The drivers are very well machined and the metal tyre lever is beautifully scalloped to minimise any pinching or gouging, but is strong as an ox and slides around the rim beautifully.

If I have one criticism, it’s that the phillips could be a little more crisp at its point, for getting in to the finer cross-heads.

I was reminded that there is no flat-head on the Rap-6. No coins in my pocket, obviously. Frank, I nearly cussed you but I remained calm, didn’t insult the Founder, and was able to use the side plate of the tool to pop open the light.

Phew.

So if you have a light that requires a coin to pop open, the side plate will work. Hopefully none of you need to give this a go though.

Haven’t had to use it yet, but it’s nice to shed some weight.

Might be the best $6 I’ve spent in the cycling world in a long time.

They have sales every other day though, so not to worry if you can’t get it order before midnight.

As with anything, the more one learns and knows about a subject, and the more experience one has with a particular interest, the more one finds the need to “upgrade and replace” for no other than reason than it “seems right” to do so. This particular “unwarranted” purchase seems quite right to me.

Chris – good point! I never thought about running it as a single speed and getting home that way. Should I ever shift that poorly again, I’ll keep this in mind.

Did i jinx myself by talking about this earlier in the week or was it luck that I reminded myself how to deal with a terminally damaged rear deraileur? Who knows but no better time to put to test than 15 miles into your first group ride with a new club.


It seemed like a perfectly normal shift, but it sheared across the point where the lower limit screw passes through the deraileur body. Felt a bit under pressure with ten or so strangers watching me put theory into practice but with the aid of a borrowed power link I was up and spinning at a very high cadence on the new CAAD8 single speed.

I don’t think I got the chain line quite right as it kept trying to drop a gear under pressure which locked the whole lot up so I called it quits and headed home. We were 15 miles out and close to a railway station but it still had to get me another 8 or so miles back to the car at the other end.

I’ll stick with the Crank Bros 19

…you can get it in/out more easily, and without also accidentally dropping your phone/wallet/etc.

I can see the whole style thing working with less bulky pockets and that I’m probably less likely to spill my crackberry and other accoutrements along the road when I pull my waterproof out but I really can’t see how carefully folding said waterproof and slipping it back between my jersey and bibs while on the go is less likely to result in my untimely demise than simply stuffing it back in my jersey pocket.

I will, however, give it a go if it rains on my morning ride which being England in the summer is highly likely.

@Ron

Frank – that makes perfect sense regarding your choice of multi-tool. I shall put the RAP6 on my list of bike wants, but it might bridge up to bike needs before the race is over

Looks like Nashbar has them for $6.99. Might not break the bank.

Nice tip frank. Just ordered it.

Whatsmore, it looks ridiculously pro to be able to retrieve and use things from your jersey while on the move. Gels I cn do, but donning a waterproof on the go without killing myself is the target!

Excellent observation. Just go Casually Deliberate and grab things from the pockets. Also, if you stop putting your vest/rain coats in your pockets, but instead fold it flat and slide it between your jersey and your bibs, you’ll be even more Pro. Very slick way to carry that stuff; not as bulky that way as it is in the pockets, and you can get it in/out more easily, and without also accidentally dropping your phone/wallet/etc.

Frank – that makes perfect sense regarding your choice of multi-tool. I shall put the RAP6 on my list of bike wants, but it might bridge up to bike needs before the race is over

Looks like Nashbar has them for $6.99. Might not break the bank.

If I used a EPMS and wasn’t forced to empty out the articles after each ride and relaod before the next, things would inevietably be taken out in the interim and would never quite make it back in. Either that or it would become infested with mouldy used gel packs.

Whatsmore, it looks ridiculously pro to be able to retrieve and use things from your jersey while on the move. Gels I cn do, but donning a waterproof on the go without killing myself is the target!

sgt – Do you mean the outer limit screw on the RD? I’d still have to manually move the chain, right? The cable was completely snapped and pulled right out.

