On-bike toolkit: multitools and multifools.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I find your answer disappointing.  I was imagining some tale of midnight fettling in a Little Chef while lightning flashed, rain lashed, wind howled and thunder rolled beyond the panoramic windows. Or perhaps a tale of passionate encounters with a salad chef. 

[Kim]

* Kim makes a mental note for the next time barakta wants to do ^_SCIENCE on out-of-date condoms...

[Cudzoziemiec]

I find there's a limited amount of stuff likely to be needed for my bikes.

Set of allen keys, but I really only need 3 sizes;
Philips/flat head screw driver
Thorn spanner for eccentric bottom bracket
C-spanner for S & S couplings
Brooks nose bolt spanner
spoke key
tyre levers
puncture repair kit
Topeak Road Morph pump / Zefal HP4 for tandem use
special tyre lever for putting tyres back on again (can't remember what it's called)
sometimes the T20 tool for Rohloff twistgrip / gear cable removal
8/10 mm spanner for mudguard nuts
Swiss army knife

And several of those things are rather specialised - for Rohloff, S&S couplings, a particular BB or saddle - so wouldn't be in a multitool, and also wouldn't be much use to most other riders.

I've just googled to see if they still make Spokey - they do, it's made by Rixen and Kaul no less! But only in two sizes and I've no idea if they fit my spokes. Well, I know the red one is too small, but that doesn't necessarily mean the black one will fit.

[Wowbagger]

Thorn make a multitool with some Rohloff-specific bits. It isn't very well put together though and has ben known just to be a bag full of tools.

[Cudzoziemiec]

The "multitool" I find most useless though is not a cycling one at all; it's the scissors in some Swiss Army knives. Small scissors attached to a much bigger lump of metal and plastic mean they're unwieldy. They're too clumsy to cut eg fingernails and too small to cope with much else. Which is a shame on such a classic piece of toolery. They should make them detachable, like the tweezers and tooth pick.

[Gandalf]

Dont forget a bundle of cable ties. They have saved my bacon many a time, last time was when the mounting clip of my Topeak  saddle wedge bag broke.

[frankly frankie]

I've just googled to see if they still make Spokey - they do, it's made by Rixen and Kaul no less!

It doesn't matter where I sit on the spectrum between 'kitchen sink' and 'spare tube but no levers' - I'd still find room for a spoke key. 
Unfortunately (and I'll be in a minority of one here) I don't think the Spokey is much good - only one step better than the one in your multitool IMO.  The only type worth carrying is the old-fashioned 'uncomfortable' type with the hexagonal-shaped solid metal body - what were they called - nothing else works for me, fortunately I have at least 3 lying around.

[Andrew]

Chain tools aren't only for broken chains, they're for breaking chains too!

Twice, my chaintool has saved the day when a fellow rider's rear mech has broken, requiring removal and chain shortening so to continue the journey as single speed!

[slohill]

Some kind of waterless hand cleaner would seem a good idea

Baby wipes will shift absolutely anything and a couple of those in a little zip seal bag will last months.

It is possible to get individual wrapped germolene or savlon wet wipes. (Might need to be ordered from your local pharmacist but they last for ages)  They are great for wiping up abrasions or for hand cleaning behind a hedge.
I dont use whizz bang tool kits as they are too heavy---but carry a couple of Allen Keys, Chain breaker (very lightweight model, but it will work at least once), Sram powerlink, small piece tyre for lining tyre holes and 2 inner tubes.  Also selection of zip ties and small screw driver (from wifes old sewing machine kit).  Don't use a mini pump as in my experience they are heavy, inefficient, unreliable and expensive.  Use a pump under the crossbar instead which works really well when needed. (can provide an actual 60psi which is enough to keep going through a long ride if necessary)
This kit refined from riding maintenance experience over the years.
Most of this is carried in one bottle cage.

[Charlotte]

I tend to go for latex free gloves over handwipes on the basis that if they're kept in a clean ziplock baggie, their potential usage is extended to include first aid and intimate searches.

[frankly frankie]

Twice, my chaintool has saved the day when a fellow rider's rear mech has broken, requiring removal and chain shortening so to continue the journey as single speed!

