I need a small bike tool to take on rides with some of the standard allen key sizes AND a small pair of pliers to remove that stuck valve nut when a tubeless puncture requires an inner tube repair and your fingers just can’t grip that little ring of steel.

Loads of Allen key sets. Loads of plier tools. Sod all with both.

Anyone found something like this or am I reduced to lugging a Leatherman round as well, just for the plier tool?

An alternative approach…

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-tubestubeless-tyre-spares/problem-solvers-big-pnut/

I just pop a mini-pliers in my fannypack.

Good link but there are a few other occasions where I need pliers. I might buy those anyway though.

fannypack!?!?!?!? I carry my tools and spare tube shoved inside a water bottle as it is easy and stays on the bike. Not as much space as I would like which it why I want them combined

Leatherman crunch (sort of mini molegrips) is a good tool, but heavy and costly. The jaws are strong enough to straighten out chain rings. You need a separate bit holder and bits.

Leatherman crunch – seems to have the pliers and a couple of screw drivers. Any way of getting allen keys etc.

I have a pair of pliers that I can put in the pack alongside a pack of allen keys but was hoping for something combined

An alternative approach…

That’s quite cool!

Does it have to be one device? If all you need is a couple of Allen keys and a pair of mini-pliers, just carry those. A multi-tool is a compromise device carrying several tools you’ll never need and not carrying the one that you do, in an inconvenient-to-use format.

Not that I can talk, I carry two multi-tools “just in case,” an Alien II bike tool and a mini Leatherman something-or-other with pliers on. Juice or Squirt or something.

Maybe there’s legs in an “EDC: Bike Edition” thread? I’d be vaguely interested in what useless shit everyone else lugs about on a ride.

The Crunch has an aperture that takes a standard bit holder. I.e. still separate but a good tool none the less.

Maybe there’s legs in an “EDC: Bike Edition” thread? I’d be vaguely interested in what useless shit everyone else lugs about on a ride.

+1 though the existing edc threads have probably covered it already.

£12 for 2 valve nuts ! Always fancied a leatherman crunch, but if I remember it’s quite heavy, esp when I realised I’d still need a bike multi tool as well.

If your needing pliers just to remove valve nut your putting it on too tight in the first place I’d say.

Don’t use them to tighten it as well.

When installing a valve just push down (hard) on it from the rim bed with your thumb and tighten the nut as best you can by hand. By pushing down on it you get a few more turns on the nut which seems to do the the job.

Doing this I’ve never had valve leaks and never had problems removing them when a tube was needed.

I do this on customer wheels as well and never had one back due to problems…

There are some multitools with an inbuilt bit-driver, and I’ve got a little flat reversible ratchet-driver, and a couple of sets of sockets and bits including screwdriver, Allen and Torx, which I always used to carry in a small pocket in my shorts, or in my hydration pack. Takes up very little space, and a small pair of pliers tucked in wouldn’t add much. I more often carried my Gerber MT900 multitool, just because it had cutters that would chop through a frayed end of a gear cable like cutting cotton.

I have a ‘ratchet rocket’ or something like that which is basically a miniature socket wrench that takes standard bits and came with a range of Allen key ones. About the size of a king sized ciggie which indicates how long I have had it.

I only used the valve nut as an example. I was trying to indicate that I just wanted some light weight pliers / cutters rather than something I would use in the workshop.

Here is one I have mocked up using my amazing graphic design skills

An alternative approach…

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-tubestubeless-tyre-spares/problem-solvers-big-pnut/

£11.99

Or the alternative alternative – 2 wingnuts – £0.14p

i asked a similar question last week WCA, but there didn’t seem o be anything available.

The best solution I have found is to take a Skeletool:

Leatherman Skeletool® Pocket Multi-Tool – Stainless Steel

and a leatherman bit set:

Leatherman Bit Kit Set

This just about does what I want, but means I am also carrying around a long, lockable blade, which could get me into trouble.

fwiw have you stuck all the various tools or multi tools on some scales? I have different tool kits for various sports and it often works out lighter having proper individual tools rather than a multi tool. Also nicer to use

kormoran – For me it is more about convenience and size rather than weight but I am thinking I will end up just buying some little pliers. The folding ones are easier to store in the water bottle carrier though as the handles don’t stick out when I am not using them.

That Leatherman mention earlier with the ratchet in the handle is pretty close to what I want just with too many things I won’t use making it bulkier and heavier than ideal.

The Crunch has an aperture that takes a standard bit holder

I have a Crunch, but never really used it – where’s the bit holder/aperture? I’ll have a look tomorrow

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/LZQ360]IMG_20211224_092437~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/V8xN57]2021-12-24_09-29-09[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

Just looked for the Crunch on Amazon and it had this as an alternative that definitely has the bit holder and is only £22.99. What are the chances of the pliers not bending the first time I try to grip something?

If you’ve got the very small leatherman pliers then it’s a squirt, the next size up is the juice. Both ranges now discontinued sadly. Have both types, plus a few others like a Wave, mini tool and skeletool.

