# Topeak Alien 2 Multitool - OVERKILL ?



## Lucky10R (May 7, 2010)

Is the Topeak Alien 2 Multitool - OVERKILL ?
26 tools in one..

BE HONEST, have you ever used every single tool ever while out riding ?

If not, then which tool has the MOST useful tools and no extra unneeded ones ?


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

Box wrenches are useless on most bikes, and you get 2...
Knife, WTF?
Bottle opener... I prefer a sports drink on the trail!
Pedal wrench, very welcome although most pedals also have an allen slot on the inside.

I think Topeak forgot this should be a a tool for trail repairs... not a home shop on one tool


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## Birdman (Dec 31, 2003)

More appropriate for throwing in the gear bag for repairs in the parking lot. Not overkill if you're 8 miles from the trailhead and you actually NEED one of these "extra" tools.

The knife is good to have, but a carry a separate lightweight knife. Bottle opener? Box wrenches? Yup... overkill.

The Alien XS is a pretty good alternative. I have a much older Topeak Alien (content between the XS and the Alien II), and it's just about perfect. I still carry extra tire levers, though (Specialized Prybabies... awesome).

JMJ


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## mtnbiker72 (Jan 22, 2007)

Yup, over kill...I don't use a box wrench on a single part on my bike except a 17mm for hubs which also needs cone wrenches...none of which are on the tool

Bottle opener...well should you need one, clipless pedals work great

Knife...I have one clipped to the shoulder strap of my pack, there are potential situations where digging through a pack to find a knife would not be good.

The Crank Bros Multi 17 plus a couple tire levers has about everything you'll ever need


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## Lucky10R (May 7, 2010)

thanks guys...
i am currently trying to figure out which one to buy..
when I first researched, a lot of people say get the alien 2...
but i find it too much.. too bulky, with lots of extra tools I wont need..
I mean, I might need those tools...WHEN IM HOME... but I'd rather get the toolbox.

Anyway.. im leaning towards the CB 17... unless anyone suggests another.


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## lama (Feb 25, 2006)

I like the Topeak mini 18. It's got everything I've ever needed.


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## 05kas05 (Mar 20, 2010)

topeak mini 18 is what i have also so far it has everything i need but i do carry a couple of extra tire bars also.


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## Berkley (May 21, 2007)

Crank Brothers Multi-19. I've used almost every tool, with the exception of the spoke wrenches and the 8 & 10mm open wrenches. Durable tool with a high quality finish. Overall, one of the best bike purchases I've ever made.


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

mtnbiker72 said:


> The Crank Bros Multi 17 plus a couple tire levers has about everything you'll ever need


Exactly my "kit", cannot imagine needing anything else


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## bvibert (Mar 30, 2006)

Berkley said:


> Crank Brothers Multi-19. I've used almost every tool, with the exception of the spoke wrenches and the 8 & 10mm open wrenches. Durable tool with a high quality finish. Overall, one of the best bike purchases I've ever made.


Another vote for CB here. The spoke wrenches are actually pretty good if you should need them. I've even used them at home before I got a Park spoke wrench. It was much better than that circular all-in-one piece of crap spoke wrench that came with a tool set.


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## archer (May 20, 2004)

Not overkill.
If you need it and you don't have it then you are screwed.

I carry a lot of stuff I don't need every ride but then I've also been on rides where three riders clubbed up to find enough stuff to keep one guy going in the middle of a 15 mile loop. Last easy group ride a guy on a single speed 29er popped his tube and had no tools and no spare. Nobody else was riding a 29er but we got him down the next 8 miles with a cresent wrench (horizontal dropouts), tire levers and two 26" tubes required to fix his next flat. I bet he won't forget the tools next time he changes packs for an easy ride.

I've seen a couple folks drop brake pads, one guy lost a rear deraileur hanger bolt, two guys folded chains (one of which we got running with a Gerber multitool and a Crescent wrench).

The problem with the Alien XS (I think that's the small one) is that it isn't nearly durable enough if you really need to put some torque on something. 

If your bike is in good shape you probably won't need anything much beyond the ability to fix a flat or two. That said, if crap happens when you are in the middle of a 26 mile death march and there are climbs to get back to the trailhead and climbs to get to the shuttle vehicle then riding out is better than pushing out. One of my buds ended up leaving his bike last year and hiking out. Lucky when he got back a couple weeks later the bike was where he hid it and he could still find that location.

Then I'm obviously not a minimalist.

I carry more stuff when the ride is longer or the penalty for breakdown is worse.
That can mean a pump, tire levers, plyer multitool, 6" adjustable wrench, Topeak Alien, zip ties, patch kit and spare parts for my bike including a deraileur hanger, brake pads, spare section of chain leftover from the last change and a powerlink or two one or two spare tubes a small first aid kit and some munchies.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

I have it. So far I've used the allens, chain break, knife, tire levers, torx. I haven't touched the wrenches and don't expect to. I do like it though, it's very usable.


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## nickwm21 (Aug 15, 2007)

I suggest the CB stuff. You can take it apart and remove the tools that you dont use


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## Lucky10R (May 7, 2010)

For the alien 2 owners.. my simple question is.. will you ever USE all of the tools EVER in while riding ? If not, then it's a waste, right ?


