Every rider has a multitool somewhere. In a saddle bag, rattling loose in a jersey pocket, or lost in a drawer with half its bits missing. The real question isn't whether to carry one, it's which bike multitool you'll be glad of when you're stuck at the roadside with a soft tyre and somewhere to be.
This guide skips the marketing and looks at what a multitool needs to do, the one job most of them get wrong, how the big brands stack up, and where our own ML125 fits. We make multitools, so we're not pretending to be neutral, but everything here is the advice we'd give a mate.
What a good bike multitool needs to do
It's tempting to buy on the number. Thirty functions sounds better than fourteen. But a big function count and a genuinely useful tool aren't the same thing. Most riders only ever reach for a few of the tools they carry, and the rest is there to pad the spec.
What matters is that the jobs you'll face are covered and done well: levering a stubborn tyre off and back on, fixing a slipped or snapped chain, nipping up a loose bolt on a saddle, bars or cleats, and sorting the odd spoke. Cover those in something light enough to carry every ride, and anything extra is a bonus rather than the reason to buy.
The job most multitools get wrong
Here's what the spec sheets skate over. Almost every multitool is built around its hex keys, and the tyre lever, if it has one at all, is an afterthought: a thin, bendy thing that fights a modern tubeless tyre and can score your rim on the way off.
That's the wrong way round. A puncture is the most common roadside job there is, and a weak lever is what leaves you stranded. Strong hex keys are easy to make. Tyre levers that shift a tight bead without bending or marking a carbon rim are the hard part, and they're the part that counts when you're stood at the verge in the rain.
What to look for
A few things separate a good bike multi tool from a drawer-filler:
- Tyre levers that actually work. Stiff enough for a tight bead, smooth enough to leave your rim unmarked. Get this one right above all.
- The functions you'll use. A chain tool, a sensible spread of hex keys, a screwdriver, spoke keys. The headline number matters less than the mix.
- Weight and size. A compact, lightweight tool of roughly 100 to 160g sits flat in a pocket or saddle bag and comes with you every ride. A heavy one stays at home.
- Carbon safety. On carbon rims or frames, bare metal can scratch and gouge. Polymer or shielded tools keep them safe.
- Build and backing. Forged tools outlast cheap pressed ones, and a real guarantee tells you what the maker thinks of their own kit.
The best bike multitool for road, MTB and gravel
The core jobs don't change much between road, mountain and gravel riding, so one well-chosen tool covers all three. The differences sit at the edges. On the road, low weight and a slim shape win, and carbon safety matters more because road wheels so often are carbon. For mountain biking and gravel, a solid chain tool and sheer durability come first, since you're further from help and the kit takes a beating. And for carbon rims specifically, the rule is simple: keep bare metal away from the rim bed, or use polymer levers that can't do the damage.
How the ML125 compares to other bike multitools
There are plenty of good multitools out there, so here's a straight read on the main names before we get to ours.
- Topeak. The biggest function counts around, which is most of the appeal. They're also on the bulkier side, the loose bits can go wandering, and the tyre levers aren't the priority.
- Wolf Tooth 8-Bit. Modular and lovely to handle, but premium money, and, like the rest, designed around the hex keys.
- Lezyne. Forged tools that punch above their price. A dependable all-rounder rather than a specialist.
- Park Tool. A trusted workshop name with a fairly conventional set of tools.
- Pedro's and Birzman. Both compact, well made, with a sensible spread of functions.
All perfectly good kit. But notice what none of them lead with: the tyre levers. That's the gap we set out to fill, and it's why the ML125 is built the opposite way round to everything above.
The Stique ML125 and ML125CF
Instead of bolting a token lever onto a fistful of hex keys, we started with the levers. The ML125 is three strong tyre levers that lock together with magnets, with 14 functions built into them: chain tool, hex keys, screwdriver, spoke keys and more. The bits are interchangeable, so you can set it up for the bolts on your own bike rather than carry sizes you'll never use.
Those levers are engineering-grade, metal-replacement polymer, three times stronger than market-leading levers, so they won't fold on a tight bead, and they're safe on carbon rims because there's no metal to touch the bed. At 160g the tool drops into a jersey pocket or saddle bag and shrugs off mud, water and cold without corroding.
The ML125 is the standard version. The ML125CF swaps in a carbon-fibre-injected version of the same polymer, so it's lighter still at 130g, stiffer again, and comes in a Stique-branded neoprene case. Both are designed and made in the UK, and both carry our lifetime guarantee: if the levers ever fail, send us a photo and we'll replace them, no quibble.
Who the ML125 is for
For most riders, this is an easy call. If you want strong, carbon-safe tyre levers, a light tool that doesn't rattle, and the backing of a UK maker who'll replace it for life, the ML125 was built for you, and its 14 functions cover the repairs you'll actually make out on the road or trail.
The only riders we'd point elsewhere are the few who want a whole workshop in their pocket for the sake of it, and even they tend to carry those extra functions for years without using them.
Want the strong levers but not the full multitool? Our ML14 tyre levers use the same material and start at pocket-money prices, so you can build a setup around them.
Frequently asked questions
Is a plastic tyre lever strong enough? The ML125's levers aren't ordinary plastic. They're engineering-grade, metal-replacement polymer, three times stronger than market-leading levers, and they won't bend on a tight tubeless bead.
Is the ML125 safe for carbon rims? Yes. There's no metal to touch the rim bed, so the levers won't scratch or gouge carbon wheels.
How much does it weigh? 160g for the standard ML125, and 130g for the carbon-fibre ML125CF.
How many functions does it have? 14, built around the three tyre levers, including a chain tool, hex keys, a screwdriver and spoke keys, with interchangeable bits.
Where is it made? Designed and manufactured in the UK, and covered by a lifetime guarantee.
Final thoughts
The best multitool isn't the one with the longest list of functions. It's the one that carries the few things that matter, in a package light enough that it's always with you, built well enough to work the day you finally need it. That's the tool we set out to make, and we back it for life, so it's a buy you only make once.
Have a look at the ML125, the lighter ML125CF, or the full multitool range. Sorting your tyre setup too? Our guide to the best tyre levers for tight tyres is the place to start.