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Five cool things for when uncool things happen on your ride from Schwalbe, Wera, All Mountain Style and Squeeasy

Tyre levers, super mini pump, dual-use water bottle and frame protection

This week’s five cool things are a bunch of tiny things that can make a big difference to your ride. Leaving any of these at home has the potential to make a ride a painful experience... The list of things you should carry with you as a cyclist can be quite long, which is why multi-use products like the Wera set and the Squeeeasy bottle are pretty cool indeed - and save space in your back pockets. 

This is just a first look at the products, as they're currently meticulously put through their paces by our reviewers. New reviews go up daily, so do check the reviews page frequently - and if you're after only the very best scoring reviews, check out the road.cc recommends. Now, let's get into these wee cool things... 


Schwalbe Tyre Levers - £4.99

2023 Schwalbe Tyre Levers

Okay, a set of tyre levers is probably stretching the 'cool things' concept right up to its breaking point, but Schwalbe’s tyre levers come in a set of three and the brand promises they make “changing tyres a snap” which sounds pretty cool. There is nothing groundbreaking visually about these levers - but they should help particularly with popping difficult tyres on rims.

> Best tyre levers 2023 — make light work of puncture repairs and tyre swaps

You can clip the lever to the rim to fix the already mounted section of the tyre, and it should not slide out when the last section is levered onto the rim. That's the theory anyway, we'll find out how they perform in our upcoming review.

Read more

 

Schwalbe SOS Mini Pump - £35.99

2023 Schwalbe SOS Mini Pump - 2.jpg

Another one from Schwalbe, their SOS Mini pump is literally mini in size, being only 12.9cm in length. This means it fits easily in any jersey or can easily be attached to the frame of the bike.

> Best cycling mini pumps 2023 — tiny tools to get your tyres topped up

The Schwalbe SOS clamps directly on the valve without any screwing, which the brand says prevents abrasion and ensures a highly airtight seal. There is also an additional seal that Schwalbe says prevents dirt from getting into the SOS Pump and the anodised surface gives the aluminium pump a high-quality finish – so it looks every inch its £35.99 price tag… if how your mini pump looks are important to you.

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Wera Tools Bicycle Set 15 - £38.99

2023 Wera Tools Tools Bicycle Set 15 - parts.jpg

We first spotted this Wera Tools Bicycle Set at the Core Bike show back in February, and the way it combines a bunch of features impressed us. 

You might at first look think this is simply a set of tyre levers, but actually, you get a whole set of bike tools with two quadruple bits and three tyre levers. There are multiple different screw sizes ( 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 6.0 and TX25 bits) that can be operated with just one bit built into the tyre lever. 

Without going into all the details this small but mighty thing can do, to highlight the main features, it can also work as a torque wrench, valve ejector and bleeder valve, and has a lifetime guarantee. It’s really a bit of a do-it-all product.

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All Mountain Style Frame Guard Gravel & Road - £42.00

2023 All Mountain Style Frame Guard Gravel & Road - 1.jpg

All Mountain Style (AMS) frame guards for mountain bikes have been such a success the brand has now introduced a Frame Guard for Gravel and Road bikes. it’s made with a new thinner and lighter material better suited for the specific protection needs of gravel and road bikes, saving your precious frame from cable rubbing, scratches and minor impacts.

You get 12 parts for a universal protection system: 1 big part for the downtube, 2 long arrows for the fork or the seat stays, 1 big part for the top tube or the seat tube, 8 arrow parts for cable rub protection and areas where tyre fits tight with the frame.

Read more

 

Squeeasy PES Elite (750ml) - £21.99

2023 Squeeasy PES Elite - open.jpg

This water bottle is yet another multi-use product. The Squeeasy PES Elite is a dual fuel bottle, combining gels and water bottles into one.

> How to eat right for sportives and long rides

In essence, you have a normal 750ml bottle and inside it, a squishy tube where you can store one or two gels (without the wrapper). You choose whether you want to drink or have a gel with a switch mechanism on the top of the bottle. You can store 630-690ml of liquids in the bottle depending on how many gels you want to have.

Squeeasy says is in discussions with energy gel manufacturers and expects gel to be available soon in bulk rather than individual servings, which would further cut down on excess packaging.

Read more

Suvi joined F-At in 2022, first writing for off-road.cc and then road.cc and ebiketips too until August 2024. She contributed to all of the sites covering tech news, features, reviews and women's cycling content. A lover of long-distance cycling, Suvi is easily convinced to join any rides and events that cover over 100km, and ideally, plenty of cake and coffee stops. 

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8 comments

Avatar
henryb | 1 year ago
1 like

That Wera multi-tool looks very clever. I'd like to see a review that commented on how practical it is in actual use though

Avatar
kil0ran replied to henryb | 1 year ago
0 likes

I don't think it's actually a torque wrench, the description is a little ambiguous. I think what it means is that it's rated to deliver 10Nm, not measure it

Avatar
Cugel replied to henryb | 1 year ago
0 likes
henryb wrote:

That Wera multi-tool looks very clever. I'd like to see a review that commented on how practical it is in actual use though

I yam a sad Wera tool addict but haven't acquired that particular thingy. Compared to various multi-tools, it lacks various abilities and sizes. A 2mm allen key for the latest Shimano adjusters, for example.  A chain breaker. A JIS-Philips driver (and Wera are one of the few makers of Philips bits that provide a JIS-compliant version) for older Shimano adjusters. Etc..

Wera offer a range of what they call bicycle tool sets. Many are a bit inadeqate (like the one we're discussing here) whilst others are way over the top. No cyclist needs 9 or 10 sizes of bits for use on nuts, for example. 

I'd recommend Wera for the quality/fit of their bits as well as the versatility of their tool designs. Their torque wrenches are also very satisfying to use, especially the screwdriver types that do very low torques (0.3 Nm to 3 Nm).

But they cost the very arms and legs needed to ride the bike!

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 1 year ago
0 likes

Surely that combo bottle only works when the water is near full?  Aren't gels too thick to be sucked out solely by lung power?

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SimoninSpalding replied to Secret_squirrel | 1 year ago
0 likes

It would depend on the gels, High5 are nowhere near as thick as Clif for example and coincidentally High5 have recently launched bulk gel with a reusable pouch. Not of interest to me as I very rarely use gels, and the bulk pack only had a life of a month after opening.

Avatar
LastBoyScout replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
1 like

I keep my gels in the freezer - they last indefinitely, then

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galibiervelo | 1 year ago
3 likes

The Schwalbe are the best I have used in 35 years of biking, so good I only bring one with me in the tool rool.

Essential purchase.

Avatar
kil0ran replied to galibiervelo | 1 year ago
1 like

Completely agree. They're only let down by poor instructions which lead to people using them wrong. Originally designed to help fit Marathons they work brilliantly for tight tubeless tyres. Only lever which enabled me to get some GP5000 tubeless tyres on my rims.

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