I’ve got a long history with mini-tools. I got caught with a mechanical on my very first ride on a good road bike and found myself walking home in the dark. Those early mini-tools were inadequate enough to cause woe. Later, when tool makers realized that situations could arise out in the wild in which a rider might need such items as 2 or 3mm Allen wrenches or a 14-gauge spoke wrench, a race emerged to see who could shoehorn in the most tools into the smallest space.
And you know what we got? A chain tool that could hurt to use, a 3mm Allen wrench that couldn’t reach water bottle bolts and a mini-tool that destroyed inner tubes. How’s that for multi?
With that backdrop, I submit the Reflex Fixed Ratchet Kit from Feedback Sports. Now, Feedback Sports is known for producing tools largely for home and shop use. I love their stuff, so when I heard about their first set of tools for on-the-bike use, I was intrigued. Okay, so here’s what it is: First, it comes in a small, zippered folding case that measures 9.5cm x 8cm and roughly 3cm thick at its thickest, or about 3.75 x 3 in. and just more than an inch thick. Inside there are two mesh pockets to hold everything and the everything is considerable. There’s a small ratcheting handle—we’re talking 7.5cm long and two sockets, one fixed and one that is a 5Nm torque socket.
For bits, it has 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm Allen keys, T10, 25, and 30 Torx heads and an SL3 screwdriver bit, which is a small flat-blade screwdriver. There’s room enough in the case to add a couple more bits if necessary, like an 8mm or Philips. The ratchet handle has three different sockets—two fixed in addition to the ratcheting one in case the angle of attack is odd.
It goes for $70. When I first mentioned this on The Paceline Podcast it wasn’t yet out, but it’s now available. Given all the different on-the-bike tool kits I’ve reviewed over the years this is by far the best. The case is durable and yet small enough to fit in most anything. It also has a loop on the back so that a seat bag strap could be passed through in case someone doesn’t have room in their tiny seat bag.
I’ll follow up at some point in the future once I’ve had a chance to drip sweat on it for a few months and find out just how stainless the steel is.
Final thought: With this, I can do away from home what I would do at home.