Reevaluating the multitool
 

A recent thread got me critically looking at the tool kit I carry for out of town rides, so in the country, mountains, and forests (not my commuting kit).

I have been carrying an SKS Tom 18 with a few other tools for over 10 years, and even though I knew there were tools there I didn't need (i have no torx bolts on my bikes, i carry separate tire irons and have long ago abandoned hyperguide chain pins, eg) i alway thought, what are a few hundred grams in a tool bag full of steel?

But I realized that switching to a Park MT1 (at 42g maybe the lightest Multi-Tool?) and separate spoke wrench and chain tool ( Park SW7 and Cyclo, so quality bits), i could reduce my tool kit by 125g, an amount I can actually feel.

I tried a bunch of other combinations, with separate hex keys and screw drivers, and this combo came out the lightest.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...68dc73f345.jpg

Anyone else critically evaluate their multitool or tool kit recently? Does the prepackaged convenience of a multitool lead us to consumer complacency, where we could build something better ourselves but outsource it instead?

I am sure I am in the minority, but I carry what I need to get me back home.

Thanks for the recommendation on the Park MT-1 @Frkl . This would work well on my old bikes.

Sure, so do I, so do rational cyclists. But i guess i just realized that there are configurations that are more and less efficient. I am not a weight weenie, but 125g is a nice sandwich and I generally like to not be laden down with gear. I don't think 125g is going to win me an imaginary race with myself, but why lug it if you don't have to?

125 grams is meaningless to me -- that's a few gulps out of a water bottle -- but I'm a fan of the MT1, regardless. The 3mm is oriented so that it's tricky to get it into tight spots, but I sure like a non-folding, one-piece tool. I used to carry one these Ritchey CPR-9s, but I misplaced it somewhere along the way:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f3f5751c9a.jpg

I probably date myself by saying i have no torx bolts and the fact that I carry an extra 8 and 10mm crescent....

​​​​​ I think the important point is that each bike or cyclist has a particular tool kit that is ideal. Maybe my bolts are just out of phase with the current multitools

My bike tool / repair kit is pretty heavy compared to what I see other cyclists carry and so are my bikes. I am not a weight weenie, my bikes have full fenders, racks, heavy duty wheels / tires and I use stainless steel bottles for my drinks. I also carry a Leatherman multi tool, a tactical folding knife and a ferro rod which adds even more weight.

A recent thread got me critically looking at the tool kit I carry for out of town rides, so in the country, mountains, and forests (not my commuting kit).

I have been carrying an SKS Tom 18 with a few other tools for over 10 years, and even though I knew there were tools there I didn't need (i have no torx bolts on my bikes, i carry separate tire irons and have long ago abandoned hyperguide chain pins, eg) i alway thought, what are a few hundred grams in a tool bag full of steel?

But I realized that switching to a Park MT1 (at 42g maybe the lightest Multi-Tool?) and separate spoke wrench and chain tool ( Park SW7 and Cyclo, so quality bits), i could reduce my tool kit by 125g, an amount I can actually feel.

I tried a bunch of other combinations, with separate hex keys and screw drivers, and this combo came out the lightest.

I am not a touring cyclist so may I ask why you carry a spoke wrench ? I am presuming this is only useful for changing broken spokes ( and not for en-route spoke tension adjustments ) ? Only asking to see if it's something that I should be carrying as an in-town recreational / for-exercise rider. I wouldn't be carrying spare spokes so is it of any use for me to carry a spoke wrench ? ( The additional weight for me would be inconsequential ).

In worst case scenario your wheel could be knocked out of true when hitting something, a spoke wrench can be used to true the wheel...Also proper spoke tension can be achieved with just a spoke wrench without using a tensiometer, it's not really that hard.

I also don’t tour, though one day might.

The reason for spoke wrenches is to get the wheel rolling. In a big hit or due to a broken spoke or two, the wheel might not clear the frame. A few creative turns of the nipples might get your damaged and weakened wheel rolling. Even more important if you’re running rim brakes.

Surly builds bikes with a spot for spare spokes on the rear triangle. One of the only features of Surly that I really like.

For multi tools, my rides are often intentionally isolated. I don’t want to walk or hitchhike. I can think of a few places I’d have been stuck overnight if I’d broken down and was unable to fix. In comparison, 125g doesn’t mean much. Still it sucks to carry a mountain of stuff around I probably won’t use.

2.5-8 mm Allen wrenches
10 and 25 Torx
Chain tool, mine has spoke wrenches cut into its frame.
Spare link
Tubeless repair kit
Spare tube
The ability to fully fill your tires twice, co2 or pump or combo
Sidewall boot

That will pretty much do ‘er. This implies that you have spent some time fiddling around with your bike so you have an idea how to fix a problem.

I go over my bike pretty often, so I’m usually aware of something going wrong before it happens and I can have it fixed before my next ride. So much more fun to fix in my garage than on the road/trail.

Has anyone weighed a credit card?

You must not ride very far from home. A credit card is of zero use in the entire 42 miles of this ride. It’s not even useful for starting a fire. A cell phone was dead weight as well. Even in more civilized places both are of limited use since calling someone to “come get me” when I’m 2000 miles from home isn’t an option.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6481e322c.jpeg


The only multitool I’ve ever carried was a Cool Tool. I still have several of them but I’ve moved on to Fix-It-Sticks which are a little bit more compact. I’ve never liked the multi-tools on the market because the never fit the hand like a good tool should. The Cool Tool did but none of the others. I have one of the most comprehensive on-bike tool kits I’ve seen and I’ve used it in all kinds of situations…including very remote travel.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...539b2e8c8.jpeg

All I can suggest is that you make sure that MT1 can actually be used in all the places you might need to use it. I have one and carry it sometimes but generally hate it. Because of all the protuberances, one often can turn the thing once it is connected to what one wants to turn. Racks, fenders and such often interfere and sometimes one can't even get at what one needs to get at. Better than nothing when close to home but, sometimes, not much.

