The other night some helpful little scamps opened my toolkit top tube bag while I was eating dinner in town and buggered off with a load of my kit.

I've got replacements for most of it but I'm in the market for a new multi-tool and a leatherman type thing and hoping you lot can throw some good ideas my way - GO!!!!!

Multi-tool needs to do most of the usual things and sit in a nice middle ground being not too minimalist but equally not too kitchen sinky.

Leatherman needs to enable more trailside repairs so not too minimalist (or expensive ideally).

Any/all ideas appreciated.....

My longterm fave is one of the Topeak Pro tools. I've a couple - maybe an 18 and a 20, I'd need to check. They appear not to be made of cheese and are easy to use. The only thing that I have limited faith in are the tyre levers.

PB Swiss Bike Tool + Park Tool CT-5
Victorinox Swisstool Spirit

I could never see the point in stuff like Leatherman tools, for me it's a Crank Bros 17, small Knipex pliers wrench and tyre levers.

I'm confident the multi tool will loosen or tighten every nut and bolt on the bike, split a chain and I've even built a wheel with it just to test it. The Knipex pliers wrench thing will fit nuts and bolts the Crank Bros tool won't, tweak a disc back into shape, split a quick link on a chain, a very useful thing although a little on the pricey side. Google Knipex 86 03 125 and you'll find it.

I have a topeak hexus multitool and it has everything I need to strip and rebuild my bike, except bottom bracket tool (but the chances of needing that outside a workshop are zero). Plus a £5 pair of folding pliers from a garage. The blade is rubbish but they undo stubborn valves and things, and have a nifty torch that I've never used.

Cheapish kit also means it isn't a disaster if it gets nicked.

Leatherman Squirt. If you grind down the pliers a little bit they fit inside a chain so you can use it to split a master/quick link.

I just work out what Allen keys I need for the bike, usually just 3, 4 & 5mm, and take them. I'll also take a T25 for rotor bolts. I've a small Topeak chain tool for when I ever need to split a chain.

I switched to a Topeak ratchet rocket a while back, I’ve found it to be a massive improvement on a standard multi tool - they do various versions but this one also comes with a chain breaker:



https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Topeak-Ratchet ... 224627.htm

I’ve ditched the tyre levers which means I can now fit my leatherman squirt in the case where they would have been stored.

I use theses tyre levers instead which are much sturdier and also double up as quick link pliers (they fit in the Topeak case with a velcro strap to hold them in place)



https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Granite-Talon- ... 237951.htm

Topeak Mini20 for me. Replaced an alien which was good but a lump. The mini 20 can tighten / undo anything on the bike barring the BB. Also carry a leatherman squirt as it's handy having a blade, scissors and and pliers/ wirecutters. If the BB came loose the leatherman plus a rock will tighten it again!

Topeak Ratchet Rocket and a Leatherman Crunch.
The Topeak is the older version in a little plastic box, has all the Allen key bits you'd need, chain tool and tyre levers, and the plastic box clips to a bracket on my frame.
The Leatherman Crunch has locking pliers, which is pretty much the only reason to get it, but it's a very very good reason.

I’ve got a tiny mini leatherman. Whilst a lot of the tools are duplicated, it does have some pliers (that are pretty sturdy) which you tend not to get on a multi tool

Edit - it’s the leatherman squirt

I like my Full Windsor Nutter , but see it's been updated to this https://full-windsor.co.uk/collections/ ... multi-tool

That tool ^^^^^^^^^^^does look lovely but case almost as heavy as the tool!

How often and what for do you people use plyers on the trail?

i dont carry any and just wandering if i am over looking something

Lazarus wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:34 am That tool ^^^^^^^^^^^does look lovely but case almost as heavy as the tool!

How often and what for do you people use plyers on the trail?

i dont carry any and just wandering if i am over looking something

I have used pliers for pulling thorns out of tyres (several times), straightening a mech hammer (on a couple of occasions), truing a disc rotor (once, from memory). Also used for pulling nylon ties tight, bending fence wire and once as a pot grab.

Sorry, no help with recommendations. I totally get the usefulness of leatherman style tools in general, but specifically for bike use they seem to be of limited use. I've never used pliers or a knife to work on the bike (maybe snipping cable ties?), so there's quite a few fairly redundant bits on there for me. I know people have them for off bike use, but i'd have thought a decent knife covered lots of bases?

I'm all for trying to keep most things on the bike the whole time, so have a topeak ninja with multi-tool and tyre levers (not sure the levers are really strong enough though), and tubeless worms + spike stashed away. Only thing not covered is link pliers or chain tool, which I just pack. I do think a good bike multi-tool is hard to beat, and as long as it doesn't fall apart, bend, or rust, then any will do. I have to say I just don't get the practicality of carrying small bits for a driver like some newer tools seem to focus on, I just think it'd be easy to drop the bits and lose them, and combined with some of the methods of stashing some versions, they're altogether more fiddly to access and put together?

