5/30/15 8:07 AM

Thanks to all those who months ago recommended I go with a 29'er for my new mountain bike. I've got a few miles on it and think the 29" wheels are a significant improvement.

I'm looking for a multitool, since simply having one in the saddlebag prevents problems. My other bikes all have multitools and they've never been needed, since the only issues I've had have been flat tires or something so catastrophic as to make road or trail side repairs impractical.

The multitools I currently carry are all inexpensive units of questionable quality - gifts from well meaning people for my birthday or Christmas. I thought I'd look for a good one to offer an extra smidgen of protection. Any recommendations?

5/30/15 9:03 AM

I still carry the same Alien when off piste I have had for 15+ years. I dunno if there is a lighter choice these days, as it is a chunky monkey. But having a chain tool with you when your drive train gets long in the tooth alone is worth the price of admission IMO

5/30/15 9:47 AM

Rather than which model, which I'm not all that up to date, I'll mention what I used them for so far

- flat tire (not actually part of the multi-tool)
- chain tool (when the derailleur picks up "friends" from the trail. Had to make a single speed to get home once)
- allen key (when handlebar and/or briffer got turned by hitting tree/crash)
- spoke wrench (after a "friend" broke one of the spoke & I had to tighten up the nearby few to keep the wheel straight)

Newer toolalso includes a new piece for the disc brake (o. Was it for the fork). But I have never needed it so can't say.

5/30/15 10:07 AM

April's task oriented tact good idea. Something to unbend a disc as a task not withstanding. Also something to tape off the loose end of a broken spoke, not really a tool per day...

Having a chain tool with me would have mitigated a SAG bail from Elaine a few years back 25 miles from home.. So much for not taking the multi-tool on road rides. ;)

5/30/15 4:17 PM

Other than tire stuff, the only thing I always carry are 4, 5 and 6 Allen keys. Sometimes I have a spoke tool but I need one about once a decade. I don't carry a chain tool, in 43 years of riding I've had a chain come apart once, and that was because it was an early 8 speed I was unfamiliar with, and hadn't got it back together properly. I don't do gnarly single track. YMMV

And take counsel from Natch, of course:

https://www.changingworld.com/postcards/cartoons/mr-natural-get-the-right-tool-for-the-job-postcard.html

5/30/15 8:55 PM

My experience, for riding single track, a spoke wrench is a must!

I've had several wheel out of true incidents on the back woods. It's more often a result of crash (bike, not rider) on rocks. It would suck big time to try to climb with a wheel rubbing the brake (even with the brake fully open).

Just last year, I was leading a group on a ride in Minnewaska (carriage roads). We saw a sweet section of single track and decided to take a "short cut". Long story short, one of the rider crashed. Rider was unharmed. But one of the front spoke was bend when she lay the bike down "not-so-gently". Spoke wrench made short work of the damage. We continued on 5 minutes later.

Another incident that required the spoke wrench was when my friend's car's rack failed, dropping all 3 bikes on the road! Since we were only 5 minutes to our destination that's an hour from home. We threw the bikes back on, bungied the heck out of the rack and continued to the ride start. All 6 wheels were bend, to different degrees. But 10-15 minutes later, we were all good to ride with the rest of the group! (that included some derailleur and brake adjustments too)

I wish the human body is as easy to repair as the bikes!

5/31/15 9:47 AM

I also carry at least one connecting link. The issue isn't chain failures, it's junk flipping up into the rear derailleur and snapping it off. I've had to deal with this situation twice, both on other people's bikes. A chain tool and connecting link allows you to turn the bike into a single speed. Without it, you're a pedestrian. I have had one case of a twisted chain on my 'cross bike that required the chain tool (mine are built into multi-tools).

Other than that, I've used a variety of Allen wrenches for a variety of chores from loosing set screws (1.5mm) to tightening pedals (8mm). Tire irons don't get used much, but I always have a pair with me. I usually throw a presta valve adapter in my tool bag, though I carry a small pump, too. If you need them, reading glasses are indispensable for doing repairs. A tube and a patch kit (in case of multiple flats) completes the package.

I carry the same tools on the road, just with different size tubes.

