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How often have you used the mult-tool set on the road?

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How often have you used the mult-tool set on the road?

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Old 09-13-18, 10:05 AM
  #76  
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I have used a multitool more times than I can count. Sometimes on my bike, sometimes on someone else's bike, sometimes for some other purpose entirely.

There have also been many times when the multi-tool let me down; when the allen wrench on the multi-tool was too short to reach where it was needed, or the tool didn't have the right size, or whatever. No multi-tool is perfect. Still, I'd rather have one than not.
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Old 09-13-18, 02:26 PM
  #77  
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Originally Posted by noglider
About a hundred years ago, there was a bike tire with several inner tubes, maybe around eight. It didn't catch on. Maybe someone should resurrect that idea.
Sure would be a lot of valve stems. I think things are trending in the other direction for a good reason.
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Old 09-14-18, 03:14 PM
  #78  
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I use it to rais and lower my bars at will.

If im commuting, i have the bars slammed since im only usually riding for 10-20 min.

But i raise them up for events because i start to get sore wrists after 45 min on.
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Old 09-16-18, 06:55 PM
  #79  
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This is getting a bit silly. I rarely use my multitool but having it with me is just a few ounces of insurance and piece of mind. Come to think of it, I haven't had a flat tire driving in about ten years, maybe I'll take the spare tire and jack out of my car to save weight and help with mileage.

As for the helmet comments above...not worthy of a comment.
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Old 09-17-18, 12:42 AM
  #80  
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My Multi tool
IMG_20170407_174826212 by Bwilli88, on Flickr
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Old 09-19-18, 06:04 PM
  #81  
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I carry a small one with me and use it on occasion but not often. I've raised my seat recently while on the road, and went searching for a clicking noise by tightening everything with it, to no avail of course. I also keep a spoke wrench with me and i haven't used it at all for over 5 years since I rebuilt my wheels and thought they may need a touch up during the first few rides. I also carry a long 8mm allen wrench because my FSA crank bolt has come loose, a known issue with these cranks.
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Old 09-20-18, 12:31 PM
  #82  
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Originally Posted by zacster
I carry a small one with me and use it on occasion but not often. I've raised my seat recently while on the road, and went searching for a clicking noise by tightening everything with it, to no avail of course. I also keep a spoke wrench with me and i haven't used it at all for over 5 years since I rebuilt my wheels and thought they may need a touch up during the first few rides. I also carry a long 8mm allen wrench because my FSA crank bolt has come loose, a known issue with these cranks.
Which bike is this? When I met you, you were riding a Brompton.
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Old 09-20-18, 01:37 PM
  #83  
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Originally Posted by noglider
Which bike is this? When I met you, you were riding a Brompton.
No, no Brompton for me. I was on my Trek 7000 commuter bike, but I also frequently ride my Kuota road bike and carry tools with both.
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Old 09-20-18, 03:10 PM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by zacster
No, no Brompton for me. I was on my Trek 7000 commuter bike, but I also frequently ride my Kuota road bike and carry tools with both.
Oops. It was @1nterceptor on the Brompton.

I move my tool bag from bike to bike. It works out well for me. When the bag is mounted, the rear face is perfectly vertical, so my battery powered blinky tail light is hooked onto the loop there. I don't lock up my bike in public often, and when I do, it's easy to take it off and put it on.
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Old 09-21-18, 05:06 AM
  #85  
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I have enough tools that I leave a setup on both of my normal rides. This way I never forget to take the pump or a spare. And you know what happens when you do that...
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Old 09-21-18, 08:01 AM
  #86  
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last night I made some hard choices. kept the patch kit & multitool but ditched the chain tools. got lucky needed nothing
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Old 09-21-18, 08:04 AM
  #87  
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Originally Posted by bwilli88
My Multi tool
what is this spanner? for? I inherited a set from my Father-in-Law when he passed a way & used one just as a neat flat wrench on something that was hard to get to

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Old 09-21-18, 08:20 AM
  #88  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
what is this spanner? for? I inherited a set from my Father-in-Law when he passed a way & used one just as a neat flat wrench on something that was hard to get to
That looks like a Brooks tension wrench. It's used to adjust the tension of the leather...usually because the owner oversoftened the saddle. I have several and in about 20 years of Brooks saddle use have never used it.
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Old 09-21-18, 09:17 AM
  #89  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
That looks like a Brooks tension wrench. It's used to adjust the tension of the leather...usually because the owner oversoftened the saddle. I have several and in about 20 years of Brooks saddle use have never used it.
Ah, I have one of those, & now that I think about it, the flat wrenches I inherited have a closed circle, no opening like
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Old 09-21-18, 10:56 AM
  #90  
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Yes it is a brooks tension wrench.
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Old 09-22-18, 02:27 PM
  #91  
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tools carried on ride