But, do you carry stuff mainly in the hope it'll help somebody else out??
I carried a double-ended box spanner (for crank axle bolts) for about 15 years and never used it myself, but lent it out more times than I can count.  And kicked myself for doing it - "just leave it at home next time, you idiot".

Shades of Pete Gifford who famously once produced a spare crank from his saddlebag ...

The Topeak Mini 18+ is a brilliant day-ride multitool by the way.  Almost optimum combination of stuff.  (Though they've missed a trick - it could be a mini-19 with a simple bit of extra machining, doubling the 10mm hex head as an 8mm socket ideal for mudguard bolts.)

[bikenrrd]

I'm slightly amazed by the amount of stuff people take out on their bike with them!  It must be like carrying a small child on your rear rack .

I take:
tyre levers,
1 tube,
self-adhesive patches or slimmed down puncture repair kit (two patches, the sandpaper and the tube o' glue in a bag),
frame fitting pump,
tiny multi-tool (a lezyne one),
chain tool (park tool chain brute - small but still works well)
swiss army knife - the small one that is just a knife

All this fits into the back pocket of a jersey*, leaving the other pocket free for snacks.  I think I'll add the spokey next time I'm out but I've never broken a spoke. (cursed myself now).
*apart from the pump, obviously.

[Andrew]

Twice, my chaintool has saved the day when a fellow rider's rear mech has broken, requiring removal and chain shortening so to continue the journey as single speed!

But, do you carry stuff mainly in the hope it'll help somebody else out??

No. I carry stuff for me.

[Kim]

But, do you carry stuff mainly in the hope it'll help somebody else out??
I carried a double-ended box spanner (for crank axle bolts) for about 15 years and never used it myself, but lent it out more times than I can count.  And kicked myself for doing it - "just leave it at home next time, you idiot".

Depends on the ride.  On overnight group rides having the right tool to solve someone else's mechanical means I spend less time standing around being cold, which is still of benefit to me.  If it's a social ride with cycling newbies, then being able to sort mechanicals simply and efficiently is another form of encouragement.

If I'm touring or going to the shops (or - god forbid - audaxing) then I carry tools so that I don't end up miles from where I want to be with a broken bike that I could otherwise have fixed and no other reasonable bail-out plan.  If I have time I might lend them to someone in need, but that's not why I'd have them.

I can't simply phone for a car-based rescue, and I'm not good at walking long distances, so carrying tools is generally worth it.

[MrToad]

In my touring days I always took some garden wire.  I suppose cable ties are the modern equivalent.  We used to come back from tours with our bikes and bags held together with the stuff.

I did once break a chain (probably my fault for not fitting it properly) somewhere in Pembrokeshire.  I slogged up to a farm to borrow a hammer and nail punch, instead he gave me a cup of tea and then a ride on the trailer behind his tractor to the nearest garage.  If I'd had a chain tool with me I would never have got to ride on the trailer, and my life would have been poorer for it.

[Paul Metcalfe]

- Multi tool (with chain tool and spoke key built in)
- a few pairs of Latex gloves
- 2 tubes
- Repair kit.
- Some Duck Tape wrapped around a small dowel.
- Chain "power link"

On a longer ride, say over 200km, I'll carry baby Wipes and cable ties as well.

Duck Tape and Cable ties can fix a lot of problems.

[MrToad]

Duck Tape and Cable ties can fix a lot of problems.

The Finns call it Jeesuteippi (Jesus Tape) because it works miracles.

[Doosh]

As well as the usual stuff I carry a few spare M4 and M5 bolts plus various tie wraps, their weight to usefulness ratio is off the scale.

[TimO]

Depending on the ride I may carry more tools, but by "normal" minimal set (and what I'm carrying today, in a Carradice Barley on the back of Red) is:

Mini-pump
Three CO₂ cartridges.
CO₂ inflator
Two inner tubes
Topeak Alien II mult-tool (26 tools in 1 !)
5" adjustable spanner
Leatherman Skeletool CX
Kevlar spoke
Park Boot
Two Michelin tyre levers
A VAR tool
A small Tip-Top repair kit
A couple of toestraps
A random selection of cable ties
A 6mm, 5mm, 4mm and 3mm ball ended Allen keys (the 6mm and 3mm are unusual for me, but I just fitted the Bagman with them)
A spokey
A small set of nuts, bolts and washers (mostly M5, but normally also a set of old SPD bolts)

When out with others (and carrying a pannier) I have also carried more inner tubes of various sizes, a complete set of Allen keys (1.5mm to 10mm iirc), proper straight and crosshead screwdrivers, a large adjustable spanner, a spare tyre.

