Giant ToolShed 13 multi-tool

Giant's ToolShed 13 is a comprehensive yet sleek multi-tool that will have you covered for most road and trail-side emergencies.

This has a great range of Allen keys: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8mm. It also has a large (PH2) Phillips head screwdriver, an SL5 slotted screwdriver and a T25 Torx bit.

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On top of these you get specialist tools including a chain breaker, a valve core remover and a tyre plug tool (there were no plugs with the one I tested, but consumer versions apparently come with some). All of these sit neatly inside machined aluminium side panels.

The whole thing tips the scales at only 115g, and its 78 x 48 x 8mm dimensions will hardly take up space in your pocket or saddle bag either.

All the tools are of sufficient length for trivial adjustments, and sturdy enough to handle very tight bolts (I held all the compatible bolts in a vice for testing extreme torque). The keys certainly handled more than the pressure that would be required for any roadside fettling, but then they're quite short.

While something larger – with longer keys – would be less fiddly for awkward-to-reach bolts, but there's always a compromise if you want something light and compact. Levering the keys out is also as you'd expect on a small, compact tool - you'll get nowhere with thick gloves on. They all pivot well though; not so loose they're awkwardly floppy, but not so stiff you can't get the swines out.

The chain breaker is pretty impressive for such a small tool, and doesn't require much more effort to remove a pin than a full size one. This is a plus; I've had multi-tools 'chain breakers' that don't even break a chain...

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The valve core remover and spoke keys are integrated into the chain breaker, and unscrew easily from the pin. I had no problems with the valve core remover on all of my wheels, while the spoke key was good if a little fiddly to make full turns with. This won't be a major issue for most roadside adjustments; often only a small tweak is required to get you home.

However, it's not going to work well with something like a Brompton wheel, or anything with 40 or more spokes.

Value

The £20.99 price is attractive; you can easily spend more on cycle-specific multi-tools. Topeak's Tubi 18 for instance is a good alternative, if better equipped for punctures than spoke or chain repairs, but will set you back £37.00.

The Crankbrothers F10 will save you some weight, but focuses on keys over any other tools and still costs £7 more than the Giant. The F15 version adds functions but is £39.99. Even Merida's no-nonsense 20 IN 1 offering is £24.99.

Overall

I'd say you are getting good value for money with the ToolShed, and a good array of bits. It's only as fiddly as any compact design, and its size, robustness and weight are great – especially at the price.

Verdict

Great multitool with more tools that many similarly sized options, and an attractive price