Wolf Tooth Bar Kit One | Never Be Tool Free

Wolf Tooth Bar Kit One Encase System comprises of two bar end tool cases, housing everything you would hope for in a multitool. At one end there is a a selection of hex, torx and screwdriver bits. At the other there is a tubeless repair kit and a chain tool.

Having never used a bike mounted tool kit before, I’d have assumed the Wolf Tooth Bar Kit One Encase System was a bit of a gimmick. Most people carry a pack on them, and even those who don’t are going to have a pocket to shove a multitool into. So going in as a cynic with a very spacious hip pack and a good set of tools on me, I’m glad to have been proven wrong on this one.

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Fitting

The heat shrink rubber pictured above is a custom fit for different bar diameters. I’m running some Spank Oozy 35 bars, so Alloy, and I needed the rubber shim. I guess some carbon or steel bars may not have such a wide diameter and could take the tool storage without the need to fit these, but it wasn’t much faff and in less than five minutes with a hairdryer, I had secured them in place. The first time I put the bar end and storage sleeve in I didn’t think they’d ever come out again – it’s a really secure fit, yet easy enough to get them out when needed.

The casing is a flexible rubber and the tools themselves have a hinge, meaning they can fit into a drop bar. I was sceptical, yet proven wrong.

Multitool

This set comes with a spoke wrench, valve core wrench, flat head, Phillips, hex 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 8mm, and T10, T25 (T30 Torx compatible). The tool bits are held in by magic magnets, and there’s just enough space around them to nudge them out with your finger. Good luck keeping your gloves on with this one though. It’s a very dainty set, and you simply can’t get a hold of the bits with anything thicker than a light summer glove.

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One of the pivotal moments in my time with this tool was when I needed to loosen a stem bolt that Chipps had tightened up. The hinge at the bit end means you have a great amount of leverage for such a small tool, and being a swivel head you can keep flipping the tool over as you make rotations. The fact it is hinged there also means you can get to pretty much any bolt too.

Tubeless Repair

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I haven’t needed to use the tubeless repair on the trail yet (thank you Stans Race Sealant) but I used a donor tyre to see how this tool fared. You unscrew the sword, grab some bacon, flip it around and screw it on the end it came out of to give you a decent sized handle. The bacon is a bit fiddley to get out, but other than that the tubeless repair worked a treat.

Durability

I’ve not had this toolset fitted for a long time, but (don’t hate me) I ride a lot more than the average rider, and in the space of a month I have used it more than I expected to in a year, mostly because it’s a new bike and I’ve had endless faff with the cockpit.

The fit is as snug as it was the day I first installed it, the bar ends are covered in scratches from me dumping my bike on the ground, leaning it against walls, and I have crashed on them. It’s all surface damage that you would expect with any bar end.

Overall

The advantages of a toolset that’s always on your bike are clear – you don’t have to go into your pack, you always have tools on you even when you really don’t expect to need any, and it’s just one less thing to think about when packing a bag.

The Wolf Tooth Bar Kit One bar ends are surprisingly solid and can take serious hits without breaking, the tool itself is really well designed and it should fit almost any set of bars. Bonus – you can store an emergency fiver in there for a spontaneous pint.

Review Info

Brand:	Wolf Tooth
Product:	Bar Kit One
From:	https://saddleback.co.uk/
Price:	£127.00
Tested:	by Amanda for 1 Month

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