Mountain bike brands continue to fill every open hole that a bike must provide, and since last year’s concealment tool review, a large number of new concealment tool options have appeared. For bicycles that do not have a beautiful storage box in the down tube, we have collected some of the latest ways to carry things without a bag.
Just for fun, how many gear storage devices can be installed on a bicycle? Install OneUp EDC Lite or Granite Designs STASH on the top of the steerer tube, you can install a Giant Clutch Fork Storage bracket at the bottom, install tire repair or multi-function tools at both ends of the handlebar, and put some zipper boxes, Fizik between them Alpaca tools and two Co2 tanks under the saddle, industrial No. 9 Machstix skewers tool, Syncros Matchbox Coup cage multifunctional tool, with OneUp pump and multifunctional riding sidecar, a giant clutch crank storage tool, and a Muc- The closed BAM tank is tied to the frame together with the lightweight Schwalbe or Tubolito tube, and the others are bolted to the Wolf Tooth dual-bottle adapter. What did we miss?
The Dynaplug Covert Kit hides the brand’s beloved puncture repair tool in a set of ODI locking handles. Each handle has a tool and two plugs screwed into the outer locking ring, and installation is as simple as sliding on a new set of handles. Everything is well sealed with gaskets to prevent water from entering your bar, and because of the structure and processing quality, everything can be tightened (and unscrewed) smoothly. The weight of each handle of my test unit is about 77 grams when using the tool, while the weight of the PNW single-sided locking handle I used in the garage is 47 grams.
The tool protrudes about 1 cm from the end of the handlebar, increasing your usual handlebar width by 20 mm. I must have scraped some trees during the test, but now I am used to the reduced gap. The Dynaplug Covert kit retails for $69.99.
Fidlock has been developing innovative ways to carry equipment and water on the bike, and this year they launched Toolbox. Toolbox weighs about 140g and has a space of 550ml. This material is waterproof, and there is plenty of room for necessities. The cargo box should be able to easily fit mountain bike inner tubes, tire levers, carbon dioxide, small multi-function tools and snack bars or some gels. Toolbox does require a two-bolt bottle cage bracket to hold the base, so for those who only have one bottle cage on a bicycle, this will be a difficult choice. Nevertheless, Fidlock sells Toolbox with a uni-base for an extra $10, which is a base with a set of straps so that the rider can install it wherever there is space, instead of being confined to a cage.
Alpaca Tool Carrier was just released this fall, and we received some inquiries about installing it on saddles of other brands. The tool holder houses a proprietary multi-function tool with a built-in CO2 inflation head and two 16 or 20 ounce spaces. Screw firmly into the air reservoir of the housing. There is a bolt in the center of the bracket that can be paired with two Fizik gravity saddles, and the zipper ties on both sides further fix it on the saddle rail.
We tested Alpaca on a carbon fiber Syncros Tofino saddle, and the system can be tied to the rail well with only two cable ties. The whole thing is kept quiet, there is no reason to worry that it will loosen. Users will want to make sure that the carriage is tied to the rail as far back as possible so that their legs do not touch the front of the CO2 cartridge, and there is room for this forward position to install a spare derailleur hanger under the saddle .
The tool itself is very small, but feels very sturdy and can be sorted by roadside. When using a Co2 inflator, opening and holding the tool helps to provide a larger handle when inflating.
Giant Bicycles has many hidden tools to fill the different ports around the bicycle. Their clutch fork storage plug can be used to fill various things in the steerer tube, and the brand has a CO2 nozzle and foam sleeve in case you want to use it to inflate. The bottom of the plug is magnetized to keep the gas tank quiet while riding, and it remained quiet throughout our testing. The plug is quite tight and needs to be twisted and pulled hard to loosen it.
The clutch crank core storage tool is one of the better crank-based multi-function tools we have seen. It comes with several steel C-clamps to occupy the space between the crank arm and the tool and to strengthen the magnetic attraction of the carrier. Unlike any other weird tool, we have not managed to lose this tool, and it seems to fit well.
The multi-function tool itself is very similar in size and function to the OneUp EDC tool, and a chain breaker at the far end can solve most transmission system emergency situations.
Finally, the Giant Clutch Bar End Storage cylinder is equipped with a piercing plug tool and five plugs at the end of the handlebar. The carrier is very light and may not be able to withstand too many tree inspections or collisions. Twist the tool handle to tighten the plastic compression plugs so that they fit snugly against the end of the rod. Following the theme, we haven’t managed to lose any of them on the road. The tyre plug tool is quite lightweight and may work best with thinner XC or light off-road tire tyres.
We have conducted a comprehensive review of the Granite Design STASH multi-function tool. This latest RCX version uses a compression plug in the steerer tube to make installation easier. Abandoning the brand’s original full-bolt penetration system and using compression plugs also means that the tool can be installed in a carbon fiber front fork steering gear. Riders can now install a bracket in the carbon steering gear of their dirt road whip and exchange tools between it and their off-road machine. Check out the full review for more details.
