, brakes, wheels trued, assembly of handlebars to stem, etc. If you're not familiar with this kind of thing and you are bound and determined to bring or ship a new bike over, I'd suggest that you rather contact some shop on the other end for assembly by appointment...

fietsbob

As far as the hex wrenches go a Minitool is too Mini for adequate leverage

and you still need a Pedal wrench to get the pedals tight enough..

Drew Eckhardt 

Except where the crank bolts are just setting bearing pre-load as the case is with separate pinch bolts on the left arm, they take 35-50 newton-meters of torque or 25-35 foot-pounds. Pulling on the end of a 4 inch multi-tool that's 75-105 pounds of force which you're not going to get.

I've switched to a moderate sized saddle bag with room for two tubes, patch kit, two tire levers, chain tool, spoke wrench, nitrile gloves, 3/4/5/6 hex keys, T-25 torx key, three master links and a short piece of chain. The wrenches are long enough for leverage, and fit into places (like the handlebar clamp bolt on a Cinella 1A quill stem) a multi-tool will not.


I second that.

Vehicles often have problems when new parts are put together. You want to discover (and fix) that strange creak before you're committed to riding hundreds of miles.

CliffordK

If you take a bike apart, check what tools it takes to take the bike apart.

Add maybe a chain tool. Tire levers?

narrow 15mm is standard for pedals (if not using an Allen wrench).

A couple of screwdrivers always come in handy including a moderately small Phillips screwdriver for dérailleur adjustments.

Cychologist

Instead of a multi tool, or carrying shop quality tools, you might consider Fix It Sticks. They come in different sizes and offer more torque than a multi tool. Yet they are as easy to carry as a multi tool:

Fix It Sticks Ultra Compact Alloy Multitool Roadie Set A 3 4 5mm Hex Phillips 2 | eBay

Kopsis

Many posters are missing the fact that this is not a bike that's being disassembled and shipped, it's a new bike being shipped from the retailer to the destination in the "factory" packaging. It's going to arrive mostly assembled the way most mail-order bikes do. Typically all you have to do to get it rideable is mount the front wheel, handlebars, and pedals and adjust the derailleurs.

Looks like the only carbon bit is the fork (with alloy steer tube) so you don't need to worry about torque wrenches if you have reasonable feel for "tight enough" on the stem bolts. Virtually every cycling multi-tool will have at least 4 and 5 mm hex keys and a phillips screwdriver for derailleur adjustments. 3mm bottle cage bolts are very rare on modern mass produced bikes, but most multitools will have a 3mm bit anyway. I like the Lezyne and Crank Bros multi-tools, but they all work pretty well so just shop around and get what you like (you'll presumably be keeping the tool for a while).

Pedals are the only thing that might need more than a multi tool. The platforms coming with the bike will almost certainly take a 15mm wrench. I've never found a big pedal wrench to be necessary for putting pedals on (getting them off is another matter). A small 15mm wrench should work fine (just check periodically to make sure they're staying tight). If you're taking your own pedals, you might find it helpful to just take along the correct size L-shaped allen wrench. If you're the really cautious type, get the pedals on good enough to ride to the nearest bike shop and have them torque them down (and check the cassette lockring while they're at it).

Don't overthink it. It's not like you're going to a third-world country. If you find you need a tool you didn't bring, it won't be hard to find one at your destination.

CliffordK

For "new" bikes, some common complaints are wheels out of true, and cones needing adjustment, and perhaps a bit extra grease. So one might consider a set of cone wrenches and a spoke wrench.

Perhaps bring some chain oil and hub grease, and anything else that one thinks might be necessary for the build and trip. Tire levers? Tubes?

speedy25

You have luggage of course so take along some good tools to assemble the bike! Why compromise with the multi-tools. I carry tools when I travel. Yes the TSA always takes note of a metal lump in my suitcase but nothing is ever missing.

-SP

gauvins

In my limited experience, hex (Allen) keys are by far the most used tools. I've changed seatpost just because the original was fastened with nut+bolt.

I would suppose that shops use T-shaped keys. I personally use Wera's mini zyklop, a professional - grade ratchet that gives plenty of torque power, goes where T-handles may not (bottle cage), is ridiculously small and light.

The OP has to worry about non hex fasteners and possibly cable fitting. I like the idea of thin jaw adjustable wrenches. A cable cutter might be a good idea.

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The scenario is a bit puzzling. Do you plan to assemble the bike at the airport? If you plan to ride out of the airport, make sure that you brought a pump. Otherwise, you should find a local bike shop that will take care of your bike.