Lazarus wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:34 am That tool ^^^^^^^^^^^does look lovely but case almost as heavy as the tool!

The case on mine is 53g, but as I'm a bit of a porker at 14.5st , I don't worry too much about 53g.

I carry a shoe lace for splitting quick links, works perfectly every time, just make sure it’s nice and thin. I bought a pair of red ones too, so I could spot them in the frame bag, ones for brogue type shoes work well.

(Also had a pair filed down, cheap multi tool plies at one point. Which did work on about the 8th attempt and a lost set of knuckles)

Juts use the spare gear cable you are carrying then you save the weight of the lace

i use some wolf tooth plyers so my weight hit is even greater

Nah, you don't even need that!

Lift the quicklink off the chainring like this...



Then give it a tap with something solid, pops open no problem.

Edit: you need to put something on the roller before tapping it so you push on that rather than the rollers. Anything suitably narrow and made of metal will do.

Spent a little while redoing my toolkit recently. Have loads of different multitools, of different shapes and sizes, some attached to different bikes

But, like someone posted above, I’ve settled on a Topeak Ratchet Rocket DX+, the one with the chain breaker. Combined with a set of wolf tooth pack pliers for chain links (fit in with the Topeak set) plus a leatherman bond multitool. Usually its just the pliers used for things but the knife is handy too for trips. I usually take the same tool kit for local trips and bikepacking trips so it’s all in one place.

Leatherman Squirts and Juices are no longer made. You might still be able to purchase them from retailers if they have old stock but not direct from Leatherman. Any warranty replacements result in a different product

whitestone wrote: ↑Wed Aug 31, 2022 9:15 am Nah, you don't even need that!

Lift the quicklink off the chainring like this...



Then give it a tap with something solid, pops open no problem.

Very clever. Thanks very much Bob...

benp1 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 31, 2022 10:06 am Spent a little while redoing my toolkit recently. Have loads of different multitools, of different shapes and sizes, some attached to different bikes

But, like someone posted above, I’ve settled on a Topeak Ratchet Rocket DX+, the one with the chain breaker. Combined with a set of wolf tooth pack pliers for chain links (fit in with the Topeak set) plus a leatherman bond multitool. Usually its just the pliers used for things but the knife is handy too for trips. I usually take the same tool kit for local trips and bikepacking trips so it’s all in one place.

Leatherman Squirts and Juices are no longer made. You might still be able to purchase them from retailers if they have old stock but not direct from Leatherman. Any warranty replacements result in a different product

Still showing as available to buy on their US website:

https://www.leatherman.com/squirt-ps4-22.html

Ok, thanks muchly everyone!!!

I thought I'd already replied but apparently not...

No definitive decisions made yet but at least I've more got one whole metric crap-ton of additional possibilities to consider

But seriously, lots of nice ideas but I must admit I'm still leaning towards pretty much replaces like for like what I had before.

Keep 'em coming.....

rudedog wrote: ↑Wed Aug 31, 2022 3:39 pm

benp1 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 31, 2022 10:06 am Spent a little while redoing my toolkit recently. Have loads of different multitools, of different shapes and sizes, some attached to different bikes

But, like someone posted above, I’ve settled on a Topeak Ratchet Rocket DX+, the one with the chain breaker. Combined with a set of wolf tooth pack pliers for chain links (fit in with the Topeak set) plus a leatherman bond multitool. Usually its just the pliers used for things but the knife is handy too for trips. I usually take the same tool kit for local trips and bikepacking trips so it’s all in one place.

Leatherman Squirts and Juices are no longer made. You might still be able to purchase them from retailers if they have old stock but not direct from Leatherman. Any warranty replacements result in a different product

Still showing as available to buy on their US website:

https://www.leatherman.com/squirt-ps4-22.html

Not here though. I spoke to them about it because my PS4 broke and I wanted a replacement, but none available. The standard replacement for it is a Micra. I have about 8 different leathermans, thought the squirt range was very good. Juice was ok too. Bond is a bit like the original PST type, non locking blade so great for UK carry without any worries, even though it's unlikely to ever be a problem

topeak alien. just perfect.

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/172-ALiEN-II

Topeak Alien for me too. Bit heavy bit bulky but never fails and has all the bits needed. Plus a Leatherbloke Squirt which has pliers and a knife and a few other tools I've used over the years, included cutting and filing my toe nails, as you do. And a set of BIG tyre levers. Just in case.