Multi Tool

[Brenhden]

Hi All,

I searched the forum but there were no topics on multi tools, which is the best one for a bike, I have Victorinox and an early leatherman but what should I take away for an adventure? is there something specific for us?

Bren

[AndyB]

Hi All,

I searched the forum but there were no topics on multi tools, which is the best one for a bike, I have Victorinox and an early leatherman but what should I take away for an adventure? is there something specific for us?

Bren

What do you want it to do? I take a Leatherman away with me all the time but it's just a knife with a few extra toys added when you look at it in the cold light of day.

[Brenhden]

Hi Andy

I want something that has handy things for fixing random bits of broken bike. Also obviously with beer and wine bottle openers and a sharp blade for cooking and whittling in the evening...

Bren

[AustinW]

I have had a victorinox multi-tool for years. I cant say I have ever used the screwdrivers and stuff, and even if I did I doubt they would be much good. The pliers and blade are handy and I have probably opened a bottle and can or two. But mostly I carry it under the seat out of habit and on the basis that the day I remove it will be the day I really need it.

What I do use a lot though is a Victorinox "picnic" knife, and a motion pro trail tool that is a genuine prospect for fixing bikes (and has been used in anger a few times). Those two together are far better than a multi-tool, just lacking pliers - which gives me the excuse to carry my proper multi-tool as well.

[AndyB]

Hi Andy

I want something that has handy things for fixing random bits of broken bike. Also obviously with beer and wine bottle openers and a sharp blade for cooking and whittling in the evening...

Bren

If you want a Leatherman with all the toys it'll cost you around £100 and though they're great you can open any beer bottle with your door keys, score around the neck of a wine bottle then tap it and you're into the bottle but you've got to finish it because the cork's gone and the rest is just window dressing :laugh:

Get one with a pair of pliers and a pair of scissors because they're useful, screwdriver bits are good and a really sharp knife is the main reason for having it but some of the stuff is pointless. I've got a Leatherman Wave (it was a present so didn't hit my wallet) and it's a cracking bit of kit but my personal view is that they're over priced and the 'tools' will never match up to sorting out a dedicated mini toolkit for a bike trip.

[kenny87]

I'd just get a folding set of Allen keys and a small oilstone to keep your existing blades sharp.
Sounds like the leatherman and Swiss army will cover everything else. Saying that,I do prefer to carry a standalone folding knife rather than have to use multitool blades

[davsato]

i cant really remember but i dont think my leatherman even has a bottle opener on it, certainly not a corkscrew! (buy screwtop wine and use the pliers on beer caps)

they come in handy here and there and they are certainly better than nothing and at least you can have it on you (if you dare to carry these days!), but theres no substitute for the right tools even the tools that come with the bike are better than mullering up screwheads with a multitool.
old gerber pliers are excellent but newer stuff is made of rubbish steel, my wave is made very well and takes/keeps a good edge, and i guess the victorinox multitools take a lot of beating. wasnt there a multitool test in the magazine one time?

mine still smells fishy from eating a lobster. tip- wash it before putting it back in your pocket. that was in spain over a year ago which was probably the last time it was used in anger if im honest, i use my tiny sebertool S4 multitool on my keyring loads more often than its big brother.

a medium size SAK is probably just as handy (and legal to carry), but i will say the needlenose pliers on the wave are excellent. leatherman crunch is pretty cool but ive seen shattered heads on those. schrade made a plier that was good but not as solid as a leatherman, and multitools dont have to be plier based, like a swiss tech utili-key, or a guppie

[Freeloadeur]

Isn't there an issue with some Leatherman tools in that they have locking blades? A lock-knife of any size is illegal to carry in a public place without good reason (and your car counts as a public place, so one could assume that under the seat of your bike does too).

It's unlikely you'd be done for one, but you never know, I know I'd much rather a small toolkit under my seat and a small pocketknife, than a very expensive Leatherman.

[APD_660Ten]

I only use a basic leatherman, can't remember the model but it is basically:
-pliers
-knife
-bottle opener
-screw drivers

Very small compared to many and I carry a proper full tool kit. The leatherman is handy to keep in the pocket of my camelback for those quick fixes and the main thing I use it for that I don't have in my tool kit is pliers. One thing I will say, they're bloody strong! I never feel like I'm going to break it. I also carry a leatherman lock knife when camping as it's handier on a number of fronts. Picked the pair up for about £45 as a pack from makro and can't fault them.

[johnzxr750]

the leatherman surge would be my leatherman of choice but i have my old faithful one that ive been using for years that is great but having a small tool kit on your bike is always going to be preferable1/4inch drive should cover most jobs and just the main sockets like 8 10 12 14 then the same in spanners
hope this helps
cheers j
p.s. a leather man is not a knife and the length of the blade is ok in 99% of public places. if a blade is 5 or 6" in length this is defo illegal