I’ve had a toolkit refresh. As part of that I picked up a Topeak ratchet rocket lite dx+ which really does work very well, and paired that with a Leatherman Bond. It’s slightly heavier than the skeletool but lighter than my juice (although that was the bigger XE6 version)

Topeak ratchet rocket dx+ is about the same weight as my Crank Brother M19.

The problem with the leatherman bit kit (which I also have), is the bits are too small to be able to tighten something up properly (like the 6mm bit), and it’s too long to fit into narrow spaces. I had that problem recently with my M19, hence why I picked up the ratchet rocket. It was the lightest, smallest bit driver socket style ratchet I could find that was nicely organised. Other options from Wera, Bosch and Silca, among others, but they also don’t have chain breakers.

singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/allen-keys-and-pliers-on-ma-multitool#post-12437990

On the crunch you unscrew the adjuster to remove it. The bit holder is the hole that remains.

I’ve been wanting a bike mini tool that included pliers for a long time, it’s def something that’s over looked. Although, that wing nut idea is a good one! What size wingnut for a valve stem then? Does anyone know?

For small Leatherman pliers there’s the Leatherman Style PS which works well as a portable bike tool together with a multitool like the Topeak Hexus X:
https://packhacker.com/travel-gear/leatherman/style-ps-multi-tool/

I carry a OneUp pump with tool. I have the chain pliers / tubeless repair tool in the lower half of the pump.
The chain pliers should remove the valve nut if required.

I also carry Granite Talon Tyre Levers strapped to a spare inner tube, with a Park Tools tyre boot. These sit with a couple of CO2 cartridges, zip ties etc in a Zefal saddle pack under the saddle.

Presta is 6mm, if I’ve used the micrometer correctly. Might look at getting these.

And also look for a leatherman crunch as well, as why would you not.

6mm wing nuts

If you’ve got the very small leatherman pliers then it’s a squirt, the next size up is the juice. Both ranges now discontinued sadly.

Just looked on Amazon, they still sell the Squirt.

Looking at the listings there, that’s not what I have. Mine is either a Gerber Dime or a cheap copy of it.

https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/tools-maintenance/tools/wolf-tooth-8-bit-pliers-in-black__25784

Valve nut pliers and hex bits as requested, BUT £57!

That Wolf-tooth tool is so close to what I’m after, but the pliers are chain link pliers rather than real pliers.

Good find though.

I have the wolf tooth pack pliers but also carry a leatherman

Leatherman squirt, juice and style ranges are discontinued. You can buy new old stock from other retailers but not from leatherman. They’re not making anymore. I know this for a fact because I spoke to them about a warranty replacement for a broken squirt, the warranty replacement for a squirt is a micra. Very disappointed they’ve stopped them as I thought they worked really well. Now have a gerber dime on my keys. I think it’s an inferior product to the squirt, but does have a useful couple of functions

That Wolf-tooth tool looks great!

As far as using bitdrivers are concerned, there’s a tiny little ratchet driver that’ll take all standard bits, and will allow access to the sort of small spaces you’ll find on a bike. I’ve just ordered one, having seen a work colleague using one.

Its called a Yayang reversible ratchet screwdriver.

Was gonna say they wolf tooth pack pliers, I have the first gen and have used the pliers on valve lock rings a few times, pretty sure they are designed for it too.

No way I could justify the price nowadays.

pretty sure they are designed for it too.

Yep, says so in the description on the link above…

I bought the Gerber Dime Mini Multi-Tool which has a pair of pliers after getting stuck without pliers. The multi tool is tiny and I use it as a key ring so it’s with me all the time. I also have a proper bike multi tool that I take on rides. I couldn’t find a good bike multi tool with pliers so this solution works better for me.

I use things like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143649810247?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=OYX4k3bqT7-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=2UNxNdOAQ16&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

The mucoff valves have a hex fitting on the stem and spanner flats on the nut which may remove the need for pliers

I carry a set of cheap folding pliers.

A guitar wrench may work?

Small multitool (I use Topeak Mini 9 I think) and a Gerber Dime.

Gerber is tiny and works well on valves lock rings etc.

It may or may not get round needing pliers, but I saw a tip somewhere that you can cut sections off a Biro and use those as spacers between the rim and the valve nut to make it easier to get a grip on the nut.

Not tried it yet though!

A Knipex pliers wrench in 125mm flavour will work well here. It won’t cut anything, but the pliers are strong enough to bend rims safely alongside an Allen key.

Or a Knipex Cobra 100mm – even smaller but lacks the force multiplying effect of the Pliers wrench.

My toolkit is a Topeak rocket ratchet kit with a tiny chain tool robbed off something that broke and a Style PS (it even has tweezers for picking glass and flints out of your tyres).

Victorinox Cyber tool M could be an option. The pliers aren’t great though.

Also Victorinox Ranger Grip 174 Handyman, at a price.