And I have nothing but praise for a well-fitting jersey. I like older pro team jerseys, got some off of the bay, but the pockets sag and flop. Finally paid up and got a nice, new Mavic jersey. WOW! Fits like a champ, nice and short, tight, and the pockets sit high on my back and what I stuff in them stays in position. I’ve seen the light! Now I just need to find a good sale from a dealer who will ship me another few Mavic jerseys to the U.S. Most of the UK dealers won’t send it over here.

Frank – that makes perfect sense regarding your choice of multi-tool. I shall put the RAP6 on my list of bike wants, but it might bridge up to bike needs before the race is over…

And for those places when I ride out of cell phone coverage, I have van support. Merckx dammit, I’m a bike rider, not a radonneur.

Frank, why do you think this Lezyne is superior, aside from weight? Just think the chain tool & flat head screwdriver are excessive? I’m curious. The only time I’ve used my tool on the road is for seat post adjustments or to make sure my stem face plate is snugged after swapping stems. I always like to check before a big downhill.

In the end, it’s all about weight, minimalism, and reliability.

The problem with the crank bros is the weight and bulk of the tool, not it’s quality. The Lezyne has everything you need, works as well or better, and is much more compact and light. Real estate is short in the jersey pockets, and you don’t want your jersey sagging. Plus, we go through all this effort to get our bikes and bodies light, why carry a heavy steel tool with components on it you don’t need? You don’t need both a phillips and a flat-head screwdriver; all critical screws on a bike (i.e. derailleur adjustment screws) are made to accomodate both. Choose one or the other, and dump the chain tool; I love the idea of the quick link in the pocket if you feel you need to protect against a broken chain (Thanks @Marcus!)

The RAP6 is super light and super compact. It stows in the jersey without leaving any hint that it’s there. Add to that a very lightweight tire iron like the Mavic one or the Lezyne irons, a lightweight chuck, and you’re in great shape towards a very lightweight, bulk-free set of tools for the ride. CO2 cartridges weight about the same, but some are a bit lighter than others…I haven’t found the Lezyne cartridges for sale separately yet, but I bet they are light. Also, latex tubes, while expensive, are also very light and would lighten the load even further.

@sgt

Not if your kit fits. Besides, are you really suggesting that full pockets look less pro than an EPMS? Really? Seriously folks, rationalize seat bags (or other Rules violations for that matter) any way you want, EXCEPT THIS WAY.

A+1.

In June I snapped a right shifter cable. No tool could have saved me from that long ride in, 103*F, in the 12, and only big/small rings.

Au contraire… with a Phillips you can crank down your limit screw to get you onto a 15-18 (i.e., middle of the cassette), which makes a long ride back a bit easier. I try not to let chains get to the point here there’s a risk of breaking (knock wood), so a chain tool isn’t critical for me.

@Nof Landrien

Jersey pockets usually full of phone, key, gels/bar. Don’t like squeezing puncture repair paraphenalia into jersey pockets as (a) weighs jersey down, which gets pulled in a manner that doesn’t look pro

Not if your kit fits. Besides, are you really suggesting that full pockets look less pro than an EPMS? Really? Seriously folks, rationalize seat bags (or other Rules violations for that matter) any way you want, EXCEPT THIS WAY.

Two years ago on my Worst Shift Of All-Time I ripped my derailleur hanger off. Again, no tool could have fixed that.

With the deralier out of the way, you could have used the chain tool to shorten the chain and run it single speed. Not much fun if you’re a long way out but good enough to get you home.

I’ve got the CB 19 and I might not have used all of it but I’ll stick with it. Having the spoke key might even prompt me to learn how to true a minor kink and wobble caused by an unavoidable pot hole…

This:
http://www.crankbrothers.com/tools_multi17.php

Frank, why do you think this Lezyne is superior, aside from weight? Just think the chain tool & flat head screwdriver are excessive? I’m curious. The only time I’ve used my tool on the road is for seat post adjustments or to make sure my stem face plate is snugged after swapping stems. I always like to check before a big downhill.

