In the second of our “be prepared” series to help you complete your sportive, we look at two more saddlebags and three multi-tools, following our earlier look at Lezyne’s Micro Caddy.
Topeak’s Survival Tool Wedge II is a medium-sized saddle pack supplied with a 17-piece tool kit that includes an foldable Allen key wrench, a chain breaker, a spoke key with fittings for Shimano, Mavic M7, and 14 and 15 gauge spokes, and a traditional, open ended 8mm and 10mm spanner.
Two tyre levers, glue-free patches, and flat and Phillips head screwdrivers are also included. The tools are stored in the upper of two separate, zipped compartments, leaving space in the lower deck for an inner tube.
The pack is made from heavy duty nylon, and attaches to the saddle rails with Topeak’s QuickClick attachment. A high visibility rain cover is supplied, and reflective detailing and a light clip on the rear make it suitable for use at night.
Another offering from the Topeak stable is the Aero Wedge Pack. Also available in micro, small, and large, we have the medium. Like the Survival Wedge described above, it attaches and detaches from the cycle via Topeak’s QuickClick system in which a plastic housing on the top of the pack slides on and off a separate fitting that attaches to the saddle rails. A fabric loop at the front, secured with Velcro tabs, holds the pack to the seat post. Access comes via a zipped hatch at the rear of the pack.
The Leyzne SV10 includes six Allen keys (two, three, four, five, six, and eight millimetre), a Phillips-head screwdriver, T25 and T30 Torx heads, and an ingenious CNC-machined chain breaker for nine and 10-speed chains which folds down into the body of the tool. Lightweight at 101 grams, and made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel with “Leyzne”-engraved sideplates CNC-machined from 7075 aluminium, this offering at £34.99 sits in the middle of Lezyne’s multi-tool range, midway between the £79.99 carbon V10 and its chrome vanadium, nickel plated equivalent at £26.99.
Park Tools’ I-Beam 1 has five Allen key fittings (three, four, five, six, and eight millimeters), with the eight millimetre provided as a detachable attachment from the six millimetre key. A short, flat-bladed screwdriver is also included. Tipping the scales at 61 grams, it’s light, but with forged Allen keys, and a forged “centre beam” should be tough as well.
For riders seeking a single tool with the most popular sizes of Allen keys, Park’s AWS-11 includes six different sizes: three, four, five, six, eight, and 10mm. Made from industrial steel, what it lacks in weight saving, it is likely to gain in durability.
