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1,067 Posts
I've carried a topeak multitool for several years now but have used it very little. I've used it to break a chain when I munched my derailleur too allow two miles of pleasurable walk a bike but not for much more. Recently, I've been trying newer swept back handlebars (no winner yet). To get the position right, I've been adjusting the bar angle and, of course, the brake and dropper locations using the multitool during rides.
I must say, using short allen wrenches on a large bodied tool is a real pita. The tool is inconvenient to use because the large body is always in the way. On top of the bulk issue, the allen keys all rotate out of the tool for use and also rotate when I don't want them too. There are some bolts where I have only a quarter turn or so before the body of the multitool hits the brake lever or the dropper lever.
I am now carrying four long allen keys, a chain breaker, a small pair of folding pliers that I've always carried anyway, two cleat screws, and a derailleur hanger and it still weights less than the multitool. I don't use the knife on the multitool any because it is too small and doesn't lock. I carry a 4" folding and locking knife anyway to defend against mountain lions so the knife in the multitool is superfluous.
Perhaps someday I'll have a problem that my ad hoc kit won't fix that the multitool would. So far, the absolute worst thing to fix on the road is a flat that requires using a tube. The Maxis minions do not like to separate from the WTB scrapers and I may not be able to do this on the road at all, but the multitool is not helpful for this kind of repair.
I must say, using short allen wrenches on a large bodied tool is a real pita. The tool is inconvenient to use because the large body is always in the way. On top of the bulk issue, the allen keys all rotate out of the tool for use and also rotate when I don't want them too. There are some bolts where I have only a quarter turn or so before the body of the multitool hits the brake lever or the dropper lever.
I am now carrying four long allen keys, a chain breaker, a small pair of folding pliers that I've always carried anyway, two cleat screws, and a derailleur hanger and it still weights less than the multitool. I don't use the knife on the multitool any because it is too small and doesn't lock. I carry a 4" folding and locking knife anyway to defend against mountain lions so the knife in the multitool is superfluous.
Perhaps someday I'll have a problem that my ad hoc kit won't fix that the multitool would. So far, the absolute worst thing to fix on the road is a flat that requires using a tube. The Maxis minions do not like to separate from the WTB scrapers and I may not be able to do this on the road at all, but the multitool is not helpful for this kind of repair.