Back to the handlebar jam, Muc-Off has a new puncture filling tool that can be inserted into that hole. Like the Giant rod end tool, the Stealth tubeless puncture plug is secured in place by an expanding compression plug. Unlike those lightweight plugs, the Muc-Off bracket is made of stronger CNC 6061 aluminum and screwed to the rod with a 4 mm hex wrench. These suckers did not appear by accident, they will definitely survive the impact and tree trunks of several seasons.
The tool handle is very sturdy and can push the plug into the thick tire casing, but be careful when trimming the excess with the included shiv. Stitching will make the ride worse, rather than rushing repairs can improve it.
OneUp has a new EDC steering gear tool, they call it EDC Lite, which abandons the front fork steering gear thread, chain tool and CO2 holster in favor of a very simple small device. They asked the riders which EDC tools they used most often and cut them down from there. The multi-function tool is installed in a plastic tube, and once you hammer it to the correct depth, the plastic tube is screwed into the star nut to tighten the earphones. A long bolt is used with the carrier to strike the star nut, using the top cover as a guide.
Although this new system is beautiful and super lightweight, it can also be hacked. You can tilt the fork to lay flat, slide the fork compression plug together with the bracket into the steering gear, and then slide the plug another 5 mm deep and tighten it in place. Boom, you can use the bracket to screw the headset into the plug like a star nut, minus the permanence. Now, when it is necessary to sell a fork or install a different tool system, there is no star nut in the middle of the steerer tube. The EDC Lite in the picture above is bolted to the compression plug.
The tool is as sturdy and useful as ever, and easier to extract than previous versions.
The same tool can be installed in the EDC pump with the original EDC tool frame kit. The pump includes a bottle cage mount, allowing the rider to find a pipe installation location, with almost nothing else. We received the smallest 70cc version, which seems to be able to inflate the tires well, and only carries a multi-function tool or 20 g CO2 canister. If you need an air option, the larger 100cc model can be fitted with tools and CO2.
The pump body is made of aluminum, and it feels like it can be filled with hundreds of tires before being recycled. The handle is larger than a typical MTB handle, and it is very comfortable to hold while exercising one arm.
Syncros has multiple versions of bottle-cage multifunctional tools, and Tailor IS will be one of the lightest. The cage is installed on both sides, depending on which hand the rider prefers to drink water with, while the bottle keeps the tool still and quiet. Although the tool is also held in place by the pressure of the cage, in the unlikely event that someone manages to grab the bottle on a path that is rough enough, it may pop out. Maybe don’t do that.
The tool has a beautiful palm-sized frame, which is very suitable for roadside repairs. The attached chain tool seems to be strong enough to roll home at a single speed and multiple times. Hopefully this is a tool that riders use only once every five years or so. There is a huge T30 driver and a Mavic spoke tool. I’m not sure if most people need it on the track, but the rest seems to fit well.
Finally, we return to the handlebars of the EnCase system with Wolf Tooth Components. The tool is stored in the handlebar by a rubber carrier, which must be cut to reach the proper size. In order to install them in my Syncros Hixon handlebars, I ended up trimming a lot of the outermost rubber rings and a lot of flaps that wrap the tools. If the fit is too loose, you can add several sets of rubber O-rings. The business end of the operator is a large piece of aluminum, which can ensure the safety of the system.
These two tools cover most of the roadside repairs, and the rotating head on the side of the hex wrench allows full leverage for all drill bits. You need to be careful when holding the handle. The tool head is held in place by a magnet and a pair of rubber bands. If your hands slide just right, they may fall when you twist the handle. I learned this the hard way, it’s not so easy to dig out those eight rubble from loose soil.
As we expect from Wolf Tooth, these tools themselves are durable. The tire plug fork has a small alloy base that can be reversed and screwed onto a larger handle to help push it through the double-layer housing.
“But I don’t want to tie things to my beautiful paint job!” With the B-Rad wristband and accessory bracket, you don’t have to do this. This sweet gear belt is the same as any other belt, but its aluminum base is connected to the bottle cage mount, so it never has to touch the bicycle. The medium-sized strap can accommodate inner tubes, tire levers, and CO2 tanks, and has a large foam at the bottom to eliminate vibration. Wolf Tooth also has some Roll-Top bags, if you want to keep your gear closed, they can be fixed on the same base.
If your bottle cage has a lot of space, you can use the brand’s B-Rad dual-bottle adapter or extension mounting base to add a second one.
I would like to know which hideouts people think are the most effective and easiest to obtain. For me, it must be a handlebar/handle: easy to install, enough space, and easy to access on the road.
I have a granite design collection. I like how it fits on the bicycle and is easy to use. My suspicion is that I adjusted the front caliper on the road last week because I encountered brake friction, and the 5mm Allen key is not long enough. When the tool body touches the caliper body, the tool will prevent the Allen key from engaging with the bolt. This does not allow contact with the bolt. I had to borrow another multifunctional tool from a friend. There is no chain breaker (I know I can install it on the end of my bar), and now 5mm cannot be used for common adjustment needs…to the next product to try. Super disappointed.
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Post time: Sep-14-2021
