Funkywheels63

Hello all, just purchased a pouch which included tools and a pump on Amazon for all of $12.99. In case anyone is interested. It even comes with a multi tool that has a chain breaker. Here’s a pic. of the item.

RiceAWay

I have one almost identical but I have a couple of CO2 cylinders and a filler. What looks like a battery powered pump is interesting.

Funkywheels63

it's a manual pump.

RingSteel

Looks interesting.
Can you share the amazon link, or the tool pouch description ?

easyupbug 

I hope I am wrong but at that price point unless mistaken pricing by Amazon that has got to be a poor quality tool kit. I suspect the pump might work somewhat to low pressures (looks like you got some ball inflation needles?) and the tools, especially the chain breaker will be marginal at best. I don't know anybody who carries around master link pliers.

Phil_gretz

I use Pedro's tire levers, not the more flexy generics. The shown multi-tool is a Chinese product that can be purchased for about $8.50 on AliExpress. It's useful enough, and does have a chain breaker. The pump appears to be Schrader-only, we all have our preferences for frame or pocket-carried pumps. For patch kits, Rema is the premium one. Master-link pliers are only useful if you bike has a master link.

As another said, I've not had occasion to open a master link while on the road. Being able to add a master link could be helpful, as in the case of a mountain bike crash where the rear derailleur gets smashed, so needs to be eliminated from your drivetrain to permit you to limp home.

So, overall, this covers the bases for you.

Maelochs

I have had a cheap chain-breaker break while trying to remove a damaged link .... and there are quick-link pliers which are also very sturdy tire levers.

As for the rest .... the trouble with cheap tools is that they are sometimes weaker than the nuts, bolts, and screws to which you might apply them. I tried some cheap multi-tools (including the one with the broken chain-breaker) and most of them are of limited effectiveness.

As @easyupbug mentions, the pump might not meet your needs. A lot of even good mini-pumps won't get a tire up to actual road-tire riding pressures .... and almost all bike tubes have presta valves. I have tried a bunch of mini-pumps, and if you shop carefully, you can get a really good pump for about $25---a pump with a hose which means less valve breakage and greater ease of use.

A patch kit might be handy but I prefer to carry spare tubes. Sometimes it is really hard to find the hole in a tube, and too often I have gotten flats in areas where playing around with patching a tube would be too much trouble---low light, rain, standing on a hillside in knee-deep grass with cars blasting by a 55 mph just on the other side of the guardrail .... or the other side of a two-foot -wide shoulder ..... It is tough enough searching the tire for the cause of the flat .... trying to find the hole and do the whole patching process ... I do that at home.

Some folks have had luck with glueless patches. Park Tools supposedly makes the best. I have used Slime Scabs with mixed results.

All that said .... if what you got works for you, there you are. If it meets your needs then it was an excellent purchase.

BikeLite

Should be this one.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FZ89T3K/

Funkywheels63

you beat me to it. I figure it's better to have something than nothing. years ago, when I was riding, kept a small pouch similar to this. only had a few patches and a few tools. never had to use it. eventually ended throwing it out because I never thought I would be cycling again. hopefully will never have a need for it.

Miele Man

Poor quality tire levers that break when you try to remove a tire in order to repair or replace a tube, are NOT better than nothing. I've seen cheap tire levers that either bent to the point of being useless or broke when used and would have left the bicyclist stranded had not someone with quality tools stopped to help.

Cheers

PeteHski

The thing with mini multi-tools is that the high quality ones are not that expensive in the overall scheme of things. Like £20 buys you a really nice compact comprehensive multi-tool with chain breaker and tyre lever.

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/pro...40-MINI-20-PRO

Cheap mini-pumps are usually pretty useless too. Although there are a few exceptions. Lifeline (Wiggle/Chain Reaction's own budget brand) make a £20 pump (often £10 in sales) that actually works reasonably well, although it takes a lot of pumping to get to a rideable pressure.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

This pump for £60 is in a different league and will last for decades:-

https://silca.cc/collections/frame-p...tico-mini-pump

So while that adds up to a lot more than $12.99 it's not exactly a fortune and you will have full confidence in actually getting the job done when you are stuck at the side of the road/trail. Plus these are basically one-off lifetime purchases.

Koyote

Cheap tools are false economy.

rumrunn6

nice here's hoping you never need them, right?

mstateglfr 

In '20 I bought about 80 pairs of the variety color Pedro's tire levers(for a group). Man those have been disappointing compared to the basic blue plastic Park Tool levers.
The Pedro levers are flat and dont easily dig into and under the tire bead. And the wider head of the lever means there is less slack to get started on tight tires.
I really want to like them since they are very solid and have a wider base.

Retro Grouch 

Is there room for a spare innertube?

Retro Grouch 

The last time that I broke a chain while on the trail I discovered my Park chain breaker had lost it's pin. I lowered my saddle and "flintstoned" four miles back to my car.

BCDrums

That's very funny, and a perfect description.

If these tools are crap (and how can they not be for $13?) The OP will discover that fact on the side of the road. As to whether it's "better than nothing," I'd say it's not. When you have no tools, you know where you stand. When you have crummy tools, you'll have an false sense of security.

But best of luck, I hope I'm mistaken.

John Valuk

I started with Pedro's levers, and feel the same way about them that you do. The ones I carry on my bike now are sold under the Schwalbe name, and I really like them. I suspect that they are not ultimately as strong as the Pedro's levers, but they work fine for the combination of wheels and tires that I'm running.

Funkywheels63

base on your comments I believe you are right. will purchase metal tire levers to replace the plastic stuff. I just assume that bicycle tires aren't as tough as motorcycle tires. I change the tires on my motorcycle, and those levers are metal.

John Valuk

You don't necessarily have to go to metal levers. Good plastic levers can work just fine.

Funkywheels63

nope. all the stuff that's included, no space, unless you remove a couple of the items.

Miele Man

As another poster has said, you don't need metal tire levers. Quality tire plastic levers such as Park, Pedros or VAR are quite sufficient for most bicycle tires.

I'd figure out a way to carry a spare tube as many times a hole in a tube is so small that it's nearly impossible to find it when trying to repair a tube at the side of the road. Also easier to put a new tube in the tire than repair a tube when it's raining.

A cotton ball is a great addition to a tire patch kit. Use the cotton ball to sweep along the inside of the tire before putting in a patched or new tube. The cotton ball will snag on anything protruding into the tire and will save your finger or thumb.

Cheers

indyfabz

+1. The last time I got a flat on tour the hole was so small the tire did not lose enough air for me to notice until I woke up the next morning. And the hole was so small I had to immerse the tube in a puddle of water at my campsite (It had poured the previous afternoon.) in order to find it. I had spare tubes, but I wanted to find the hole so I could check the tire, which turned out to contain a tiny wire fragment.

Also, sometimes a hole can be too large to patch.

Funkywheels63

I just got a pannier bag which I can put extra stuff in.

Gravel Rider

I carry a first aid kit that has the basics. You just never know when it will come in handy.