I often carry "proper" 5mm and 4mm ball ended Allen keys, because whilst there are such sizes on the multi-tool, often it's much easier to use the proper tools, and 4mm and 5mm cover the vast majority of cases (the multi-tool can be difficult to get into certain locations because of it's relative bulk).

I've used most of those tools (although not all of the bits of the Alien II), although probably more on other people bikes than my own!

I've never in my life broken a chain! I understand it does happen sometimes to fixie riders, but unless you're doing a tour of chain-wearing length, I can't see the need.
Spokey - you mean one of those lightweight plastic ones? ...

I've broken a couple of chains, and needed the tool to remove damaged links and remake the chain.  Even with a quick-link of some species, I would have need the tool to remove the bent and borked links.

Several times I've used Spokeys to tweaks spokes to compensate for a broken spokes, or just on a badly maintained bike!

I've found rubber gloves to be a nuisance when trying to handle small or fiddly parts, and the easiest solution to black hands, is to make sure that you wear black shorts, so have somewhere inconspicuous to wipe your hands!

I'll also carry a 15mm laser stubby spanner when on one of the single-speed bikes, because that's much easier to use than an adjustable, and doesn't risk rounding off the heads.

[Arch]

Duck Tape and Cable ties can fix a lot of problems.

The Finns call it Jeesuteippi (Jesus Tape) because it works miracles.

Why is Gaffer tape like The Force?

Because it has a light side and a dark side and it holds the universe together...

While you're filching mayonnaise sachets, see if there are any of vinegar - it neutralises wasp and nettle stings.

(It's ammonia for bees. Wee on it).  Remember by A for B, V for W.

[Kim]

Fresh urine doesn't contain ammonia.  You have to leave it lying around for a while for the urea to break down.

[plum]

So pee in a bottle and carry that about? Should mature nicely rattling around in a dark damp saddlebag.

[Cudzoziemiec]

So pee in a bottle and carry that about? Should mature nicely rattling around in a dark damp saddlebag.

I'm sure there must be someone who does that!

Oh dear. I have added to my tool kit today: spoke key (this means I now have three spoke keys - one plastic Spokey which doesn't fit my spokes, one multi-size lump of iron, and one just the right size) and baby wipes in a sealed plastic bag. The rest of them are shut up in an old ice cream box. I only eat ice cream to get plastic boxes, you know.

Cable ties would have been useful on Saturday.

But all these tools and sensibleness are making things a bit heavy. I need some antidote. Helium? Carbon race bike? Ferrari, private tropical island and a bevy of Bond girls? Maybe some cake.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Twice, my chaintool has saved the day when a fellow rider's rear mech has broken, requiring removal and chain shortening so to continue the journey as single speed!

But, do you carry stuff mainly in the hope it'll help somebody else out??
I carried a double-ended box spanner (for crank axle bolts) for about 15 years and never used it myself, but lent it out more times than I can count.  And kicked myself for doing it - "just leave it at home next time, you idiot".

Shades of Pete Gifford who famously once produced a spare crank from his saddlebag ...

The Topeak Mini 18+ is a brilliant day-ride multitool by the way.  Almost optimum combination of stuff.  (Though they've missed a trick - it could be a mini-19 with a simple bit of extra machining, doubling the 10mm hex head as an 8mm socket ideal for mudguard bolts.)

I do know someone who often carries a track pump in a pannier...

The Topeak 18 does look like a great tool if you're leading a ride, say, and want to have something for all cases, but I think there'll be a lot of superfluity otherwise. My mudguard bolts are allen keys! And a bottle opener... ? Well, by analogy with the corkscrew in the Swiss Army knife, why not?

[Canardly]

I find there's a limited amount of stuff likely to be needed for my bikes.

special tyre lever for putting tyres back on again (can't remember what it's called)

VAR priceless