Best multi-tool ..
 

Hi All
I'm based in US and looking for multi-tool set to carry with my bike ..
Base on what you have and experiences ..
Any suggestions.. ?
Thanks

My main carry is the Crank Brothers M10 but I really prefer the custom set I built but it is not the most practical for most folks but it is a 1/4 bit ratchet from Snap-On with a set of bits from PB-Swiss in a custom magnetic bit holder and it also has a Magura 8 bit tool in it which is a tire lever with a rotor and pad measuring tool as well as a wrench it is a pretty neat little tool. Topeak makes a slightly similar and much cheaper set with a cloth pouch. Not as smooth and nice but I use my kit often for something less used the Topeak Ratchet Rocket would be a good choice.

Also you are missing a d it would be "based"

Anything that doesn’t look like the typical folding mini tool. Fix-It-Sticks and Prestacycle are two that I really like. Both are good but the Fix-It-Stick tool sets are a bit more comprehensive.

What's best totally depends, primarily, on which fasteners and components you have on your bike. For example, if you've a modern bike which only uses Allen and Torx bolts, you don't need a tool with a hex wrench. Similarly, if you have SAE fasteners, a metric spec tool will be pretty useless.

So, what kind of bike do you have?

I like the looks of the new Pedros multi-tool that is encased in a couple of mini tire levers. I haven't had the chance to see one in person though

Just ordered Topeak Ratchet Rocket Lite DX + , Seems a decent tool
Thanks

I have this: Big Switch Ratchet Multi-Tool | Blackburn (blackburndesign.com)

But I usually do not carry that. Instead, I carry the minimalist SV Pro 5: LEZYNE SV PRO TOOL | STAINLESS STEEL BIKE MULTI TOOL

Just enough to remove the through axles.

Agree! I have an old Topeak Alien Multi Tool II that’s held up well. But it’s the old school fat (bulky) design which is awful. I require a multi bike tool have a chain tool like the above ratchet rocket lite. The tire levers on these are typically emergency only at best. They break easily if you have a tight bead like my folding road tires. Hate to admit it but I carry two reinforced tire levers along with my multi tool.

Agreed. The tools I require have changed as the part on my bikes have changed. Wouldn't have even thought about torx 20 years ago.

Topeak set looks nice. I have a nifty set from Mineral, but it seems to be out of production. It is a 4" right angle handle that takes a variety of Allen, Torx, whatever, heads that stow in little magnetic sockets.

Helpful in most situations
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bbfc0ecb59.jpg

Topeak Mini 20 pro. Have only used the hex wrenches, but all good so far.

I carry a Crank Bros. Y-16 and a cut down 15mm box end in a Topeak trunk bag most of my bikes have rack for it

"best"? That's like asking what's the best screwdriver. Just buy one that has the sizes and types of tools you need. Functionally, they're all the same. Don't over think it.

Oh, c’mon…you must know that’s not true!

Have you never used a minitool where the pieces came loose, flopped around, and mad tightening a bolt an exercise in herding sheep? Or how about one that needed assembly (or disassembly) before you could use it, costing extra time and fuss roadside? Shape uncomfortable to use? Extensions too short ? Too big and filled with stuff you don’t need or can’t use that makes it hard to work with the stuff you do need? Doesn’t retain bits well and so you drop in the grass and waste time looking for them? Are shaped poorly, fit badly, and damage bolts?

much obliged foor your recommendations
I'm in search of a decent mukti tool as well. I'll give a try to a couple of those

Same..??? how old are you man..???
Lot of crappy tools out there !!!
I am asking if any of you who have used and your opinions about what works what not ..

You really just need to figure out what issues you've had in the past while on the road with your bike and what you'll likely have happen in the future. As well whether you know how to fix the stuff that you'd use those tools for. A couple hex keys, tire lever, spare tube and inflator are about all I've used for the last six years. I've trimmed some stuff out of my kit that I no longer carry.

If you are riding far from home, you probably need to be better stocked for tools than I am for my rides. Even my 60 plus mile routes are never farther from the house than a 20 minute drive in a car if I'm so broke down that I need someone to come get me.

Well, fwiw, the best screwdriver I ever bought is a Vessel Megadora #900 +2x100 JIS screwdriver. They fit and grip derailleur adjustment screws like a boss. Not something you want to carry though long term. I tend to take the individual tools I may need as they are certain to fit well into whatever the application. Multi/many tools in one in my experience are inevitably inconsistent in mating well with what they are supposed to. Park and Pedro's come to mind. Husky folding hex sets have good precision if you need that many in one tool.

No I haven't. But I look at the tool before I buy it. There's a million that work perfectly.

Thanks... this fits the bill for me. Do I see a place to hide a master link in that gizmo?

That’s a subjective assessment, and not at all the same as your previous assertion that “functionally they’re all the same.” If for your needs and expectations a million work perfectly, I won’t argue with that, but to by my standards, there are a million which work sufficiently and only very few which perform perfectly.

I'm pretty OCD when it comes to multi-tools, general preparedness for flats, and adjustments on the fly. I carry what I need to carry so I can be self-sufficient and self-reliant. That being said, I try to carry the least to accomplish the most.

Specifically, what do I need to do, and which tool do I need to do it?

1) Loosen through-axle to remove wheel and fix a flat... 6mm hex head
2) Adjust saddle height / fore-aft / angle... 5mm or 4mm hex head
3) Tighten miscellaneous bolts (i.e. stem bolts, top cap, bottle cage bolts, etc.) that might be loose or a bit "rattly"... 3mm / 4mm / 5mm hex head in most cases, sometimes a T25 torx head
4) Tighten pedals... 8mm hex head (in most cases)
5) Cleat adjustments... #2 phillips head

If there were a 7-function multi-tool that had 3/4/5/6/8mm hex heads, a T25 torx, and a phillips #2 with nothing else I'd be set. So far, I haven't found one :foo:.

I find 9-function tools to offer the best balance of function and weight, so I primarily carry the Topeak Mini-9 (92g) or the Silca Nove (85g). They both have the same selection of tools (2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 /5 / 6 / 8 mm hex, T25 torx, phillips #2), come with everything I need and not much I don't. That which I (mostly) don't need, which are the 2mm and 2.5mm hex heads, add almost no weight and are not totally useless.

Another tool that looks really good is Wolf Tooth 8-Bit Pack Pliers (70g), which I don't own or carry. It has all of the same functions as the above mentioned tools, plus it can also remove and install master links.

As referenced by cyccommute , Fix it Stix and Prestacycle are also awesome! I own both, but only carry them for very long, epic adventures.

Excellent post, and I, too, like the Topeak Mini 9, although I don’t really need the 8mm for pedals— mine never have come loose in decades now, even though I change them frequently, moving my power meter pedals between bikes— but I carry it on my gravel bike for the SRAM Force crank fixing bolt, which did come loose on the road once. I’d failed to torque it properly on install, so that was more on me than anything else.

On most of my other bikes I carry either the Lezyne V Pro 7 (65g) or vintage Ritchey CPR-9 (25g). It’s rare that I have anything come loose or need adjustment anymore, so which I carry is almost as dependent on pack space demands as it is on bike spec. For example, I’d probably carry the Ritchey on my main roadie if not for the fact that my Cyckit Aeroclam saddle case has a designated space for a tool like the V Pro 7, simplifying packing of the case.