Bike Multitools

Walter Mitty said:

I have a topeak Alien : but boy its heavy.

Theres also a problem : the Hex Keys don't have a "L" shape end - they are useless to attack any
allen bolts which are even slightly obscured.

Does anyone know of a multitool which has this feature?

Even though I actually get a substantial discount on multi tools, I've gone to loose tools in a
small zipper bag. Since each one of my bikes has an individualized seat pack with the proper tube,
tools, Ty-wraps, chain links & pins, CO2, a rag, and surgical gloves, I know exactly what I could
possibly need.

I toss in tire levers, hex keys for only the fasteners on the bike, a small chain tool, a small
screwdriver, and a 3-way spoke wrench. Some mountain bikes get a Torx driver as well The rest of
the tools on a multi tool simply get in the way for me. This method isn't really more expensive
than a decent multi tool, and the tools are better.

Barry

I really like the Topeak Power 21 (or 16, virtually the same thing) -- essentially two pieces with
Allen keys, wrenches, screwdriver, spoke wrench, even a usuable chain tool. You can interlock the
two parts to get more leverage, if needed. Lighter and more functional than any folding tool I've
seen. Not sure if they're still manufactured but you can find 'em on Ebay.

Mike Yankee

(Address is munged to thwart spammers. To reply, delete everything after "com".)

Walter Mitty <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a topeak Alien : but boy its heavy.

Theres also a problem : the Hex Keys don't have a "L" shape end - they are useless to attack any
allen bolts which are even slightly obscured.

Does anyone know of a multitool which has this feature?

Hi, I use a Crank Brothers Micro-17 Multi-Tool. It is light in weight, very useful, but no "L"
shaped hex keys. I can't think of one bolt on my bike that this tool won't reach. What bolts are you
having trouble getting at?

Life is Good! Jeff

Walter Mitty <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a topeak Alien : but boy its heavy.

Theres also a problem : the Hex Keys don't have a "L" shape end - they are useless to attack any
allen bolts which are even slightly obscured.

Does anyone know of a multitool which has this feature?

Hi, me again;-) It dawned on me, that the Crank Brothers Micra 17 Tool's wrenches are short enough
in length that with the handle, they do form a "L". Take a look:
nashbar.comprofile moreimages.cfmOpen ↗

Life is Good! Jeff

Walter Mitty said:

I have a topeak Alien : but boy its heavy.

Theres also a problem : the Hex Keys don't have a "L" shape end - they are useless to attack any
allen bolts which are even slightly obscured.

I like the Topeak Toolbar - a lightweight thing of beauty. Reaches all the bolts on my bikes I want
except a few rarely-used ones (such as Ergo levers) - for which I carry a regular 5mm hex key.
Standard or long 1/4" bits fit the head in addition to the short ones supplied to extend reach. I
carry a separate chain tool: Topeak replacement Alien chain head with home-made handle: 35 grams!
All this lot is substantially lighter than the Alien - although the Toolbar does not have any ring
or box wrenches or any fancy extras. 1/4" sockets can be used, however.

www.topeak.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/shophome.html?E+scstore

(Standard bits can be cut down to enable them to be stored inside the tool. Philips #2 is good to
have in addition to the #1).

~PB

Jeff Starr said:

Hi, I use a Crank Brothers Micro-17 Multi-Tool. It is light in weight, very useful, but no "L"
shaped hex keys. I can't think of one bolt on my bike that this tool won't reach. What bolts are
you having trouble getting at?

I just received one of those (for Valentine's Day - SWMBO knows me well), which is mainly nice
because it replaces a loose bag of tools for me. I like it because it should cover anything I need.

But, it doesn't cover the one tool I needed to help a lady with a flat. She had bolt on axles and a
cut in her tube that was too large to patch. Does anyone know of a light 15mm tool I could carry
for situations like this? I would probably pick up one for my mother also (she has an old Raleigh
three speed).

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g "Are you sure you're not an encyclopedia
salesman?" "No, Ma'am. Just a burglar, come to ransack the flat." -- Monty Python

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 20:49:50 GMT, Dane Jackson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

But, it doesn't cover the one tool I needed to help a lady with a flat. She had bolt on axles and a
cut in her tube that was too large to patch. Does anyone know of a light 15mm tool I could carry
for situations like this? I would probably pick up one for my mother also (she has an old Raleigh
three speed).

I have an old "Bike wrench" from a department store back in the 1980s. It is thin (good pedals),
includes a 15mm wrench (among other items), and on the other end has a cool one-size-fits-all wrench
whose design I've never seen elsewhere.

I don't think they're made anymore. If I could find it, I'd probably buy one or two more.

members.cox.netWrench.jpgOpen ↗
--
Rick Onanian

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Walter Mitty
I have a topeak Alien : but boy its heavy.

Theres also a problem : the Hex Keys don't have a "L" shape end - they are useless to attack any
allen bolts which are even slightly obscured.

Does anyone know of a multitool which has this feature?

I use the Park MT-1 Multi-Tool. It has the following: 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 8mm hex wrenches; 8mm, 9mm, and 10mm socket wrenches, and a small standard screwdriver.

Quoted message said:

Jeff Starr said:

Hi, I use a Crank Brothers Micro-17 Multi-Tool. It is light in weight, very useful, but no "L"
shaped hex keys. I can't think of one bolt on my bike that this tool won't reach. What bolts are
you having trouble getting at?

