Cyclepro Ultra 5 in 1 multi-tool

Commanding the best part of 13 quid, Cyclepro's Ultra Five in One multi-tool looks overpriced and on cursory inspection indistinguishable from loads of others leaving Taiwanese factories in their millions. That said, the build quality is generally better than I've come to expect and it's certainly small and light.

You get 4, 5, 6 and 8mm Allen keys coupled with a Phillips screwdriver in a neoprene sleeve. It's undeniably Spartan but covers the usual suspects - mudguard, carrier and bottle mounts, rear mech hanger bolts, adjuster screws, Ahead/stems, seatposts, saddle cradles and so on, but it's too short to be used for brake levers and crank arms. Just to return to price for a moment you can get a 15 functions for the same money in the shape of the Lifeline multi tool, but not having used one I can't say how good those 15 functions are, but paying two quid more brings 10 function tools from the likes of Crank Bothers and Topeak in to range. Of course if you want something small less very often costs more.

Unlike soft, chemically dipped multitools, this is made from 6015-grade electroplated chrome vanadium, chosen for its rigidity and fatigue resistance. Although the joints were slightly arthritic - easily cured with a drop of wet lube – the tools never so much as flexed, let alone rounded when subjected to stubborn stem bolts, and the rounded aluminium side-panels fit comfortably in the palms when you apply pressure. Suspicious of modern decorative platings, I left this outside for three nights running and can report a distinct absence of orange taint.

The small body means you don't get a high amount of leverage here but, on the plus side, that means it's much harder to strip delicate threads and the stubby 4mm Allen key snuck perfectly into the gap between seatstay and chainstay bridge, nipping tight an errant mudguard bolt.

Verdict

Well made and surprisingly pleasant to use, but pricey for a tool with so few functions