To all bike riders out there

[BIG-TARGET]

What Mutitool do you carry, just in case your beloved bicycle decides to smurf the bed??

[Zed]

 In camelbak Cooltool,plus a few extra allen keys  all my bikes have a small saddle bag with 2 tyre levers,innertube,a few patches and glue,spoke key,

[Etherealicer]

Since I heavily rely on my bike I try to be pro-active about it and have a tidy maintenance schedule
Therefore I carry very little:


Safety quick spanner (To remove the wheel)
2 mini tire levers (one with hook)
Sandpaper
Self-sticking patch

[ToolJoe]

I have a basic one. The brand escapes me but it has all of the basic hex keys on it that are needed.

[hiraethus]

I carry a Victorinox Spirit and bit driver with a selection of 1/4" metric hex and torx bits, and a Pedros chain tool/spoke key.  I also keep 2 Schwalbe tyre levers, patch kit, cable ties, duct tape, a few spare screws, some disposable gloves and at least one spare inner tube in my saddle bag.

I'm evidently not as into preventative maintenance as Etherealicer.

[Etherealicer]

I carry a Victorinox Spirit and bit driver with a selection of 1/4" metric hex and torx bits, and a Pedros chain tool/spoke key.  I also keep 2 Schwalbe tyre levers, patch kit, cable ties, duct tape, a few spare screws, some disposable gloves and at least one spare inner tube in my saddle bag.

I'm evidently not as into preventative maintenance as Etherealicer.

First, I adapted that maintenance schedule because the bike is my main mode of transportation (I don't have a drivers licence). Adding to this, fear of theft when leaving my bike at the train-station or a mall makes me carry the kit in my backpack... Also, it kinda would beat the point of having safety spanners at the wheels, when you leave the key to it with the bike

[hiraethus]

Makes a lot of sense.   I drive (too much ) and my bikes are either in the shed, with me riding them or at work in a secure building - so a saddle bag full of stuff is fine.  It's a 20 mile ride to work so I need to ensure that whatever happens I can get there or back home on my own, so carrying a load of tools is fine by me.

[Zed]

I carry a Victorinox Spirit and bit driver with a selection of 1/4" metric hex and torx bits, and a Pedros chain tool/spoke key.  I also keep 2 Schwalbe tyre levers, patch kit, cable ties, duct tape, a few spare screws, some disposable gloves and at least one spare inner tube in my saddle bag.

I'm evidently not as into preventative maintenance as Etherealicer.

First, I adapted that maintenance schedule because the bike is my main mode of transportation (I don't have a drivers licence). Adding to this, fear of theft when leaving my bike at the train-station or a mall makes me carry the kit in my backpack... Also, it kinda would beat the point of having safety spanners at the wheels, when you leave the key to it with the bike

im the same as dont drive,i keep my bikes very well maintained, very rarely i leave them locked anywhere unsafe,so keep basics in my saddlebag and everything else in my backpack,

[Etherealicer]

Makes a lot of sense.   I drive (too much ) and my bikes are either in the shed, with me riding them or at work in a secure building - so a saddle bag full of stuff is fine.  It's a 20 mile ride to work so I need to ensure that whatever happens I can get there or back home on my own, so carrying a load of tools is fine by me.

That is exactly why there is not one solution... to many variables.

My commute is only 2.6km, I can walk that comfortably in less than half an hour.
There are also 3 bus stops in-between and a bike shop.

I accumulate lots of km during the week (more than 100) but its mostly short distances. Also considering the cost of a car here I could go to work by cab and still save money .
Last problem I had was a broken pedal . Nothing even a great kit can fix.

[aerojet]

Topeak Alien - It has everything to service your bike on the road, from all the Allen wrenches to screwdrivers, to a chain breaker to tire levers. If you need to change a spoke on the road, it has the snug fitting nipple wrenches to do that. Best if you do not have some kind of bike bag, either front, rear, or saddle bags, you can toss the thing into one of the back pockets of your cycling jersey. It comes in it's own nice and clean tight case.

[tjfarrington2000]

Wenger biketool would be ideal if I had one, so just a Swisschamp for now


Sent from my outdated communication device using an obsolete application

[anditsgone]

Always carry my regular EDC Swisstool X in the pocket, used the pliers a lot to get the a wheel out or adjust the saddle height, about the flat tires. I always fix that when i am home. whenever i encounter a flat tire i just proceed my way to home and be carefull for curbs and other obstacles 
.

[Smaug]

My bike commute is only 2.5 miles, so I only carry what I would normally have in my courier bag, which is now a Wave with extension and metric allen bits up to 6mm. I'm considering swapping this for the SOG Pocket PowerPlier with a few sockets and a few cheap allen keys.

If I get a flat, I'll just walk the rest of the way, as that will be faster than fixing it. Or if it goes flat while parked, I'll just take the train home.

[Etherealicer]

Topeak Alien - It has everything to service your bike on the road, from all the Allen wrenches to screwdrivers, to a chain breaker to tire levers. If you need to change a spoke on the road, it has the snug fitting nipple wrenches to do that. Best if you do not have some kind of bike bag, either front, rear, or saddle bags, you can toss the thing into one of the back pockets of your cycling jersey. It comes in it's own nice and clean tight case.

The Alien is awesome , which version do you have?

Many problems/breakdowns require materials not just tools to be fixed. A broken spoke cannot be fixed with a spoke wrench, it also needs a spoke. The same goes for a broken pedal, brake cable, flat tire etc. So, any breakdown that requires materials I don't carry, I don't need the tools to fix it either, that at least is my minimalistic approach.
About 5 years ago I had problems with my old bike (The bike is from '81). Spokes were breaking on a weekly base. So, I replaced them all and ever since no more broken spokes.