Dane Jackson said:

I just received one of those (for Valentine's Day - SWMBO knows me well), which is mainly
nice because it replaces a loose bag of tools for me. I like it because it should cover
anything I need.

But, it doesn't cover the one tool I needed to help a lady with a flat. She had bolt on axles and
a cut in her tube that was too large to patch. Does anyone know of a light 15mm tool I could carry
for situations like this? I would probably pick up one for my mother also (she has an old Raleigh
three speed).

yellowjersey.orgPNUTWNCH.JPGOpen ↗

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Walter Mitty said:

Does anyone know of a multitool which has this feature?

I use a Cool Tool. Well made and the large Allens are L shaped.

There's also enough room in its pouch for a pair of tyre levers and a small Allen for the
brake wires.
--
Smert' spamionam

"MikeYankee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I really like the Topeak Power 21 (or 16, virtually the same thing) -- essentially two pieces with
Allen keys, wrenches, screwdriver, spoke wrench, even a usuable chain tool. You can interlock the
two parts to get more leverage, if needed. Lighter and more functional than any folding tool

I've

Quoted message said:

seen. Not sure if they're still manufactured but you can find 'em on Ebay.

I like this one also, unfortunately mine snapped, most of these multi-tools seem to be made of
pretty weak alloys.

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Dane Jackson said:

But, it doesn't cover the one tool I needed to help a lady with a flat. She had bolt on axles and
a cut in her tube that was too large to patch. Does anyone know of a light 15mm tool I could
carry for situations like this? I would probably pick up one for my mother also (she has an old
Raleigh three speed).

I have an old "Bike wrench" from a department store back in the 1980s. It is thin (good pedals),
includes a 15mm wrench (among other items), and on the other end has a cool one-size-fits-all
wrench whose design I've never seen elsewhere.

I don't think they're made anymore. If I could find it, I'd probably buy one or two more.

members.cox.netWrench.jpgOpen ↗

Dear Rick,

I have two or three like yours, except that they have closed ratchet ends. The 15mm is nice, but I
now realize that I never used the rest of the wrench. Still, you've driven me mad because I can't
find them, either--maybe a patent problem, or just a marketing drive toward more exotic jack-knife
multi-tools?

Carl Fogel

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> brightened my day with his
incisive wit when in "]news:[email hidden] he
conjectured that:

Quoted message said:

www.topeak.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/shophome.html?E+scstore

Nice looking tool!

Walter Mitty said:

Nice looking tool!

Family newsgroup, buddy.

Bill "watchdog" S.

On 21 Feb 2004 17:38:45 -0800, [email hidden] (Carl Fogel)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

members.cox.netWrench.jpgOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

I have two or three like yours, except that they have closed ratchet ends. The 15mm is nice, but

Cool! Mine doesn't ratchet.

I do have a few sets of box-end ratcheting wrenches for that purpose, though. I love those. 😉

Quoted message said:

I now realize that I never used the rest of the

I used the universal-size end a lot, and the very small wrench holes got used a few times.

Quoted message said:

wrench. Still, you've driven me mad because I can't find them, either--maybe a patent problem, or
just a marketing drive toward more exotic jack-knife multi-tools?

Maybe the company that made them went under and nobody cared. It's well made, though; while thin, it
has handles _lots_ of force for axle nuts and pedals.
--
Rick Onanian

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have a topeak Alien : but boy its heavy. Theres also a problem : the Hex Keys don't have a "L"
shape end - they are useless to attack any allen bolts which are even slightly obscured. Does
anyone know of a multitool which has this feature?

There are only about 4 sizes of allen keys used on my bike, so I just carry the 4 allen keys
in my pouch.
------------
Alex

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

(Carl Fogel) said:

Quoted message said:

members.cox.netWrench.jpgOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

I have two or three like yours, except that they have closed ratchet ends. The 15mm is nice, but

Cool! Mine doesn't ratchet.

I do have a few sets of box-end ratcheting wrenches for that purpose, though. I love those. 😉

Quoted message said:

I now realize that I never used the rest of the

I used the universal-size end a lot, and the very small wrench holes got used a few times.

Quoted message said:

wrench. Still, you've driven me mad because I can't find them, either--maybe a patent problem, or
just a marketing drive toward more exotic jack-knife multi-tools?

Maybe the company that made them went under and nobody cared. It's well made, though; while thin,
it has handles _lots_ of force for axle nuts and pedals.

Dear Rick,

Found it!

pc-tool.com.twwrench.htmOpen ↗

It's "bike wrench 8-15mm w-113" on this slow page. Hit stop after the text appears and then right-
click the picture for w-113 and click show-picture, and there your wrench is, in all its glory. The
company is in Taiwan, but I don't care--now I can sleep at night.

Carl Fogel

Carl Fogel said:

now I can sleep at night.

Considering the time stamps that I see on your posts, I don't think you *do* sleep at night.

Dave dvt at psu dot edu

dvt <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Carl Fogel said:

now I can sleep at night.

Considering the time stamps that I see on your posts, I don't think you *do* sleep at night.

Dave dvt at psu dot edu

Dear Dave,

Gentlemen do not read each other's time stamps. We will therefore disband PSU.

Henry L. Stimson, 11:42pm