Let’s be honest … there’s a real chance that things like pumps and multi-tools can be a bit boring. They’re very functional items that hide away in your pack and occasionally get pulled out in a hurry for a minor trail-side repair… before being resigned to the deep again.
Crank Brothers however do a very good job of turning these utilitarian items into tiny works of art that look, feel and perform beautifully.
The b17 is a new addition to the Crank Bros range and despite not being in the ‘Premium’ line up looks and feels premium quality. The finish is great and the 230g weight gives it a rock solid, reassuring beefiness despite being the size of a small mobile phone.
Rather than your usual ‘multi-tool’ the b17 is effectively a mini socket-set. The body of the tool acts as the driver and the various attachments are stored neatly inside the body of the tool in rubber holders. You pull the appropriate tool out of its rubber holder, fit it into the magnetic socket and get fixing. There’s also a chain tool for fixing links on the trail.
With 17 tools packed in to the b17 it’ll solve plenty of the hassles that you’re likely to have on the trails. The socket-set approach and lack of longer allen-keys will limit you’re ability to reach bolts that are tucked away (ISCG, some linkeage bolts) but generally it should have you covered.
Perhaps the best feature is that it comes with a 5 year warranty which says a lot for the faith CB have in their product.
And the price? A bargain at £30.
weight: 230g
sidebars: stainless steel
tool bits: stainless steel
chain tool: #0, #1 spoke wrenches
hex bits: 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
screwdriver bits: 1-phillips, 2-phillips, 1-flat head, 2-flat head
torx bits: t-10, t-25
warranty: 5 years
More from us once we’ve tried to use the b17 to solve mid-ride faffing…
More from Crank Brothers here.
Do you have a b17 or another Crank Brothers tool in your pack? What do you think of it..?