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

It may be, but when you get it as a gift, why replace it?


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## Lucky10R (May 7, 2010)

SuperJETT said:


> It may be, but when you get it as a gift, why replace it?


thats way out of the question though :thumbsup:


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

Yes sometimes something goes wrong and you caN'T fix it but minimal bike maintenance will go a long way. I only carry a CB17, tire levers, spare tube, pump and co2 cartridges. Anything else is superfluous, if it breaks on the trail, it happens but I won't start bringing a BB tool jsut in case, sicne they never loosen. Why woudl I bother with a casette tool? Just in case somebody I cross on the trail has a centerlock that got loose??? Come on let's get real. Do you always bring a new fork with you, just in case it explodes?



archer said:


> Not overkill.
> If you need it and you don't have it then you are screwed.
> 
> I carry a lot of stuff I don't need every ride but then I've also been on rides where three riders clubbed up to find enough stuff to keep one guy going in the middle of a 15 mile loop. Last easy group ride a guy on a single speed 29er popped his tube and had no tools and no spare. Nobody else was riding a 29er but we got him down the next 8 miles with a cresent wrench (horizontal dropouts), tire levers and two 26" tubes required to fix his next flat. I bet he won't forget the tools next time he changes packs for an easy ride.
> ...


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

I almost never use a multi tool on the trail. I can only think of one time in about 8 years, where it actually bailed me out. I've loaned one out to a fellow rider a few times for adjustments.

I carry a Topeak Mini 6 and a separate Park CT-5 chain tool on my MTB. 

Outside of major tools like bottom bracket tools, cassette tools, derailleur hanger alignment gauges, etc. most fasteners are a 4/5/6mm hex head. If I could add one tool to my Mini 6, it would probably be a spoke tool.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

My wife/I were riding Friday morning when she noticed she was bleeding (thorn or something got her) so we stopped to clean her up and put a bandaid on. Some rider comes along up the hill and 5' from us his chain broke.

He didn't have any tools at all. I gave him a quick link and used the chain break on my Alien II to remove the rest of the link that snapped so he could get going, all within 3 minutes.

That guy must have said thanks like 4 times.


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

SuperJETT said:


> Some rider comes along up the hill and 5' from us his chain broke.
> 
> That guy must have said thanks like 4 times.


I was in that situation once. I was riding with my dad, and his chain broke. Neither of us had a chain tool. We were very lucky to be bailed out by some riders more prepared than we were before long, and they repaired the chain.

Since then, I have been better prepared.


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## archer (May 20, 2004)

PissedOffCil said:


> Yes sometimes something goes wrong and you caN'T fix it but minimal bike maintenance will go a long way. I only carry a CB17, tire levers, spare tube, pump and co2 cartridges. Anything else is superfluous, if it breaks on the trail, it happens but I won't start bringing a BB tool jsut in case, sicne they never loosen. Why woudl I bother with a casette tool? Just in case somebody I cross on the trail has a centerlock that got loose??? Come on let's get real. Do you always bring a new fork with you, just in case it explodes?


You seem to be annoyed that I carry anything you don't feel the need to have.
Just because I carry a couple multitools that have come in handy and some parts I've seen break on the trail you extend that to what sounds like most of a spare bikeshop.

Take your own advice.


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## Lucky10R (May 7, 2010)

SuperJETT said:


> My wife/I were riding Friday morning when she noticed she was bleeding (thorn or something got her) so we stopped to clean her up and put a bandaid on. Some rider comes along up the hill and 5' from us his chain broke.
> 
> He didn't have any tools at all. I gave him a quick link and used the chain break on my Alien II to remove the rest of the link that snapped so he could get going, all within 3 minutes.
> 
> That guy must have said thanks like 4 times.


i understand the chain tool on the alien 2 helped.. but what about the rest of the tools ?
Just for display ?


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

fbauto1 said:


> i understand the chain tool on the alien 2 helped.. but what about the rest of the tools ?
> Just for display ?


Read my other replies, it was a gift and no, I haven't used the wrenches and don't expect to, but it was a gift, so why replace it just to save a few ounces.

/not a weight weenie


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

I have used the wrenches on bikes with rim brakes. For my FS bike with disk brakes, any small mini tool with a # 5 hex and the smallest Park Tool chain tool will do.


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

archer said:


> You seem to be annoyed that I carry anything you don't feel the need to have.
> Just because I carry a couple multitools that have come in handy and some parts I've seen break on the trail you extend that to what sounds like most of a spare bikeshop.
> 
> Take your own advice.


I'm not annoyed, but sometimes you have to know where to stop. The only spare I carry is spare powerlinks and a tube. You know you can always go SS or deal with most problems later after the ride by being gentle or whatever depending on the problem at hand.

Anyways, you do what you want I'm just not the type to prevent too much and I beleive this tool is overkill, I would never have bought it.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

PissedOffCil said:


> The only spare I carry is spare powerlinks and a tube.


Just a powerlink wouldn't have helped the guy whose chain broke next to us last week---he had no way to get the rest of the broken link off without my chain break.


