Thanks for tuning in today we're going to be reviewing the Topeak
Ninja Master+ Toolbox T16 bike multi-tool.
Whether you ride a sleek carbon fiber road bike or a sturdy gravel bike you know that storage space
comes at a premium. Finding the space for tools extra parts as well as food can be difficult
on a bike. Topeak's solution to this is what they call the Ninja Master+ series of accessories.
This allows you to attach all your tools inflation kits or other gear directly to the bottom of
a water bottle cage from the Master+ series. It's a very clever all-in-one solution that keeps
everything in one place. Today we're going to be looking at the Toolbox T16 which is a 16 function
multi tool that has a custom little toolbox that attaches to the bottle cage. You can see packaging
wise very simple white and yellow color scheme. You have the graphic on here some specs on the side
otherwise very simple Topeak on the left and right and then actually nothing on the
back which is a little bit strange. So lets go ahead and take out the box and go over all the specs.
Retail price on this is $59.95 and you cannot purchase the T16 multi-tool separately it only comes in this
combination kit. It has a weatherproof toolbox so you can ride this in the rain
cold weather without an issue and it can either attach to your Ninja Master+ accessories like
the water bottle cages or directly to the frame . They also include a little frame tab that lets you
take the water mount so if you don't have a bottle cage you can directly mount it there
or use the included zip ties. It is a 16+ function
multi-tool so it provides everything you need from chain tools torx as well as the hex bits.
Now in terms of what it comes in the box you see quite a few things again you have the zip
ties to mount it directly to your frame with the little frame water bottle cage mount.
So this will directly go through those two bolts and offer this little attachment
then you also have the little attachment for the bottle cage itself. So this will swap out
the little bracket that comes with it and then you can see it just swaps in here.
You also have the instructions manual a little explanation of the Ninja
Master+ T16 tool kit and all the different functions. It has so everything's lifted out pretty nicely
and then you have the attachment hardware. So this is where you need to actually attach this
either to your water bottle cage bolts or directly to the bracket. For the Master+ water bottle
cages you also have obviously the toolbox inside here so we pop this open slide it out
and you can see this is the T16 multi-tool with this nice little rubber cover to keep
it from getting scratched up while it's inside. Now let's look at the weight of the T16 toolbox.
There's a couple mounting options so you could just do the standard tool with the toolbox it's
136 grams if you want to mount it to the master plus water bottle cage you need a little bracket
the bolt and then some of the hardware with it that's only 12 grams
and optionally you can use this with the little bottle cage attachment tool so those
will go directly to the bolts on your frame and again you'll need this hardware and additionally
some hardware to attach to your bike that's not included here that comes in at 14 grams.
Now let's go over the fit and finish of the Master+ Toolbox T16 it's a very clever
compact all-in-one solution to carry tools. You can see the box itself is weatherproof plastic boxes
perfectly fit for the T16 tool. Now you can't buy this multi-tool separately it only comes in this
package, Topek does offer a PT30 version of this toolbox which is a tool we reviewed separately
but also comes in this box with a larger box a little more functionality and higher price.
The box itself is just plastic construction with Topeak ghosted on here. You have a latch
on one side the attachment bolt here and that's the difference between the Master+ and the
previous Master series. It actually uses a bolt to attach but it still offers a rotatability
so you can actually spin this around to access the tool when it's on the bike. The latch itself
is spring-loaded and you do have to be very careful you can get your finger stuck here
so you want to not put your hand right here. You want to open this up
and then you can see it pops out and then that actually lifted off the tab here.
So that goes on a little tab so you push forward comes off but again be careful
it is a little bit too aggressive very easy to get your fingers stuck in there.