Last edited by Brian Nystrom on 6/1/15 5:33 AM; edited 2 times in total

5/31/15 10:00 AM

And some sort of boot material, even if making sure there is a bill, as in paper money for one...

+1 link, tire irons [especially with the newer tubeless rims],

I even carry a new tire when the rear road tire gets the obvious flat center. If I should flat, new tube and tire go on...
If the old one does not flat I keep it on until it does. And it will before chord shows every time. ;)

We also used to have 2 tires with on the epic MTN ride deep in. Agree on having two of the group carry. Walking a torn tire 15 miles out of the woods is a little time consuming....

5/31/15 7:11 PM

The lightest, smallest, cheapest and strongest multitool I know of is Park's MT-1 "dogbone" tool. It's about 4-1/2" long, 1-1/2" wide and weighs 40 grams.

It has 3,4,5,6 and 8 mm allen keys, 8,9 and 10 mm boxes and a small flat blade screwdriver. The larger hexes are positioned to allow good leverage.

It and a small chain tool should handle nearly any mechanical fix that can be done at roadside.

6/1/15 5:35 AM

I carry those too. I peel the tread off of old tubulars and use the casings to make boots.

6/6/15 8:31 AM

I went with the Park MTB-3.2. See:

http://www.parktool.com/product/premium-rescue-tool-MTB-3-2

At 9 ozs. its weight is non-trivial. However, given I would want the following at a minimum: a couple of tire levers, a chain tool, several assorted allen keys or a hex set, and a spoke wrench, the weight difference would probably not be more than a couple of ounces. I gain a number of other tools, even if their usefulness is somewhat compromised by the compact form factor. (It includes a pedal wrench and I can't imagine how they expect you to get the needed leverage.)

6/6/15 10:22 AM

Tape the connecting pin to the frame with extra electrical tape. The tape comes in handy too. And wrap some duct tape around a stay or some other part of your bike, this can be used for lots of things including a tire boot but will also hold a water bottle bolt in place in the too big hole of your brake lever if the main pivot bolt rattles loose and falls out etc.

That Park tool looks good. I like that it has a knife on it, and that it comes apart so it's not a big cumbersome thing.

Pretty sure the pedal wrench isn't about taking the pedals off, but rather for snugging them up should you have a pedal unwind, though most pedals have an allen wrench spot on the back side, so...

Speaking of "being prepared", I'm surprised how many people don't carry a basic first aid kit with them on the trail.

6/6/15 10:41 AM

Regardless of the multi-tool or individual tools, I carry a tube, tube patch kit and a scrap of Tyvek for a boot. I scrounged the Tyvek from a construction site and you'd be hard pressed to find anything lighter or stronger.

Craig - I'll admit I hadn't thought of a first aid kit. I'll have to consider how small/light I could make a useful kit. But while we cyclists always at risk, balancing dangerously as we do on two wheels, the overwhelming majority of my riding is under relatively safe conditions, like rail trail riding at non-race speeds.

6/6/15 10:54 AM

RE first aid kit; I was thinking more about mountain biking in more aggressive terrain. I had a good friend die 3 years ago on the trail. A first aid kit wouldn't have helped him, but the extremes remind you there's lots of things in between that can be treated trail side. I don't have a first aid kit on my road bike, but I have one in my Camel Back for trail side. Based on the riding you describe you probably don't need one either.

6/7/15 8:01 AM

@pat. That thing weighs over half a pound!

I will say that consistent maintenance goes a long way at preventing ride stopping breaks. I have been lucky enough to be stranded once MTB riding and once walking home on a road bike ride. A chain and double flat.

6/7/15 8:10 AM

I had a close call recently and your post reminded me to add a kit to my off-road pack. I had just finished removing a lot of deadfall on a trail with my favorite Silky "Big Boy" saw. As I folded it to put it away, the last tooth sliced through my glove and into the base of my thumb. Luckily, I was able to press it against the grip to stem the bleeding as I rode home. It turned out to not be as bad as it looked when it happened, but it could easily have been much worse.

I've had a small first aid kit sitting on my bench looking for a home...now it has one, right next to the Kevlar gloves. ;-)