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I want to add a little set of foldy pliers to my bike tools, always thought it was excessive but the last couple of hassly mechanicals I had would have been easy with a set, so, I guess I was wrong. I have a hexus multitool which is ace so not needing many tools on the pliers/multitool.
I think in Leatherman terms, smaller than a Skeletool. Which with them means the Squirt,which is a little smaller than I'd like but otherwise fits the bill. TBH I'd rather not pay Leatherman money for a tool I reckon I'd have used 3 or 4 times in the last decade though.
Any suggestions? I figure there's got to be good cheapies hiding in the forest of junk.
Gerber dime in my pack for exactly that.
Gerber dime here too, very handy.
Coincidentally, I lost a tiny spring from the scissor part last week, so I emailed the UK distributors to see if I could get a replacement. They said "sorry we don't carry spares, but we'll send you a whole new Dime on receipt of proof of purchase". That's pretty good.
I have a set of these in the pack on my bikes, only had to use them in anger a couple of times, but enough for trailside work.
I've got a real cheapo 'Rolson Mini Multi' tool thing I got from Sainsbury's for £5-£10. Quality is fine for emergency use - I only got it for the pliers.
I just carry a mini-pliers I got in a three-pack from Lidl.
The one with the curved clamp end, for versatility.
Gerber Dime
+1 to what Momo said. Tiny little fold up pliers that are useful for most emergencies and removing/replacing split-pins that retain brake pads, which is the main reason I got them for bike packing trips where I'm more likely to be stuck somewhere needing pliers...
As dannyh says,the wee Rolson mini is fine as a back up and the tips of the pliers are narrow enough to do fast-links.
The squirt is nicely made that gives it a performance better than the size would suggest.
You can pull splinters with them too.
Leatherman Style PS lives in my backpack (w. Topeak Hexus).
Small with very well made pliers, which have proved more than up to the task when needed on a ride:
Leatherman Squirt. If you file down the pliers just a touch they will fit inside a chain so you can use them to remove a quicklink.
+1 for Style PS. They can look bigger in photos than they are, they're almost Micra sized. I just wish you could get them with the knife of the CS rather than the teeny scissors.
I have had a dinky stainless TRUE utility plier/multitool for over 20 years and it’s still going.
Similar:
True Utility Tu91 Multimate
or
True Utility TU192 ClipTool
Wilco's on my bikes.
Cheaper than proper outdoors brands. Will still cut a gear cable.
Leatherman Style PS for me. Got it free with a Leica disto.
I got a pair of cheapy planetx ones when they were on an offer (about £3 now an exhorbitant £5). Work fine for a repair kit tool, pliers will pull a cable Ok, knife will slice cheese or sausage, won't cry at the cost only the bother if they get lost or damaged. Probably not dissimilar to the eBay or Rolson ones above.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJOSMT/jobsworth-folding-9-way-steel-multi-tool
Just relooked at description and you can open a tin of tuna, bottle of beer and file your nails with it! Lunch sorted at least.
Leatherman freestyle is slightly smaller than a skeletool.
Just pliers and a knife blade. Pricy though.
I got mine as a birthday present😃
I have one of these, the pliers one, in the SWAT box. I think mine came from Lidl
NOT the Gerber Dime - have tried 2 sets and when actually need to do a trail repair you realise how p!sh they are
I've got a Gerber vise for this, which really is teeny tiny smaller than a dime.
Knipex mini pliers wrench (the 125mm version). You can fix rims properly with them, do tubeless valves etc.
Or for even less weight and size, the 100mm Cobra XS is dinky small but a properly formed water pipe plier with jaws big enough for a cassette lock ring tool.
What repair were you doing? Obviously a sub 100g tool is not going to be as capable as a full size Leatherman.
Those Knipex Cobra things look capable.
Never mind all that fancy stuff, this is the best £5 you can spend (I bought mine a few years ago for £3.00)
Here they are in action
I've just bought a pair of those sub £5 ones from eBay that 2 people have posted on here.
I like the curved design so it won't spear me in a crash.
Good price too, £4.29 thanks to momo and jaminb.👍
Carry the pliers out of this set.
They’re cheap enough that I don’t need to worry about them, and they fit inside an old school puncture repair kit box.
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I have a cheapy but solid Stanley tool which had been in my bag for years unused until two weeks ago, coming down Maidens someone needed pliers and I was very happy to oblige!
Similarly I have a really small gerber tool. Not a current model but a bit like the Vise maybe, although mine's got less on and I think it's smaller. It is very flimsy as a multitool goes but being so small it's always in the pack, and can generally do the job with care. Has come out many times on rides over the years, not because one needs pliers often, more because on the occasions they are useful these are the only ones in the group.
I've got a SOG power-pint..Like this not the lightest, but will actually function as pliers as opposed to just looking like a pair of pliers.
Another Leatherman Squirt user. Mine even has my name on it!
Great timing from the OP as I was just about to order a gerber dime but think I might go for the ebay one. I only really want them to be able to take the split pins out of my deore brakes as the last time I had to change pads on the trail I ended up using a flat bladed driver from a multitool and I managed to drive the edge into my finger.
Shame Leatherman don't make the Juice series any more. I often carry mine - it's a bit heavier than most of the tools mentioned but is very capable.
@Momo, what's that seat pack you're using?
Watching with interest, I currently have a Leatherman Charge Ti as my trailside pliers but its rather heavy and I don't often use anything other than the pliers on it (and was a 40th birthday present so am a bit overcautious about losing it trailside....) so am after a lighter option with fewer tools I wont use.
Think I'll put a set of the Knipex Cobra XS on my Christmas list.....
Just orderd those ebay ones. The link above is sold out but there are others on there ith quick delivery from UK sellers.
£3.59 but only 4 left:
£4.98 loads left:
Thanks 🙂
I should probably say that I'm not using it on the MTB though, it's a bit too small to comfortably fit a 29er tube with the dynaplug and repair kit box (and tyre clearance isn't great with the dropper down/suspension compressed) so it's going back on the gravel bike (650b and I carry a tubolito) and have strapped the tube to the frame and carry the repair box and dynaplug in my pack/pocket
Rolson here too (I have the same one Tracey linked)
Actually I've two, one in the saddle pack on the CX and one in the waist pack for MTB.
I've owned a Leatherman Juice CS4 for about 20 years, and it's been fantastic. Such good quality. If Leatherman are still anywhere near as good as that, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a new one. I don't know what the current equivalent is called though.
Leatherman Squirt owner here. It's fairly bullet proof, Amazon says I've had mine in the bag for a decade now and it still look as-new. It's not been used much but when it has been used, it's been essential.
They turned up yesterday, very neat little things.👍
Had a look at the Leatherman site; wow they're quite expensive! I think I paid about £40 for my Juice CS4, some 20 years ago (and that was reduced from about £70). In my mind, they are worth the expense over other brands though.
I have a pair of the Knipex Cobra XS which apart from looking cute, are very useful.
I bought them after A pair of the cheapo eBay specials rusted solid after being in my pack for a few years. Needless to say I only discovered this when a tubeless valve failed and I couldn't undo the lock nut with my arthritic fingers. Luckily not far back to car, rolling on a flat tyre
Thanks everyone! I am now trapped in a Too Much Choice Spiral but I hope to get out again by the weekend