Lightweight, packable spanners...

deejay.

Just bought a Pearson Hanzo for winter training, which I will ride fixed. This being the case, I will need a spanner or spanners in my jersey pocket for wheel removal in the act of changing the inevitable p******es. Does anyone have any suggestions for something nice, lightweight and easily packable?

Cheers,

Deej

ademort

I would look at your bike and see what size spanners and allen keys you need and then search for a suitable multi-tool that fits the bill. Compact easy to carry and far better than lugging a bunch of spanners round with you all the time.
Ademort

andrewgturnbull

Hi Deej.

The problem with the wee lightweight box spanners is that they're usually just not long enough to get any half decent leverage - and riding fixed you usually want those track nuts done up *really* tight. If they're not tight then they'll creep in the dropouts, you'll loose chain tension and risk dropping the chain (I guess you could use chaintugs, but then that's something else to undo).

Personally I just carry a single full size 15mm ring spanner - if you don't want to put this in your back pocket, the correct 'old school' technique is to duct tape it to your seat tube.

Cheers, Andy

Mister W

I've got one of those old school flat bike spanners with holes to fit every bolt on the bike (well, every bolt on the bike I had when i was 12!). I do have to stand on it to get the nuts tight enough but for an emergency it does the job.

deejay.

Cheers all!

Deej

owenlars

Buy the track spanner that Pearsons sell, the one with the bottle opener attached, suspend disbelief as you hear the price (it is the same wherever you buy it) and put it in your fixed kit pack. It does the track nuts perfectly, and opens all known beer bottles!

lae

I made a lightweight toolkit for touring and stuff, which included two long double-ended spanners (so four sizes in all, enough for all my bike). Buy a good make (Halfords Pro are extremely good for the money and have a lifetime guarantee). The longer ones they do give you easily enough leverage.

Monty Dog

Lezyne do some nice 15mm spanner / built-in tyre levers. There's also a Pedros tool that can be mounted on the bottle cage mounts. I use a 3/8" T-bar socket driver and 15mm socket - fits neatly in you rear pocket. Alternatively, a cheap 15mm ring spanner is just as effective - cut off the end you don't want!

Cunobelin

Just being picky......

Leaving any tool on the bike is an invitation to thieves to strip the parts.

A Dumbell spanner in your pocket will do the job.