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

SuperJETT said:


> Just a powerlink wouldn't have helped the guy whose chain broke next to us last week---he had no way to get the rest of the broken link off without my chain break.


I said the only SPARE I carry. I always have my CB17 and tire levers with me... In fact I could live without the powerlink and just shorten my chain but to make things quicker, I carry 2 of them since it's so small.


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## SuperJETT (May 28, 2008)

Gotcha, my bad for not reading carefully enough.


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## Robb Thundr (Apr 16, 2010)

i miss my crank bros multitool, i lost it on the trail a couple weeks ago  I was thinking about the alien 2 as the replacement if people find that its useful both on the trail and off since i dont have a home tool kit. If its not then i might just get another crank bros. I really liked it. But def need more tools so maybe the alien 2 or the crank bros and start building my home tool kit.

what bike repairs, adjustments can you make with the alien 2?


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## archer (May 20, 2004)

The powerlink works fine if you are going to shorten the chain or it is an outside link that gets damaged.

The guy who folded his chain on his second flat managed to tweak an inner link. With the Gerber plyers and the crescent wrench we were able to straighten it out enough he didn't have to shorten the chain. The half dozen links I carry off the last chain replacement would let us replace it at the same length without fiddling with it or shortening it. No repair time difference for maybe an ounce weight penality. As a bonus you get the same performace you started with and still have the option if you have a really bad day of making the chain shorter if you rack it up again.

Like I said before, I carry more stuff when it's a longer ride and while taking the time for a repair 100 yards from the shuttle may not make sense avoiding walking ten miles out is worth avoiding.

IMO there isn't a multitool out there that makes a good home repair kit. The multis are made for emergencies and aren't as beefy as shop tools need to be.


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## Robb Thundr (Apr 16, 2010)

man i held an alien II in my hands the other day, that thing is heavy


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## DSFA (Oct 22, 2007)

I still have and use my old Cool Tool that I have had for eons.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

"Not Overkill"...have you ever been buttloads of miles from nowhere and needed something you didn't have? Then again...I carry too much crap anyways,LOL!


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## Lucky10R (May 7, 2010)

longhaultrucker said:


> "Not Overkill"...have you ever been buttloads of miles from nowhere and needed something you didn't have? Then again...I carry too much crap anyways,LOL!


"something you didn't have"

THe question I asked initially is simple..
Will you EVER used all of the tools in the Alien2 while riding?

A bottle opener? Come on!


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## Robb Thundr (Apr 16, 2010)

they had a bottle opener on the multi 18 i think, its the one i ended up with. Its more of a novelty type thing id say. Its thoughtfully done though, lighter than the alien though. My gf just ordered one so i'll let you know how they compare. Cause her heavy a** bike needs more weight...


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

Yesterday I was in Kingdom Trails. Saturday, I checked my bike to prevent any problem for yesterday's ride but I forgot to check the fork, I knew I had to, it started to feel squishy. So after half an hour I realize my fork is soft as heel and I have no shock pump with me. I could obttom out the fork by simply puching my weight on it. Well I rode another 4H being cautious not to bottom out the fork and everything went fine. No need for the extra tool, just liek so many things on that multi-tool.

You might disagree, I believe you can live with most problems unti l the end of the ride.


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## bvibert (Mar 30, 2006)

PissedOffCil said:


> Yesterday I was in Kingdom Trails. Saturday, I checked my bike to prevent any problem for yesterday's ride but I forgot to check the fork, I knew I had to, it started to feel squishy. So after half an hour I realize my fork is soft as heel and I have no shock pump with me. I could obttom out the fork by simply puching my weight on it. Well I rode another 4H being cautious not to bottom out the fork and everything went fine. No need for the extra tool, just liek so many things on that multi-tool.
> 
> You might disagree, I believe you can live with most problems unti l the end of the ride.


But, for how little a shock pump weighs wouldn't it have been nice to not have to ride the last 4 hours cautiously, worrying about the fork?


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## archer (May 20, 2004)

A shock pump isn't something I normally carry but I know several people who do and I usually have one in the trunk.


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

bvibert said:


> But, for how little a shock pump weighs wouldn't it have been nice to not have to ride the last 4 hours cautiously, worrying about the fork?


I learned to ride smoother? hehehe
Yes it would have been nice but for the last year I would have ridden with a shock pump I didn't need...


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

fbauto1 said:


> "something you didn't have"
> 
> THe question I asked initially is simple..
> Will you EVER used all of the tools in the Alien2 while riding?
> ...


Really? Of all the responses on here that _didn't_ directly relate to a direct answer to your question,and you pick mine to comment on? 

And yeah,I've used the bottle opener on it,but technically you'd be right...it was _after_ the ride. rft:


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## Lucky10R (May 7, 2010)

longhaultrucker said:


> Really? Of all the responses on here that _didn't_ directly relate to a direct answer to your question,and you pick mine to comment on?
> 
> And yeah,I've used the bottle opener on it,but technically you'd be right...it was _after_ the ride. rft:


geez.. no pun intended


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

LOL! Sorry,my Brother...I was particularly sensitive earlier today  :cornut:


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