The "fix virtually everything" multitool suggestion?
 

I, unfortunately, had a bad mechanical failure the other week on my mountain bike. Luckily, I was riding with friends that had the tools to get me rolling to the bottom of the hill, but if I had been riding by myself I would have been stuck with taking the part off and zip-tying it to the frame. I basically realized that my multitool, while OK for the "common" failures, is inadequate for anything more serious. Now, if you're a couple dozen miles away from home in the middle of a hilly mountain range, having a failure that you can't fix is... dangerous.

So, I'm looking for a "complete" multitool. (Or do you think it's better to have separate tools?) Here's the tools I can think of that'd be useful.

• Allens
• Screwdrivers
• Spoke Wrenches
• Chain Tool
• Hex wrenches (do my newer bikes even have hex nuts or bolts... not that I can think of.)
• Tire levers (Already have some separate so... not required)
• Anything else I can't think of.

Basically a tool that'd you take if you took your family out for a 30 mile mountain bike ride and you knew they had no tools with them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one has come in handy for me on several bike rides already. Not sure if it has everything, but it has had everything "I" needed on the road, as well as my boyfriend too.

Gaffers tape.

I have the Crank Brothers M17. It has everything you listed, except tire levers. I also carry a small crescent wrench if I'm riding one of my older bikes.

I'm not big on multitools. Perhaps it might be better to sit down and think of more things that can fail and put together a good toolkit that will get you (and your family) home. Don't forget zip ties and duct tape! :thumb:

Here's the one I have, but honestly I think most good multi-tools are going to have all the features you listed.

https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-601025...eak+multi+tool

Even though it has tire levers, I also throw a nice set of aluminum levers in the bag, along with a couple other things. For long trips I'll throw in my Leatherman Juice.

The Tern/Biologic tool. As it has a usable 15 mm wrench, all other multifold lack. .

http://eamelje.net/pics/2016_tern-tool.jpg

Several of the things on your list do not belong on the multi-tool, just for example the tire levers.

Now that I think about it, all I've really used lately is tire tools and Allen and screw drivers. It's been years since I needed the chain breaker. I also carry a Walmart knockoff Leatherman that gets me pliers, wire cutter, knife, and a tiny Swiss Army knife on my keychain for scissors and tweezers.

I put tools specific to each bike on its saddlebag. Ie, the allen wrenches it needs, the Park spoke wrench if that might be an issue, patch kit, levers and tubes. Fix gears get a hub wrench or crescent wrench. Older bikes may get a 8-9-10 Y wrench. In my pocket goes a Leatherman (rides into the county) or Gerber multitool (city rides). The Leatherman is a serious tool and very good for improvising. (The pliers/wirecutters are very useful.) The Gerber is lighter, smaller, easier on jacket pockets, less likely to end up in someone else's pockets and less of a loss if it happens. Nowhere near as good a tool, but in Portland there are bike shops!

Ben

I've started using this; has all of the OP's requirements(and more) in a compact size:

Premium Rescue Tool | Park Tool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7D7yBBMPew

NB: the short tools will lack Leverage, to get some fittings properly Tight.

Their purpose, temporary fix, to Get you Back Home , not as a whole service kit replacement.

On My Self contained Bike tours I bring real tools.

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I carry a Topeak Alien II on some bikes, and a Mini 18+, on others. I carry a Leatherman tool, when I'm off-road on the MTB, along with electrical tape and zip ties. A small Crescent wrench is a good idea. Someone should make one out of some sort of glass-filled polymer, with stainless jaw "faces" and threads. I'd buy that.

Oh I know. I have all of the tools at home. What I did not have on my current multitool was a chain breaker. Considering what I broke was my derailleur (shattered into 3 pieces). I would have had no good way of biking down the 8 miles of technical climbing I had just done if not for my friend, who had a chain breaker on his multitool.

It's not about trying to actually fix things on the trail, it's about being prepared for the day when something unexpected breaks, and getting yourself home. I surely didn't expect a stick to get lodged in between the derailleur cage sides, then into my frame, preventing the hanger from breaking.

Out here in Montana, you can get far enough out that if you get stuck there, you're in actual danger. Whether it be bears, hypothermia, or dehydration, getting back in a timely manner is seriously important. Many of our mountains get very cold at night (we got 8 inches of snow last weekend!), and they also don't have water in them. One range has no water for 30+ miles! If you want to bike or hike it you have to bring it all in from the get-go. And no, you can't shortcut the trail, unless you want to fall down the side of the mountain.

