Well, i've now learned how to fix a flat tire and I'm reading Bicycling magazine's bike repair book (all 375 pages of it) and after reading a little of it and seeing a few repairs at my LBS, i think the first tool i need is a minitool. I've seen several types and brands (including park, and pedros, etc.)...but i was wondering if there is one that you guys have found to be the best for a reasonable price. Most of the ones i've seen are around $10-15.

Thanks.

You may want to search the forums for this. I happen to like the Crank Brothers Multi-17 . . . but that's just me.

Kinda looks like this: https://www.crankbrothers.com/multi17.php

. . . and costs under $20

Most of them have things that you may never need. It is a good idea to look over your bike and get a feel for the fasteners that you might need to work on. I maintain my chain and have never needed a chain tool for my bike while on the road....that said, I have used it several times to help others who were a long walk from home. I prefer separate tire levers to the ones that are built into the body of the multi-tool. On one bike, I just carry the micro Park chain tool and a couple of allen wrenches and tire levers....it has worked as well as any multi-tool. It is about the same $$ so not much to recommend one way or another. The Crank bros, and the Toppeak are made of reasonable materials...I haven't used any other brands.

Bingo. Well said.

IMO, it's far nicer to be in a position to help a fellow cyclist than it is to be UNable to help because you saved a few grams or a few bucks. That's just me....

Ive built a bike using a TopPeak Alien before !
Kind of chunky though.

I do have an alien and it is a good tool, but I have NEVER used half of the tools on it...the knife blade has been a lifesaver, though. (sharp little sucker)

One of the SERFAS brand ones is absolutely elegant and a beautiful minitool. (The one with the curves in the wrench handles.) That said, just about any of them will work.

I don't really like mini-tools. Their wrenches are far too short to reach the bolts on my brake levers, into my stem, etc. I'd get a combo-allen tool from your local auto parts store for $4, a very small allen driver for a dollar or so, a spoke wrench, chain tool, and put all of this into your seat wedge. Sure, it takes up a tad bit more room, but it's a LOT more useful.

aliens rock. When I would go on longer MTB rides I would bring both my alien and a leatherman.

I'm not a fan of mini-tools.

1. Mini tools will usually contain several items that you'll never use. Do you really think that you'll ever need a 2.5mm or 3mm allen wrench on the road?
2. Some are worse than others, but mini tools tend to be clunky. A simple job, like tightening a water bottle cage, may become a vocabulary expanding experience when you try to do it with a mini tool.
3. Allen wrenches don't last forever. Worn allen wrenches round out your allen head bolts. Now what are you going to do? Your 5mm allen wrench will probably wear out before you've had the opportunity to try half of the gizmo's on your expensive Alien.
4. When you need a chain tool, it would be kind of nice to have one that actually works.
5. If your crank arm comes loose, you'll need an 8mm allen wrench to tighten it. The torque spec for that part is 30 ft/lbs. That means that you have to press down with 120lbs of force on the end the 3" long allen wrench that's included in your mini tool (if it has an 8mm allen wrench).

When I worked in bike shops I loved mini tools because it was an easy sell at Christmas time. My family, even the ones who don't ride, know better than to buy me one of the stupid things.

Yeah. I have cantilever brakes, and through some bizarre fluke, when I readjust my pads after flipping my wheel to the easy gear, I have to re-center the brakes as well.

I like them. It is bulky and hard to use but that can be a plus.
on more than one occasion before I carried the multi-unit I have
been working on a motorcycle or bicycle on the grass at dusk and
dropped the allen key that I was using only to have to fish for it while
the light got dimmer. If you drop an Alien there is no hide 'n seek
factor to contend with. Makes cleaning up easy too. Alien, flat
repair kit and a big fat crank hex will get me through any emergency.

I like my Alien II

I like my Alien II

I'm looking at getting the Alien 2 if i do get one, but I'm going to be deciding if i really need one in the next week or 2.

(Also, I appologize for this thread, i searched and found several like it, but this is very helpful for me)

For those of you who don't like mini-tools, what tools do you keep on your bike while riding and where is a good place to start in collecting bike maintenance tools (I'm just 19 yrs old, so i have yet to really start a personal collection tools in the garage).

Thanks.

3 way tie:
Mike Tyson
Mr. T
George W. Bush

On my road bike all that I carry is the stuff that I need to fix a flat tire. That's all the tools that I carry for my car too. On my mountain bike I also carry a few allen wrenches and a chain breaker. Whenever I ride I make a mental list of unusual noises and anything on my bike that isn't working to my expectations. I immediately take care of that stuff at home so I don't have to do much in the way of maintenance or repairs while on the road.

I'm always surprised when I read how much stuff some guys carry with them on every ride. They always say their bike doesn't need it but they're always helping out other people. I guess that if I was always finding prople who needed on-the-spot bike repairs I might start carrying some additional stuff too, but I'm not seeing people who need help in my weekly travels.

Well good for you! I have two pieces of advice for you. First of all, why don't you just fix the dish on your rear wheel? Then you wouldn't have to adjust your brakes every time that you wanted to change gears. Wouldn't that be a lot easier? Maybe not if your only spoke wrench is on that clunky mini tool. Second, be care of that 2mm allen wrench. When it wears out (and it will) you're going to bugger the adjustment screws on your cantys. I hope that you're close to home when it happens.

Ditto. A bicycle is a very simple, very reliable machine. I carry a Crank Bros Multi-5 because I have removed the QR's off my bike, and in case I want to adjust the handle bars or saddle, which is rarely. On long touring trips I carry the Multi-17. I guess I like all the Crank Bros stuff.

I needed that Thanks!

I use to carry seperate tools in a seat bag but about 6 years ago I thought I would try a mini; after looking at a bunch I decide on the Park MTB1 (now called MTB3) because it seemed better built then the others. Now that I've been using it for a awhile I like it far better then the seperate tools I had before because it's convienant and doesn't rattle around (even banded up they still made some noise). Sure there's some tools I never use, so what? But I did use one tool that I never needed helping out a stranded cyclist, so you never know when the need might arise.

I know that today a lot of mini tool companies have improved their tools, but so did Park and since Park makes a lot of high quality cycling tools for the professional and home mechanic I would trust them before another company...but that's me, I'm weird that way.

huh?

You don't ride with a dedicated cutting tool?

I always carry a Spyderco folding knife when on rides...

(My FRN Delica Combo Edge to be exact)

https://spyderco.com/

I never had a use for a knife, but I do carry a cheap small leatherman like folding pliers I got from Target for $12 by Eddie Baur (sp?).

I use a CoolTool. I dont rate the main tool very highly, the adjustable wrench is 3rd rate. The allen keys are neat, different sizes at each end so you only need take 2 for 4 sizes. It does work fairly well on cranks and you can extend the leverage effectively.
I prefer separate tools, they are usually better quality.
My Leatherman is the mini version with a double folding handle. The pliers are essential and it's a small neat size.

Once I put a rack on my cross bike, I plan to carry a small 12V battery, mini inverter, and a Dremel, along with my Alien, Leatherman, and torque wrench.

I think it's always best to be prepared. And won't you feel stupid when you need a dremel and don't have it?