Talk to me about multitools – what do you carry?

[jlok]

PB Swiss "PB 470 Bike Tool"
Not sure about the weight but the quality is really good. I'm using different tire levers though.

How do you deal with the rusting of the bits?

[jayjay]

PB Swiss "PB 470 Bike Tool"
Not sure about the weight but the quality is really good. I'm using different tire levers though.
https://static.pbswisstools.com/fileadm ... f6108b.jpg

How do you deal with the rusting of the bits?

The bits still look brand new.
But I always have my tools in a small plastic bag inside the frame bag. Maybe this helped.

[pushpush]

A cannondale 18-1 arrived in my mailbox today. I want to throw all my other multitools in the trash now.

[6fu]

A cannondale 18-1 arrived in my mailbox today. I want to throw all my other multitools in the trash now.

Looks great. Just can't seem to find one to order in EU...

[Britishedgehog]

PB Swiss "PB 470 Bike Tool"
Not sure about the weight but the quality is really good. I'm using different tire levers though.

How do you deal with the rusting of the bits?

I have used various PB Swiss tools for years and never experienced any rusting. In general, PB Swiss stuff is the highest quality I've used for hand tools.

The bits are easily replaceable (like any brand's bits).

[gurk700]

Honestly I'm at a point where I might even leave the most minimalist toolset I've been carrying for the last couple years home.

I think in 10 years of riding I've needed a toolset (outside of 1 allen wrench to take off thru axles in case of flat) once. And now, not even that cause my flats just get sealed by sealant.

So Pretty much dynaplug, co2, inflator and a 10 dollar bill in case there's no apple pay if I need to get food or water in a gas station (which is also very rare)

[froze]

Honestly I'm at a point where I might even leave the most minimalist toolset I've been carrying for the last couple years home.

I think in 10 years of riding I've needed a toolset (outside of 1 allen wrench to take off thru axles in case of flat) once. And now, not even that cause my flats just get sealed by sealant.

So Pretty much dynaplug, co2, inflator and a 10 dollar bill in case there's no apple pay if I need to get food or water in a gas station (which is also very rare)

And the moment you decide to leave your stuff at home, something happens, they used to call that Murphy's Law.

[jlok]

PB Swiss "PB 470 Bike Tool"
Not sure about the weight but the quality is really good. I'm using different tire levers though.

How do you deal with the rusting of the bits?

I have used various PB Swiss tools for years and never experienced any rusting. In general, PB Swiss stuff is the highest quality I've used for hand tools.

The bits are easily replaceable (like any brand's bits).

I got two sets of PB470 and the bits rusted. The hex keys are fine tho.

[gurk700]

Honestly I'm at a point where I might even leave the most minimalist toolset I've been carrying for the last couple years home.

I think in 10 years of riding I've needed a toolset (outside of 1 allen wrench to take off thru axles in case of flat) once. And now, not even that cause my flats just get sealed by sealant.

So Pretty much dynaplug, co2, inflator and a 10 dollar bill in case there's no apple pay if I need to get food or water in a gas station (which is also very rare)

And the moment you decide to leave your stuff at home, something happens, they used to call that Murphy's Law.

I believe in data Something WILL happen eventually. But I haven't been strained in the last 2 years I've run tubeless so if it's gonna happen once in a few years, I'll take that risk.

[Britishedgehog]

I got two sets of PB470 and the bits rusted. The hex keys are fine tho.

I'm surprised because I've used PB Swiss bits for over ten years and never had one rust—they're the best bits I've used, even compared to Wera and Wiha. Can rain get to your multi-tool while you're riding? Is it stored in a damp garage?

PB Swiss are my favourite hex keys, although Wera come close. I reckon you can’t go wrong with PB Swiss, Wera or Wiha for top-tier tools.

[Talrand]

I've been looking at the PB Swiss multitool and there are a lot of knock offs. Ended up going with Topeak mini ratchet Al and a 5Nm torque bit.

[jlok]

I got two sets of PB470 and the bits rusted. The hex keys are fine tho.

I'm surprised because I've used PB Swiss bits for over ten years and never had one rust—they're the best bits I've used, even compared to Wera and Wiha. Can rain get to your multi-tool while you're riding? Is it stored in a damp garage?

PB Swiss are my favourite hex keys, although Wera come close. I reckon you can’t go wrong with PB Swiss, Wera or Wiha for top-tier tools.

Yeah, probably sweat or rain, or simply too humid.

[froze]

Honestly I'm at a point where I might even leave the most minimalist toolset I've been carrying for the last couple years home.

I think in 10 years of riding I've needed a toolset (outside of 1 allen wrench to take off thru axles in case of flat) once. And now, not even that cause my flats just get sealed by sealant.

So Pretty much dynaplug, co2, inflator and a 10 dollar bill in case there's no apple pay if I need to get food or water in a gas station (which is also very rare)

And the moment you decide to leave your stuff at home, something happens, they used to call that Murphy's Law.

I believe in data Something WILL happen eventually. But I haven't been strained in the last 2 years I've run tubeless so if it's gonna happen once in a few years, I'll take that risk.

I understand that, especially with cell phones, you can call whoever and have them get you. Even with maintaining my bikes the way I do, I haven't ever had a mechanical breakdown in the 50+ years I've been riding that I can remember. I had a spoke break due to hitting a stick, but I had a 36-spoke wheel, so that one spoke did virtually nothing to the integrity of the rim, so twisted the spoke around another, adjusted the other spokes just a tad, and rode home.

