Topeak Alien II

I remember the first time I met the Topeak Alien 2. It was thanks to a Navy man who wanted it for is on the road bike tool. He went on to do several triathlons.

I wish I had bought this tool when I first got started in cycling. It has everything you need. Instead, I fell for the much bulkier, Park Rescue multi-tool.

In two words the Topeak Alien 2 is:

Sexy.
Overkill.

The Topeak ALiEN 2 Is The Fix-All Be All Tool

I will be honest. I like minimalism when cycling. Especially when it comes to repair tools. After all, there are some things that simply cannot be fixed out on the road.

There are three reasons I would suggest this multi-tool:

You are planning to ride with a lot of new riders who have poorly maintained bikes.
You are going to use this tool as a primary repair tool for maintaining my bike.
You are a mountain biker. Everything happens to those guys and always at the worst possible time.

Topeak ALiEN II

Topeak Alien DX 27-Function Bicycle Tool

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Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool

~~$46.96~~ $39.95

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Prevention is Best

There is no good reason to lose a headset while riding. Check your bike every ride at the critical wear points. Listen to it and know if it sounds right. Paying attention can help save you a lot of hassle (and expense)

Having a well maintained bike greatly reduces the amount of tools you have to carry with you.

And so, I got to the point where I never brought tools along. Just an extra tube and a CO2 container.

The Topeak ALiEN 2 For Maintenance

The Topeak ALiEN II is a great one for maintenance because it has everything. It has the simple stuff: tire levers, bottle opener, the most common torx and allen wrench sizes for bikes and basic box wrench sizes.

What really makes this tool so versatile is that it has some of the more intricate tools such as a chain break (and a chain hook!)so that you can do your own yearly chain swap. It also has spoke wrenches which you will likely use on a monthly basis to keep your wheels running true.

And the ALiEN 2 really goes a lot further than other multi-tools even including a (small) pedal wrench for field emergencies or swapping pedals between rides.

Plus, since it comes in its own container its easy to slip into an under-seat bike bag. It is a bulky enough tool that I wouldn't want to carry it in my jersey -- although you really could.

And, in case you are worried about how will be able to work around the bulkiness of the tool, Topeak has already beat you to a solution. The ALiEN 2 disassembles, making it easy to use each tool.

It's no wonder this is the tool that Navy guy wanted to take with him on his triathlons.