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The morning I tried to fix my bike chain at 6am in the rain and snapped my only Allen key in half
I was on the side of the Burlington bike path in a downpour, covered in grease, and had to walk my bike 3 miles to a gas station that didn't even sell tools - has anyone else had a simple repair turn into a whole morning disaster?
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angela_harris1mo ago
Read in a cycling group that a guy carries a tiny multi-tool in his saddle bag specifically for this reason, but honestly even that seems like it could break in the rain. Your Allen key snapped, that's brutal, I've had a pedal wrench slip off and strip a bolt on a wet morning. Ended up having to call my brother to pick me up at a diner an hour later.
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henryp401mo ago
The problem with those tiny multi-tools is the metal they use. Most are made with cheap alloy that just can't handle real torque, especially when things get wet and slippery. A proper Park Tool or Pedro's wrench will cost more but won't snap on you. I keep a small folding hex set in my saddle bag that's actually built for bike repairs, not just general hardware. Even then, I always test a bolt's tightness before I really lean into it. Diner pickups are a rite of passage for cyclists though, every rider has one of those stories.
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