[BIG-TARGET]

FYI.  If your into the one piece tools.  the
LM Piranha 1 http://www.leatherman.com/piranha-2-344.html
LM Number 5 http://www.leatherman.com/leatherman-5-399.html
LM Mako Ti

they work great on bicycles(at least on my Royce Union 6-speeder

[Smaug]

Many problems/breakdowns require materials not just tools to be fixed. A broken spoke cannot be fixed with a spoke wrench, it also needs a spoke.

Well, remember that the point of carrying tools with oneself on a bike is just to be able to ride home, not necessarily with 100% functionality. So with a good pliers-based MT, one could just cut the spoke off and ride home. Then replace it at one's leisure.

The same goes for a broken pedal, brake cable, flat tire etc. So, any breakdown that requires materials I don't carry, I don't need the tools to fix it either, that at least is my minimalistic approach.

For all those except the flat tire, you could fix well enough to ride slowly home, which is still much faster than walking, right?

About 5 years ago I had problems with my old bike (The bike is from '81). Spokes were breaking on a weekly base. So, I replaced them all and ever since no more broken spokes.

Wow, that's a lot of work! I guess it wasn't realistic to just get new wheels? and also, you must quite like the bike.

[Etherealicer]

About 5 years ago I had problems with my old bike (The bike is from '81). Spokes were breaking on a weekly base. So, I replaced them all and ever since no more broken spokes.

Wow, that's a lot of work! I guess it wasn't realistic to just get new wheels? and also, you must quite like the bike.

It's my baby

Well, there are several problems when replacing the whole wheel... mostly you can't afford chrome rims, replacing the spokes is about 10x cheaper, but also it won't look the same.

Many problems/breakdowns require materials not just tools to be fixed. A broken spoke cannot be fixed with a spoke wrench, it also needs a spoke.

Well, remember that the point of carrying tools with oneself on a bike is just to be able to ride home, not necessarily with 100% functionality. So with a good pliers-based MT, one could just cut the spoke off and ride home. Then replace it at one's leisure.

The same goes for a broken pedal, brake cable, flat tire etc. So, any breakdown that requires materials I don't carry, I don't need the tools to fix it either, that at least is my minimalistic approach.

For all those except the flat tire, you could fix well enough to ride slowly home, which is still much faster than walking, right?

This is exactly my point... loose Allen, so what you still can ride home. Broken spoke, remove it (no tools needed for that), ride home. Broken pedal (who carries replacement), ride home...

I think despite my kit I would go home with a flat and fix it there, although I would push the bike and not ride it. Its great if you can do basic bike repair on the go but its quite messy and frankly often unnecessary. Of course things change if you ride longer distances (at least for fixing a flat).

[lowtech]

Did you already post a pic of your bike? If not, would you mind doing so? I´d like to see your "Baby", I do like old, well ,maintained gear still in use, no matter if it is a tool, a machine or a Bicycle

[aerojet]

:The Alien is awesome , which version do you have?

Many problems/breakdowns require materials not just tools to be fixed. A broken spoke cannot be fixed with a spoke wrench, it also needs a spoke. The same goes for a broken pedal, brake cable, flat tire etc. So, any breakdown that requires materials I don't carry, I don't need the tools to fix it either, that at least is my minimalistic approach.
About 5 years ago I had problems with my old bike (The bike is from '81). Spokes were breaking on a weekly base. So, I replaced them all and ever since no more broken spokes.

The trick here is something I started ages ago, while out "bike camping" -- when you have a full load of almost 50 pounds of tent, cooking gear, sleeping gear, and everything else for self contained touring, if something goes wrong, you have a big problem, or have to call for a sag wagon.

What I did was find out what spokes my Trek used, and bought a half dozen of them and taped them to one of the bottle cages. Three to a side. Now if I break a spoke, I can just replace it from the ones I carry. Another thing is broken brake cables or worse broken shifter cables. This was fixed by carrying a spare cable with both ends in the handle bar bag along with the tire kit. SO If I blow a cable, it is just a matter of pulling the old one out, and stuffing the new one in - depending on which "end" is needed - just trim off the other one and route your cable in, adjust up, and go on your way.

Since my bike has disc brakes on the front, there is no problems. Those are Shimano mechanical not hydraulic type and work well - rear has standard caliper type.

ALSO carry a small piece of old chain if the thing breaks or continues to jump when it is not supposed to. Doesn't take long to sub out a bad link or two and get back on the road.

For road repairs - It should not take over a half hour to fix the thing unless it is pouring out.

Bike touring is fun, and even at my age I still enjoy the weekend outs.

[rdub934]

I keep a Topeak Mini-20 in my saddle pack paired up with a Leatherman Freestyle. You can see my initial impressions on the Mini-20 here:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,57570.msg1040194.html#msg1040194

Thus far, I have only needed to use it for opening beverages, but it has a little bit of everything. Some bike-tools now have an onboard CO2 adapter (opposed to the separate kits you can buy) so that you can use those air pistol cartridges to fill your tires. I'd like to get one (a stand alone) because I've had to pump an empty MTB tire with one of those tiny hand pumps, and it's terrible, lol. So, something to consider.

[AimlessWanderer]

Topeak Ratchet Rocket mounted on the frame
Topeak Hexus II and Juice XE6 in the seat bag

(XE6 may be getting switched out soon, but not yet decided on the replacement)