On around town rides within 20 mile radius of home and blocks away from bus stops, I carry air pump, multi tool, tire levers, patches, spoke tool.in shoulder/fanny pack so not left on bike to be stolenn. On cross country tours I carry al of the above and in addition, extra air pump, chain tool, extra deruiler pullies, tube, spokes, pedals, cables, brake shoes, bottom braket and tool, and basically have a tool cor every nut and bolt on the bike, foreward to post office chainwheel with 22 tooth granny gear and freewheel with 34 tooth wheel, and long throw deruiler.,
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Old 09-22-18, 03:08 PM
  #92  
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So of course today I needed to use my multi-tool, and this was on a short ride doing a few laps of the park. I leaned on my seat at a stop and it slipped, and once it slips once it'll slip again. I stopped to tighten it, but there isn't quite enough leverage.
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Old 09-22-18, 06:21 PM
  #93  
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I carried a big Crank Brothers multi tool for several years until I got my cf bike. I was fiddling around in the bike room one day and decided to see what size and type of tools would be needed just for that bike. I wasn't surprised that everything was allen head and was able to take the multi tool out and replace it with a 2,3,4,5,6 allen wrench and a longish phillips head driver bit. I'm not a weight weenie but every bit helps.

When the kids ride with me I put the multi tool in my jersey pocket as they all ride C&V road bikes, it has definitely saved the day a few times.
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Old 09-22-18, 09:38 PM
  #94  
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Originally Posted by zacster
So of course today I needed to use my multi-tool, and this was on a short ride doing a few laps of the park. I leaned on my seat at a stop and it slipped, and once it slips once it'll slip again. I stopped to tighten it, but there isn't quite enough leverage.
Maybe you could also carry a spare seatpost collar. My seatpost has a QR collar, but I carry a dead-bolted one just in case (lesson from a bad experience).
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Old 09-25-18, 08:08 AM
  #95  
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It is a bolted collar. After this ride I tightened it at home, and then put that wrench into the bag so I have it. It surprised me how much more torque I was able to apply with a normal sized allen wrench. I don't dare take my bigass torque wrench to it though.
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Old 09-28-18, 06:26 PM
  #96  
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Only when I forgot it!

i always carry my multi tool and almost never use it, but I took a trip up to Vermont and was about to do a long ride when I realized my entire kit was back in NYC and I'd lowered my seat to fit in the car the week before, something I've never done before! Crap. Luckily VT is full of French Canadian cyclists so I asked to borrow a tool and fixed it. A mile or so down the road I realize the seat is too low and 5 mi later I stopped to ask another cyclist along the way. Ha! I didn't learn my lesson and this time I put the seat just a hair to one side. Enough to drive a girl crazy for the long ride ahead, so I stopped back at my starting place and another lovely Canadian lent me his.
it drove me nuts to have to stop and ask TWICE, each time explaining that I'd forgotten mine 🙈
Moral of the story- bring it along if not for yourself then for a dope like me.
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Old 10-01-18, 08:07 AM
  #97  
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Yesterday!

I was taking the road bike out for a spin and my left pedal came off. Never saw such a thing in my life.

But I was glad I had my multi tool with the 8mm pedal allen key. (At least I would have been had I not realized the crank arm was busted and no amount of tools were going to get that pedal back in. It was a nice day for a walk home anyway.)
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Old 10-02-18, 09:40 AM
  #98  
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Originally Posted by Ridethewestside
i always carry my multi tool and almost never use it, but I took a trip up to Vermont and was about to do a long ride when I realized my entire kit was back in NYC and I'd lowered my seat to fit in the car the week before, something I've never done before! Crap. Luckily VT is full of French Canadian cyclists so I asked to borrow a tool and fixed it. A mile or so down the road I realize the seat is too low and 5 mi later I stopped to ask another cyclist along the way. Ha! I didn't learn my lesson and this time I put the seat just a hair to one side. Enough to drive a girl crazy for the long ride ahead, so I stopped back at my starting place and another lovely Canadian lent me his.
it drove me nuts to have to stop and ask TWICE, each time explaining that I'd forgotten mine 🙈
Moral of the story- bring it along if not for yourself then for a dope like me.
My tools are always in my Camelbak and my Camelbak always goes with me. My "tool" kit also includes zipties, tubes for two different wheel sizes (since I ride bikes with different wheels sizes), a piece of Tyvek envelope for tire boots (available from your local Post Office), duct tape around a piece of carbon tube, and a patch kit. Because my Camelbak is also my backcountry pack I also have a firestarter and cotton balls covered in Vaseline. I can have a fire started in about 30 seconds if I need one.
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Old 10-05-18, 10:10 AM
  #99  
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The Vaseline-and-cotton-ball trick is great. I hadn't heard of it.

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Old 10-05-18, 10:35 AM
  #100  
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As Elastica and other bands have noted in lyrics, Vaseline has many uses, fire-starting is an excellent idea.


Originally Posted by noglider
The Vaseline-and-cotton-ball trick is great. I hadn't heard of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c37GFiGQlo
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