Pretty much everyone whose ever slung a leg over a road bike in anger will, at some point in their cycling lives, have bought a multi-tool.

There are literally hundreds of them available from a veritable cornucopia of different brands, and the whole process of choosing one can seem so overwhelming that’s it’s tempting to grab the nearest choice and dash to the tills.

But in truth, they’re not all the same, and they’re certainly not all equal. A poorly chosen multi-tool can leave you stranded miles from home with a set of slipped handlebars or a broken chain and that panic buy in your back pocket mocking you. While you shelter from the rain and ring your other half and try to convince them to pick you up, you’ll be wishing you’d paid a little more attention when you made the purchase.

At the very least, you need to check what fittings you have on your bike before you even think about buying one. That way you won’t end up with an adjustment you need to make, but no tool to make it. It’s an easy mistake to make, but it’ll save you potential embarrassment and inconvenience in the future.

With that in mind, here’s what you should look for in a multi-tool to ensure you have everything you need at the roadside.