Speaker: A good multi-tool is probably the most important piece of equipment that you
can have in your back pocket, but there are just so many. I mean, there is a baffling
amount of options of multi-tools. In this video, I'm going to go through the different
options, and show you what's important, and what's nice to have.
[music] There are hundreds of different types of multi-tools.
Big ones, small ones, heavy ones, light ones, cool ones, practical ones. Yes, you get the
idea. How on earth do us cyclists pick out the ones we need, and by that, I mean for
the bike and the riding we're going to be doing. From a weekend simple 30-miler to an
epic gravel race, you're going to need a different kind of multi-tool for the job in hand.
To start off with, I thought I'd give you some key aspects of what to look for in your
multi-tool that suits the majority of riding you're going to be doing.
[music] Unless you're riding a belt-drive bicycle,
you're going to want one of these, a chain-breaker. No matter how new or old your chain is, it
could break. If it's worn or old, the higher the risk is of it breaking. Having one of
these is going to stop you from getting stranded or scooting your bike all the way home, and
from personal experience, that takes hours. Nearly every multi-tool has a set of Allen
keys. The one thing to check though is that your multi-tool fits the bolts on your bike,
especially bolts on your seat post, your stem, and your bars because these are the bolts
you might want to adjust while out on the road.
Some bikes may use Torx bolts, like my F12 here uses Torx bolts for the saddle post clamp.
The last thing you want to do is buy a multi-tool that you can't adjust the saddle line. Now
you can think about what kind of size multi-tool you go for. Are you doing short rides, fast
rides, group-rides, racing? I tend to go for something a lot smaller with all the essentials,
but it's nice and lightweight like this one. You could be going for those long endurance
rides or those epic gravel adventures. Then I would suggest you go for something like
this. Yes, it's bigger, it's bulkier, but yet, it's got a whole load of functions to
go with it. When you're far away from home and your chain breaks, you've got something
to be able to fix it, so you're not left stranded and having to have that embarrassing phone
call to a family member or paying a huge taxi fare. That will sort you out.
Something else to consider is the style of your multi-tool. Now, that could be looks,
but also practical uses, too. The standard multi-tool looks a bit like this one here,
with a whole load of multitude of functions, but all nice and tightly tidied away, like
that one, or you could go for something a little bit different, like this ratchet one
I've got here. it's stiill got all the tools you use, but it's a slightly different setup.
It's slimmer, it's light, and it packs nicely in a jersey pocket.
[music] So, you've picked out your multi-tool. You've
got one for the riding you'll be doing and the bike you've got. The next big question
is where on earth are you going to put it. Where are you going to carry it? A lot of
people tend to use saddlebags. Now, saddlebags are great because you set the saddlebag up,
and you don't have to remember where your multi-tool is every time you get on your bike.
All you have to do is put your saddlebag on, but if you're a rider like me, who likes to
be lightweight, and you don't like to be bulky with a saddlebag, then the next best thing
is to put it in your jersey pocket. There are a whole range of different multi-tools
out there, and you might just need a couple, one for a tube setup, one for a different
type of bike, or different rides. The key thing to remember, though, is that
you're self-sufficient. You're ready for every eventuality. I hope you enjoyed this video.
It's given you some tips for when looking for a multi-tool. Hopefully, you won't have
to use them, but when you do, you'll be able to sort every problem out. Let me know in
the comment section below what you thought of this video, and good luck and have fun
in your next rides. [00:04:25] [END OF AUDIO]