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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Looking for a new multi-tool

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Old 12-02-11 | 01:25 PM
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Looking for a new multi-tool

I'm trying to find a tool that I can use to remove axle nuts and pedals, but I don't want to carry around a full-size pedal wrench when I'm out on the road. I would like something similar to the 3Wrencho, but open-ended. I can't use a box wrench like the Trixie or 3Wrencho due to clearance issues with my dropouts. Do you guys own anything you really like?
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Old 12-02-11 | 01:33 PM
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?
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Old 12-02-11 | 01:43 PM
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Why do you want to be able to take your pedals off with a rescue tool?
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Old 12-02-11 | 01:44 PM
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can you spring for $5?



https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_10000_202585
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Old 12-02-11 | 01:46 PM
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A regular open ended 15mm wrench, or you can carry an allen wrench if your pedal fits one.

Originally Posted by Kayce
Why do you want to be able to take your pedals off with a rescue tool?
+1
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Old 12-02-11 | 01:49 PM
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Originally Posted by striknein
I can't use a box wrench like the Trixie or 3Wrencho due to clearance issues with my dropouts.
pics please, i dont get it.
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Old 12-02-11 | 01:51 PM
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also, i just use a craftsman wrench i cut in half and smoothed out the cut area. i use the box end, but the open end is just the same. cheap, simple, and as durable as it gets.
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Old 12-02-11 | 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by AngryScientist
pics please, i dont get it.
I'm going to guess he has a Steamroller or something
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Old 12-02-11 | 02:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Kayce
Why do you want to be able to take your pedals off with a rescue tool?
I tour. Sometimes I can't get near a bike shop.

Originally Posted by AngryScientist
pics please, i dont get it.
The frame is an IRO Phoenix. The dropouts are similar to the Steamroller in terms of where everything comes together.

Originally Posted by markaitch
can you spring for $5?
We have a winnah! Thanks for the help.
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Old 12-02-11 | 02:44 PM
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I have gone on week long tours, and never once needed to remove a pedal. And cant imagine a situation where I would need to.

Alternately, do it right and get some bags.
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Old 12-02-11 | 02:49 PM
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https://www.realcyclist.com/cutter-church-key-tool

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Old 12-02-11 | 03:04 PM
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Why to they all have ****ing bottle openers?
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Old 12-02-11 | 03:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
Why to they all have ****ing bottle openers?
Um because hipsters need to open PBR's whenever they ride a bike.
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Old 12-02-11 | 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
Why to they all have ****ing bottle openers?
Apparently if we're changing a tube/tire, we should also be drinking beer.
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Old 12-02-11 | 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by striknein
I tour. Sometimes I can't get near a bike shop.

The frame is an IRO Phoenix. The dropouts are similar to the Steamroller in terms of where everything comes together.

We have a winnah! Thanks for the help.
ok, am glad to have been of assistance...so now how 'bout returning the favor & posting a ride review of that phoenix?
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Old 12-02-11 | 03:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Kayce
I have gone on week long tours, and never once needed to remove a pedal. And cant imagine a situation where I would need to.

Alternately, do it right and get some bags.
If your tour includes a ride on amtrak, where you have to box your bike, then it is needed....
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Old 12-02-11 | 04:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
Why to they all have ****ing bottle openers?
can't have too many bottle openers. Even quill stems can be used as bottle openers
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Old 12-02-11 | 04:18 PM
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Anything can be used as a bottle opener. I can open a beer with my teeth for crap's sake.
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Old 12-02-11 | 04:18 PM
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Originally Posted by ddeadserious
Um because hipsters need to open PBR's whenever they ride a bike.
PBR caps twist off.
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Old 12-02-11 | 04:19 PM
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I feel like an ass when I use my Chrome buckle to open bottles
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Old 12-02-11 | 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by hairnet
I feel like an ass when I use my Chrome buckle to open bottles
I've still never done it, I'm so used to reaching for my keys.
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Old 12-02-11 | 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
PBR caps twist off.
Crap. No way for me to have known that I guess.
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Old 12-02-11 | 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Kayce
I have gone on week long tours, and never once needed to remove a pedal. And cant imagine a situation where I would need to.

Alternately, do it right and get some bags.
Just because I may never NEED to strip my bike down to the bare frame, doesn't mean I shouldn't be ABLE to while I'm out there. If I crash and bend a pedal spindle and the only thing resembling a bike shop within 10 miles is a wal-mart, you can be damn sure I'm not gonna want to buy a set of wrenches while I'm there too. That was just one of a half-dozen scenarios I came up with in which I would need to remove a pedal. Also, if the addition of a spanner like the Nashbar one means I can eliminate a set of tire levers and save a little space in my bags, all the better.

The advice on getting some bags was golden though, I'd love to hear some more pearls like that.
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Old 12-02-11 | 05:47 PM
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Originally Posted by hairnet
I feel like an ass when I use my Chrome buckle to open bottles
Me too. Even when I smoked I couldn't do it with a lighter, and I always seem to break the lip of the bottle when I use my keys.
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Old 12-02-11 | 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by markaitch
ok, am glad to have been of assistance...so now how 'bout returning the favor & posting a ride review of that phoenix?
I've been meaning to, but I never have my camera with me when the bike is out. I usually only take it out when I'm on the occasional S24O, and ride my townie (a 1983 Peugeot UO-9, converted to fixed) when I'm running errands or cruising with the wife.

I do enjoy the Phoenix. It's got a Soma Iggy 5-speed wheel, and I replaced the fork with one from a Surly Cross Check. As it sits, it's got a lively ride, perfect for the mostly-flat land we've got around here in south central Kansas. With a front load, it does settle down nicely and tracks well down the road.

I probably wouldn't buy another one though. It's got a really short headtube, which required me to stack up a lot of headset spacers in order to get the bars high enough. The top tube is also quite long, and it's been a real struggle to find a bar/stem combo that doesn't stretch me out too much. When routing the cable for the hub, I discovered that one of the cable guides had a pretty nasty weld. I had to spend at least a half hour with a set of flat files and a dremel so I could get a zip tie in there. Another issue is that it requires a long-reach brake caliper for the rear, but the stock fork needs a shorter reach caliper in front (Tektro R556 is perfect for the rear, but too long for the front). I considered having canti bosses brazed on, but it would have cost as much as the frame.

Still, for $179 shipped from Jenson, it was a pretty good value. When I do upgrade to a full-fledged touring bike (like the Salsa Vaya or Soma Saga), the Phoenix will take over as my commuter.

Last edited by striknein; 12-02-11 at 09:27 PM.
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