Slide the tool out so you can see really perfectly sized it only fits in one way with the chain tool
sticking out. They include this nice little rubber cover a little rubber band on top of this prevents
them from rattling or getting scratched and you can see the tool itself has 16+ functions and very
small. What's really clever about this is all of the packaging on these multi tools they're able to
get a lot of functionality by being really clever about how they position the tools so you have two
rows of tools on them. So if we pull out the other side you have all your standard Torx bits so T10
T15 T25, screwdriver a PH2 bit and then various allen keys all the way up to eight millimeters.
So you have two rows of tools on each side and you can access each bit even get this little flat tool.
If you need a pry on something and it has two spoke different gauge spokes
tools right built into it you also have a chain tool right on top. So you can see to spin it out
and this is great for installing chains or popping a chain off. You have a chain hook and
you can see that's right here that's great for holding the chain in place so when you actually
remove the hook the chain will fly and with this will actually hold it in place
so it won't go flying off. The other clever thing about this is because they're so small
you don't get a lot of leverage so they've combated that with this little l attachment.
So you can see right here on the void in between you have this little l shape and you can push down
on it takes quite a bit of force so as you do it a couple times it gets better but you push down
there's a little plastic tab that'll pop out of. So this is a six millimeter hex a four millimeter hex
and then a two and a half on the bottom . So they've combined it all into one tool
what's clever about this is because they're so small you don't get leverage
and they're able to combat that by combining the tools so you take the eight millimeter hex which
has a four millimeter groove on the inside and then you just slide in inside. So now I have a
six millimeter hex with the nice larger body so much easier to use and you have more leverage.
Pop that off now i'm using a four and then flip it and now you have the two and a half so nice
packaging keeps everything together and then you can also put it back into place very easily.
So you can see again you put the attachment on there
slide it through the groove and then these little plastic tabs will click into place
so nice compact design this should handle most roadside repairs obviously you won't be able to do
a crank pulley or something bigger but for small things little adjustments perfect for that.
Now take a look at the T16 toolbox installed on our Triban RC520.
So it's a very nice design with the toolbox attaching directly to water
bottle cage. We have the Topeak Ninja SK which is a compatible Ninja Master+ water bottle cage.
As you can see it's actually a side water bottle cage and we have a full review of this separately.
Nice affordable option and all you do is you swap out the little bottom tab so you swap that
with the one provided with the toolbox and it's nice flush mount We prefer this over the frame mount or
using the water bottle bolts directly as you still have the water bottle cage here so you get your
water bottle and you get your tool. You can see even though the Master+ has a tool design a
bolt design versus a simple tab which means you do need a tool to pop this completely off they retain
the 90 degree rotatability so regardless of which side of the bike you're on you can easily rotate
it. It's a nice simple design and it's very compact so the box is exactly sized for the toolbox
it has the spring-loaded latch again. So if we pop that open and watch your fingers
pull that you can easily pull out the tool and then access it. The tool only fits in one direction
so it's easy to get correct otherwise it won't close
so you can see it only goes in with the narrow side easy to access and compared to a saddle bag
where it can be cluttered or hard to reach. A lot easier only downside again is the latch which is
spring loaded so don't get your fingers stuck underneath nice compact solution and definitely
a nice way to use that empty space that would otherwise be wasted.
Now let's go over the pros and cons for the Toolbox T16. What you like about it is that
it has a clever design with the integrated case and attachment. You can easily mount this
underneath your water bottle cage or directly on the frame. It also has a custom fit toolbox which
is weatherproof and also rotates 90 degrees to be accessed from either side of the bike making
a lot easier to get to the multi-tool. Also the T16 multi-tool itself has a lot of functionality
and some cool tricks like the l-shaped allen key that can be built using the multiple pieces. Some
of the cons for the tool box is the fact that it's quite expensive and you can't actually buy the
T16 multi-tool separately. Also the latches has a very stiff spring so it's easy to get your finger
caught on there so you have to be careful when you open or close it. Taking everything into account
we'd give the Toolbox T16 a 9.0 out of 10. It's a very convenient multi-tool mount that works
with all the ninja master plus accessories thanks for watching this review don't forget to like and
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