Skip to main content

SKS Tom 18 multi-tool


This versatile if slightly stumpy tool comes with a small Neoprene posing pouch with TOMTOOL on the side.

With 18 tools the SKS is inevitably heavy. At just 7cm the Tom is stubby, while the 5cm girth can make tight access difficult. The bolts of the aluminium frame are recessed in rounded domes, however, so comfort at high leverages is adequate.

Tools include a tyre lever, brake pad separator, bottle opener, and more. Unfortunately though, some of the casting is very rough, and deep gouges from the machine that bent them around on the axles make it look cheap. The chrome-vanadium bits are well shaped at the tips however.

The simple stretch-fit pouch weighs almost nothing and stops the thing from gouging at fragile things such as phones in your pack, and the mysterious orange bit? It holds a spare Shimano chainpin, which you’ll need once you’ve used the chaintool, which also doubles up as a spoke wrench.

Versatile, but bulky for awkward spots and middling in look and feel.

Tools
- 2-6mm and 8mm Allen keys
- T25 Torx
- Crosshead and flat screwdriver
- chaintool
- Chainpin holder
- G14 and G15 spoke keys
- Pad separator
- Tyre lever
- Bottle opener

Weight 180g

Price 40$


Labels

Popular posts from this blog

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

READ MORE >>

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

READ MORE >>

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

READ MORE >>

SKS Airbuster CO2 inflator

The alloy Airbuster has a large knob so you can regulate the flow of gas, a mechanical stop to prevent the cartridge being pierced in transit and a dust cap to keep the valve free of debris. While it works with Presta and Schrader valves, switching between them requires a fiddly change of the valve head. The thin rubber sleeve doesn’t provide much protection from cold spent canisters. You can’t insert much of the valve into the inflator head, so you have to be careful to avoid leaks. Price $33 w/16g cartridge

READ MORE >>

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

READ MORE >>