Bike Multi-Tool Leaderboard: Which One Won't Let You Down?

Test: Multitools should be the savior in an emergency. No active cyclist can do without the useful little folding tools. But which one is good for the bike tour and what does a good multi-tool have to be able to do?

The right tool for the most common breakdowns

The huge selection of special bicycle multi-tools overwhelms many cyclists. Everyone has to ask themselves what is important to them. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the perfect multi-tool for all cycling needs. A racing cyclist would like to have an emergency tool that is as light as possible in his jersey pocket, whereas a trekking traveler is concerned with the total number of useful functions, i.e. one for all cases. But they all have one thing in common: the most common breakdown is still the common flat tire. Unfortunately, there are very few bicycle multi-tools that do the most important thing properly.

Riveting tool – is it really always necessary?

Far too little attention is paid to the most common breakdown, the "flat tire", in multi-tool development. But what a lot of bicycle multitools have for this is a rivet gun. A broken chain on the road is not necessarily a defect that occurs frequently and can then only be repaired with a chain lock. We therefore find it somewhat surprising that a rivet driver is now almost standard equipment for a multi-tool, while other keys and tools that are used much more frequently are left behind.

The 15mm wrench thing

It is very important for on the go that you can mount the impeller. All bikes with hub gears, as well as inexpensive bikes and children's bikes, have a solid axle that can only be fitted with a 15 mm open-end wrench.

Bike tools are evolving

More and more practical Torx screw connections can be seen on modern bicycles. A future-oriented multi-tool should therefore have at least a T25 and T30 Torx wrench in its range.

Small ring spanners are less important on newer bicycles, since you will no longer see nuts (except 15 mm axle nuts) on the bicycle.

quality and handling

All of the tested multi-tools are of high quality and have a stable finish and have also passed the corrosion test, for example.

Light and compact is not everything

Nobody wants to be out and about with heavy workshop equipment in their jersey pocket, but nothing is more annoying than small, powerless mini tools that aren't even good for a very small bike breakdown. Tools that were too short were generally unusable in practice in some places on the bike, since the chassis of the tool hit the frame.

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