All I’ve ever really used are hex wrenches, but having a Phillips & a Torx seem like a good idea.

Yep, my bikes are all in good form too. Aside from punctures I have very few mechanical issues on the road. In June I snapped a right shifter cable. No tool could have saved me from that long ride in, 103*F, in the 12, and only big/small rings. Two years ago on my Worst Shift Of All-Time I ripped my derailleur hanger off. Again, no tool could have fixed that.

Just when I think I have my gear sorted, one of you dicks gets something better and ruins it for me. Damnit. Now I need the Lezyne chuck and the Lezyne multi-tool. Bastards.

I did pick up the Lezyne Caddy Sack and despite the Reverence from others, it’s too bulky for me. I’m sticking with my Sci-Con pocket protector.

GREAT tip on the cap on the valve when carrying the tube as a spare. That makes sense.

Jersey pockets usually full of phone, key, gels/bar. Don’t like squeezing puncture repair paraphenalia into jersey pockets as (a) weighs jersey down, which gets pulled in a manner that doesn’t look pro and (b) empty space in pockets often required for arm warmers once removed and rain jacket (required a lot of the year where I am). And I think its one less thing to think about in the morning if you know puncture repair kit is already mounted on bike.

Getting the feeling the first thing I must learn is that there is no spoon.

This story of derring do also exposes his tyre skills too.

Sheeit, what did you do when the Shimano 11 failed you? Phone the Broom Wagon? Take the bus with your bike on the front?

I’ll have to check this tool out. I like Lezyne pumps and am pretty happy with my Crank Brothers m.t., but one can always upgrade.

It’s total garbage when a tool doesn’t work. “You fucker, you were built to do one thing, and you can’t do that right. Bastard you are.”

I can take Adrian all day long, I can have Slash come by every fifteen minutes and call me a bitch, and it will never scratch the surface. But an inanimate object that disobeys my will? Fucker is going down. I have no patience for that shit. Little basterd should do as I say, and that’s it.

I managed to hobble home in both cases, but I did so angrily. I keep my bikes in tip-top shape and find it inexcusable to have a mechanical on the road, let alone one I can’t repair quickly.

@Blah
No worries, you can be forgiven for the assumption that the old tool was also Lezyne.

@eightzero: Valve stem caps keep your tube from getting self-punctured from rubbing on the metal core whilst bundled in your seat bag. Once the tube is installed into the tire their presence is no longer necessary.

All true. Good tip.

Speaking of Lezyne, however, I recently added this bad boy to the road satchel, and it’s everything it’s cracked up to be. I also picked up this for long mtb rides. Maybe I’ll write up a review, if it wouldn’t cause too much discomfort for everyone…

Sheeit, what did you do when the Shimano 11 failed you? Phone the Broom Wagon? Take the bus with your bike on the front?

I’ll have to check this tool out. I like Lezyne pumps and am pretty happy with my Crank Brothers m.t., but one can always upgrade.

It’s total garbage when a tool doesn’t work. “You fucker, you were built to do one thing, and you can’t do that right. Bastard you are.”

Frank, it’s a rest day! Go take a rest & quite writing awesome articles!

The person that figures out how to securely carry CO2 canisters in the seatpost so they don’t rattle around in there will be hailed as the next Tullio.

Thanks Frank. And may Merckx bless.

Big call to demote a Lezyne due to manufacturing issues and promote… a Lyzene. Are the 3 and 4mm allens even different parts or are they shared between the two tools?

The demoted tool is made by Shimano, not Lezyne.

Yeah, it’s a monster when your tools don’t work. The issue with both the 4 and 3 was that they were not perfectly hexagonal, in one case they would not fit in the bolt at all, and in the other they stripped it because it wasn’t seated properly. Massive bummer. Had to get a screw extractor to pull the bolt.