Again, this isn't about fixing things for good on the trail, it's about getting home.

And [MENTION=182364]1nterceptor[/MENTION] : I've looked at the park tools rescue tools. They seem to be the best bet so far, short of making a small fabric tool roll and sticking the individual tools in there.

I carry one of these
Topeak® Cycling Accessories ? Products - Ratchet Rocket Lite DX
I find it much more useful than a bulky multi tool, though I hardly ever have to use it. I think all I have ever done with it is adjust the seatpost once or twice, or tighten up a loose bottle cage. MAYBE a chain tool would be somewhat useful to carry while MTBing, but I haven't bothered. A spoke wrench might be a good idea, but just carry one, I wouldn't get an ungainly multitool to futz with. I've never held a multitool that I didn't think was awkward and compromised usefulness just to be part of a single tool. If you are worried about chain stuff, you should also carry a spare masterlink or two.
I also try and keep my bikes in tip top condition and take care of maintenance before there is a problem, however there are always unseen circumstances.

One problem with a multi tool that has a lot of attachments; it can get bulky and a bit uncomfortable to use.
I like that this Parktool model breaks apart into smaller units. Also it comes with a lifetime guaranty; not sure
how easy the warranty process is though.

In addition to this I carry a small pliers and an adjustable wrench or a single 15mm wrench(folding bike uses
wheel nuts).

There are many options that will include all the tools the OP listed. Many also include a Torx t25 wrench, which you'll need fork disc rotors. The Allen keys will usually go to 8mm, which should cover most bikes -although some cranks use a 10mm.

You can also buy a folding set of Allen, chain breaker, etc... and carry them. The multi tool is more convenient.

I have a few different ones, the one I carry most often is a Lezyne. Didn't have good experience with the Crank Bros chain tool on the M17. But maybe it is better now.

Me too. Think about stuff you have seen happen. If a water bottle cage vibrates loose, for example, you may not be able to position a multi tool allen to retighten the screw. The more functions a multi tool has, the bulkier it becomes and the less useful it becomes for some relatively simple repairs.

When I was mountain biking I carried a few tools for emergency repairs. The kind of bicycling that I do today doesn't require much.

Fixed it for you. :)

Ben

Torx bolts are becoming quite common.

I just carry hex "L" wrenches in the 6 sizes that I need. These are wrapped in a small piece of rubber membrane roof material, a little thicker than a tire innertube. It weighs less than a multitool, and is smaller too. It's slower to get the correct size out of the plastic bag+cover+rubber bands, but having a separate L tool is really nice.

On very long rides, I'd probably add the Park CT-5 mini chain tool, and a spare quick link. Note--this CT-5 barely works on a 11-speed Ultegra chain, I had to struggle to push the pin out, and used an adjustable wrench to get more leverage.

I met a rider trying to fix his chain with one of those no-name old style chain tools, and it just bent instead of pushing out the pin. It's likely this Walmart tool.

I carried a small flat blade screwdriver, but never used it.

I do agree that sometimes multitools are... annoying for fitting in certain locations. But a water bottle cage is an unfair example. It's hard to fit ANY tool in them to tighten them up, especially on small frames.

I used mine as my regular chain breaker for a number of years. I eventually stripped the threads trying to break a rusty old chain with quite wide plates.

It might have lasted longer if I'd been more careful with it, but Crank Bros kindly sent me a FOC replacement chainbreaker section of the tool. The chainbreaker also has the spoke wrenches, so I still get to use the left-over piece.

This covers everything the OP requested.
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-I-B...ords=park+ib-3

I use it on my mountain bike, since the odds of things breaking are higher than for road riding.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Multi-tools work fine, but if you have the occasion to actually need one, you'll find that a separate tool is almost always more efficient.

I compromise. I carry a midget ratchet, 1/4" metric hex bits (and a small flathead/other necessary bits), appropriate spoke wrench for my wheels, and a CT-5 chain breaker. For bikes that have nutted wheels, I carry an appropriate stubby wrench. It takes up just about the same amount of space as a multi-tool, and is infinitely more pleasurable to use.

If I didn't already own the majority of those things, I would have considered Topeak's ratchet rocket. I don't consider compactness/ultra-light weight a trade-off that is acceptable for ease of use.

I carry separate tools. The multi-format makes them all harder to use, and I need only 3 allen wrenches (for example), so I carry only those I need.

When I used that example once before I was openly scoffed at by a couple of posters for being too stupid to figure it out.