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Lezyne Ratchet Kit

8
£40.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Faster and easier to use than a multi-tool, very nicely made and a good price
Pleasing quality
Ratchet and comfy leverage very useful
The extension is well shaped
Good price
Easy to knock lever and reverse ratchet
Bulkier case than strictly necessary
Weight: 
139g

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The Lezyne Ratchet Kit is a pleasingly small and well-made tool set that makes life much easier than a multi-tool does. It could be packaged a little more slinkily, but the case otherwise works well – and as this takes standard bits and 1/4in drives, you can add extra tools very easily.

While this is more expensive than a multi-tool that can do the same things, it does offer several benefits for the premium.

Firstly, the ratchet means you don't have to constantly remove and refit it in awkward bolts just to make the next half turn.

Secondly, the tiny spanner handle is much easier to deal with around cables and tubes when space is tight, and it gives secure, comfortable leverage as it's not flopping about on a hinge. It deals with stem bolts in seconds, for instance, without getting tangled in hoses or cables.

Thirdly, if you use the 40mm extension you can spin the bolts out with your fingers as soon as they're loose, which really speeds things up. There are knurled sections on each end for grip if your fingers are oily.

> Beginner’s guide to bike tools

In its case this is chunkier than most multi-tools (if not much heavier), and a bit too big for minimalist road seatpacks. That's a shame. To be fair, Lezyne aims this for use 'in your hotel room before race day or at home at your workbench', and the tough little case is perfect for that. It's a bit of a missed opportunity, though.

> Six essential tools for cyclists who do their own bike maintenance

The tool can pack down very small – either by ditching the foam inner and just keeping the soft case, or putting the bits in a small bag and stashing the tool loose. Like that it's more than happy in a road bike's small seatpack, and only weighs 103g.

2022 Lezyne Ratchet Kit - pouch.jpg

The only issue I had using this was occasionally knocking the lever and reversing the ratchet – mostly if I wasn't using the extension – but that's more because the tool is so small than anything.

I actually found it easier to use with the extension whenever possible, as if you're working on very small bolts the natural two-handed grip works really well for keeping it in the bolt as you crank. With wider hex bits in (they run from 2mm to 8mm) it's naturally more stable in the bolts and very easy to use with one hand.

2022 Lezyne Ratchet Kit - ratchet tool 2.jpg

The steel bits are held in firmly in the extension by a magnet (if there's one in the case as the blurb claims, I can't find it), and even under heavy force the metal feels hard and unlikely to round off.

As they're a standard size, any third-party bit will work in there too, plus sockets and the like will work with the appropriate 1/4in adapter in the ratchet. Handy.

Value

At £40 this is a fair bit cheaper than its real competition. The Wera Bicycle Set 3 is £89.99, for instance, up a few quid since Iwein tested it in February, though to be fair that does include sockets as well as the ratchet and bits.

The Park Tool QTH-1 Quick Change Bit Driver Set is also portable and effective, though it's quite a bit chunkier and not ratcheting and costs £69.99. Stu tested that one last year.

> Buyer’s Guide: 10 of the best cycling multi-tools

If you just want to get the job done, though, something like the £20.99 Giant Toolshed 13 Multi Tool has much the same functionality bar a couple of Torx sizes. There's no ratchet, and it's chunky, but you do get a chain tool, a valve core remover and a tyre plug tool.

Conclusion

If you want something more efficient and easier for constant fettling than the usual multi-tool, this kit is ideal. It's very nicely made, slim and cheaper than many options. With bits and a ratchet in standard sizes it's very easily expanded, too, plus if you ditch the case it's a very packable size and weight for road use.

Verdict

Faster and easier to use than a multi-tool, very nicely made and a good price

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Lezyne Ratchet Kit

Size tested: One size

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Lezyne says: "A durable and compact chrome-plated ratchet tool designed for on-the-go use, the Ratchet Kit is perfect for making adjustments, whether that's in your hotel room before race day or at home at your workbench."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Lezyne says: "The fine-tooth ratchet mechanism offers speedy engagement for quick adjustments in even the tightest spaces. The hardened CRV bit selection has been optimized for modern road, gravel, and mountain bikes and comes paired with a machined-aluminum extension adaptor. An integrated magnet in the included soft-shell carrying case holds tool bits securely in place."

WEIGHT: 140g

TOOL BITS: Hex 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8mm

Star Shaped T10, T25, T30

Flat Head

Phillips-Head

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Far nicer to use than a multi-tool.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

The extension actually makes this easier to use comfortably (even if you don't need the reach), and there are knurled sections for grip.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

You can get the same functions with a multi-tool for less, but the shape of this and the ratcheting head mean you're getting far better performance. It's also significantly cheaper than many ratcheting rivals.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well. It's small, easy to use and effective – far nicer on the road/trail than a multi-tool.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The quality, and the usefulness of the extension.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The package could be smaller.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

At £40 this is a fair bit cheaper than its real competition. The Wera Bicycle Set 3 is £89.99, for instance, though to be fair that does include sockets as well as the ratchet and bits.

The Park Tool QTH-1 Quick Change Bit Driver Set is also portable and effective, though it's quite a bit chunkier and not ratcheting. It's £69.99.

If you just want to get the job done, though, something like the £20.99 Giant Toolshed 13 Multi Tool has much the same functionality bar a couple of Torx sizes. There's no ratchet, and it's chunky, but you do get a chain tool, a valve core remover and a tyre plug tool.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is really well made, easy to use and effective. It's more expensive than a multi-tool, but it's far nicer to use as well. If it was packaged with more attention to space-saving it would score higher still.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 183cm  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,

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3 comments

Avatar
Prosper0 | 1 year ago
0 likes

With tools it's always better to go outside ''cycling" brands. The similar comparable Wera compact Wera set tool 9 is less money than this and higher quality using stainless bits. You'd be mad to buy this. Lezyne is expensive and poorer quality for the same price. 

The review value comparison against the Wera 3 set is simply not right, you get twice the tools in that Wera kit. 

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 1 year ago
0 likes

You can get the Silca T ratchet for £50.   Nicer compact pouch and more versatile T or L bar imo, and up to 3 hex bits in use at the same time.

I would swap out one of the torx bits for a flat head driver and add a H8 bit for pedals.  There is room for 2 more bits attached to the t bars for storage.

I have one and use it in preference to getting my full set of ball end Allen keys out. 
https://scribecycling.co.uk/products/silca-t-ratchet-kit

The version reviewed by Road.cc here includes a torque attachment hence the price doubling. 

https://road.cc/content/review/227244-silca-t-ratchet-kit-ti-torque-kit

Avatar
billymansell | 1 year ago
0 likes

You could buy a Sealey micro ratchet and a set of Wera hex bits for £30 (I paid about £24 a couple of years ago).

To save space I recycled a couple of the rubber strips you can get for holding hex bits, I threw away the cheap bits and inserted the Wera hex bits I need to carry for my bikes, all held together with a band from a piece of old inner tube.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-AK6962-4-inch-Stainless-Ratchet/dp/B00K1...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BNGH4HG/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_titl...

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