But I'm not that type of person to call someone, especially knowing that had I carried a multi-tool, a tube, or patches, I wouldn't have had to rely on someone to come save me. I'm from the Baby Boom era. We grew up knowing that we had to depend on ourselves as much as possible and not try to ask for help if at all possible because finding a phone out in the middle of nowhere wasn't going to happen. We were raised to be self-sufficient. But this era of cell phones has taken that away from many people.

And to this day, at age 73, I refuse to call my wife to come get me if there is a problem unless there is no other way, and not due to my lack of preparation. Heck, for many years after I had a cell phone I didn't even carry one with me when I rode, it wasn't until about 5 years or so ago I started to carry one, and that was only because my wife insisted!

With the multi-tool I carry I can fix any minor problem, anything major like a bottom bracket failure, etc obviously is not going to get fixed with a multi-tool! However I can be prepared for most situations, and most breakdowns are minor.

Today it seems that the biggest problem happening on bikes is chain failure, but you don't need to call someone for that if your multi-tool has a chain breaker, all you have to do is remove the broken links, and put the chain back together, while you won't be able to shift into the lowest or the highest gears, you can ride home with no problem.

The only times I ever had to call my wife was after a bike accident and I was going to the hospital by ambulance but that was before cell phones. The other time I got extremely sick on a ride and had diarrhea that would not stop, and I even carry Imodium AD just in case of something like that! But the Imodium didn't work, I was lucky to be in an area where there were a lot of businesses so I was able to stop a lot, I was still trying to ride home during all of that, but after about 6 miles and roughly an hour later I started to shake from weakness, so I surrendered and called my wife, that event was also before cell phones. I can't imagine what I would have done had that occurred earlier in that ride when I was in the mountains!

[gurk700]

Honestly I'm at a point where I might even leave the most minimalist toolset I've been carrying for the last couple years home.

I think in 10 years of riding I've needed a toolset (outside of 1 allen wrench to take off thru axles in case of flat) once. And now, not even that cause my flats just get sealed by sealant.

So Pretty much dynaplug, co2, inflator and a 10 dollar bill in case there's no apple pay if I need to get food or water in a gas station (which is also very rare)

And the moment you decide to leave your stuff at home, something happens, they used to call that Murphy's Law.

I believe in data Something WILL happen eventually. But I haven't been strained in the last 2 years I've run tubeless so if it's gonna happen once in a few years, I'll take that risk.

I understand that, especially with cell phones, you can call whoever and have them get you. Even with maintaining my bikes the way I do, I haven't ever had a mechanical breakdown in the 50+ years I've been riding that I can remember. I had a spoke break due to hitting a stick, but I had a 36-spoke wheel, so that one spoke did virtually nothing to the integrity of the rim, so twisted the spoke around another, adjusted the other spokes just a tad, and rode home.

But I'm not that type of person to call someone, especially knowing that had I carried a multi-tool, a tube, or patches, I wouldn't have had to rely on someone to come save me. I'm from the Baby Boom era. We grew up knowing that we had to depend on ourselves as much as possible and not try to ask for help if at all possible because finding a phone out in the middle of nowhere wasn't going to happen. We were raised to be self-sufficient. But this era of cell phones has taken that away from many people.

And to this day, at age 73, I refuse to call my wife to come get me if there is a problem unless there is no other way, and not due to my lack of preparation. Heck, for many years after I had a cell phone I didn't even carry one with me when I rode, it wasn't until about 5 years or so ago I started to carry one, and that was only because my wife insisted!

With the multi-tool I carry I can fix any minor problem, anything major like a bottom bracket failure, etc obviously is not going to get fixed with a multi-tool! However I can be prepared for most situations, and most breakdowns are minor.

Today it seems that the biggest problem happening on bikes is chain failure, but you don't need to call someone for that if your multi-tool has a chain breaker, all you have to do is remove the broken links, and put the chain back together, while you won't be able to shift into the lowest or the highest gears, you can ride home with no problem.

The only times I ever had to call my wife was after a bike accident and I was going to the hospital by ambulance but that was before cell phones. The other time I got extremely sick on a ride and had diarrhea that would not stop, and I even carry Imodium AD just in case of something like that! But the Imodium didn't work, I was lucky to be in an area where there were a lot of businesses so I was able to stop a lot, I was still trying to ride home during all of that, but after about 6 miles and roughly an hour later I started to shake from weakness, so I surrendered and called my wife, that event was also before cell phones. I can't imagine what I would have done had that occurred earlier in that ride when I was in the mountains!

I have zero issues calling my girlfriend to save me from a tough spot. I also drop everything and go pick her up / drop her off if need be just to make her more comfortable (we make due with 1 car cause we both hate spending money on cars)
She actually saved me once from freeing to death up on Mount Diablo. It was 70 degrees down at the bottom and it started raining in the middle turned into snow / hail up on the summit and I wasn't prepared for any of that. I don't know how close to frostbite I was. All I know is that I had to pull over and call her because I literally could not brake anymore as I had no feelings in my fingers. I was pretty blue when she made it up the road and meet me. It became a fun story we share with friends.

So yeah. I'm happy with this dynamic and I'm sure knowing that there's someone I can rely on no matter what helps me "take more risk."

I don't give advice, I just share what I do. Love a minimal jersey pocket / no saddle bag setup and will continue to do that for my riding. Kudos for your self reliant almost zero risk setup.

[DHG01]

Both approaches are fine. I admire more the first; practice more the latter (both seeking and aiding).