You lost me there.. Pittsburg CO is 2000 miles away from where you live?
Or, somewhere in the US they don't take credit cards but instead only accept XXX?

How do remove a wheel that is secured with 15mm nuts and change a flat with a credit card ?..How do you pump up a tire with a credit card ?

Holy crap! You just shocked me into consciousness talking about torx bolts. My new bike is exclusively torx and here I have been carrying a traditional Allen keyed multi-tool. Oh Santa!

Not only that, but I have recently taken to smelting my own ore.

Here is a customizable option:

https://www.abbeybiketools.com/colle...products/4-way

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...15683105aa.jpg

And another customizable option: Lezyne Storage Drive. Just get the bits you need to fit your bike.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6cc701fc09.jpg

Why, yes.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9094e911ac.jpg


It depends. I'm doing both here.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...908c6c308d.jpg

Pandemic-era light tool kit, for tires with sealant. Plus an old driver's license and phone.

The 5.5 mm or 7/32" Allen is for my odd-sized seat bolt.

Not a fan of multitools. I find they are rarely as good as specific tools and usually have stuff that particular bike doesn't need. I like to stay fairly minimalist but I bring all the Allen wrenches that bike needs (except 8mms for cranks). 2 tubes, patch kit, two tire irons. Some bikes get spoke wrenches. (Needed to nurse heavily dished rears to ridable after right-side spoke breakages but my fix gears will limp home just fine minus any one spoke doing nothing.) Wrench for fix gear rear hubs. I should be better about carrying spare links and a breaker but (knock on wood or keep riding the fix gears) I've done OK so far.

On "rides" (as opposed to commutes and city rides) I always bring a Leatherman on my keys. The simple Boy Scout/woodsman philosophy. They are really good tools and very versatile. If the completely unforeseen happens, that is the tool I'd request if I was told I had to pick one tool 10 hours before I was told what the situation was going to be. (It has shaped wood to make "get me home" fixes a few times. Bent metal (those pliers are really good; they get used at home where they sometimes serve better than any of my good pliers. And the tiny screwdriver is perfect for undoing zip ties so you can use them again.) Still looks and feels like new. My sis gave it to me in the '80s.

Edit: All my bikes get Zephal pumps. And now both presta to schraeder and schraeder to presta adopters. (The latter primarily to help others without messing with the pump head and maybe losing parts. Cantitoe Road carries them for $9 and ships promptly.)

Second edit: Boots - I always leave with enough bills to have 5 or more in my wallet after any stops for espresso or the like. US bills are high quality, strong, light, very versatile and reusable after getting you home. (Might have to be laundered. Shhhh.)

Experience being a cruel teacher, my toolkits typically don't err on the sparse side, even on the racer. And I used to think that carrying a chain tool was unnecessary, until I had a chain do its best sleepy snake impression on the road behind me. And then again on a different bike for good measure. ("I checked that those pins were centered! Centerrrred!")

At a minimum, a foldout multi-Allen tool, a teeny chain tool, a Quik-Stik, Rema patch kit, 2 tubes, a small pump, and a 'Murican-made adjustable wrench (4" or 6").

My "weekly ride leader" toolkit, though, has a 6" adjustable wrench, 1/4 hex drive bits in all common Allen & screwdriver sizes, a cool 1/4" hex ratchet, 8/9 open end, 10 open end, compact chain tool, small needlenose mini-tool, donut spoke wrench, Quik-Stik, metal and plastic levers for tires that need additional persuasion, Rema patch kit, boot material, 3 Presta tubes (700x25, 26x1, 26x1.75) with Schrader adapters, metal valve cap with Schrader valve core remover end, good classic hand pump, Fiber Fix emergency spoke. mini bungees, mini bungee net, super-compact folded musette bag, small USB charger, zip ties, tie wire, spare tandem-length gear and brake cables, a few common 5 & 6 mm bolts/nuts/washers, quick links in widths from 5.5 to 7.3, first aid kit with gauze, tape, chamois cream, Ace bandage and antibacterial gunk, sunscreen, more sunscreen, a few bucks for boot / yard sales / other purposes, and a teeny bungee-on LED headlight just in case and to find everything else in the dark. Most of the wrenches and bits are either covered in reflective tape or painted fluorescent orange - again, experience being a bitter teacher when making repairs at night. It all fits in one side pocket of the Jandd rear pannier. And nearly all of it has seen action in the past, either for a person on the ride or someone we encounter along the way.

For El Tour bike patrol I swap the hand pump for a super-light floor pump, and add channelocks (to fix disintegrating headsets and 1-piece bottom brackets on bikes that haven't been ridden much all year) and 13/15/17 cone wrenches for bikes with woobly wheels due to too much axle slop (or vice versa).

Every time I obtain another 6" adjustable wrench, I weigh it to assess whether it rides in the home toolbox or qualifies for bike duty. Typically a weight under 100 grams will get it a slot in an on-bike toolkit.

Your experience, needs, and carrying preferences may vary. Enjoy the ride!

Don't get the purple item and the brown item mixed up, OK? :)

Some multitools have a 15 mm groove but its in an inconspicuous place.