WOLF TOOTH 8-BIT PLIERS

£83

SPECIFICATION Weight: 71g • Tools: 17 functions • Contact: saddleback.co.uk

Wolf Tooth’s 8-bit takes a different approach to most multitools. Instead of a Swiss Armystyle handle with folding tools, Wolf Tooth has designed a long rectangular grip that swivels open to reveal chain pliers. It’s made of alloy, so is reasonably light for its size, is well made, and features an array of tool bits held inside the handle by strong magnets.

At one end is a hinged 8mm Allen key that can be rotated through 180° so that it sits perpendicular to the handle. Rated to 40Nm, it’s the perfect tool for loosening stubborn pedals or tightening cranks and pivot bolts, as you can get way more leverage than with most multitools. By positioning the Allen key inline with the tool, it’s easy to spin out a bolt (such as a rotor bolt) and the six double-ended tool bits within the handle fit into the 4mm opening in the middle of the hex tool to cover most parts on the bike. The flipside of the Wolf Tooth’s length (150mm) is that it’s not great for accessing confined areas, such as brake lever reach adjusters or bottle cage bosses. Equally, it’s not a tool I would feel comfortable stashing in a jersey or trouser pocket for short blasts in case of a crash.

Swivel open the handle and there’s space inside for a quick link, once again held in place by magnets, and the chain pliers themselves work well. My main question mark over them is how useful they will be in the event of a broken chain. Most, if not all, broken chains require a chain breaker to drive out the damaged link, so the Wolf Tooth won’t do the job on its own. And once the damaged link has been removed, a quick link can be installed without any tools by positioning it along the upper chain run and pushing down on the cranks. So you’ll still need another multitool or chain breaker if you want to be fully equipped on a ride.

Another criticism of the Wolf Tooth is that the tool bits are very difficult to remove from the handle. Even pushing through from behind using the provided hole is difficult and you need strong fingernails or another tool to lever them out. Being so small means it’s really easy to drop them. Fiddling around on a cold, wet, winter’s ride by the side of the trail is not something I’d relish. With that in mind, it’s worth knowing that a set of replacement bits costs £24.

As a supplementary tool for jobs where you need a bit of grunt, the Wolf Tooth 8-bit could be useful, but it’s difficult to justify spending £80 for a multitool when you’ll need to buy another tool with a chain breaker as well. to test a grip this thin, but I’m older now and I like comfortable shoes, trousers and also grips. The 30mm version just doesn’t have that much rubber covering the plastic core. It is a proprietary compound, but since Race Face wasn’t forthcoming on detail, I know nothing about the composition of the rubber. However, I did measure it at about 40a on the Shore hardness scale, so it is soft but there’s not a lot of depth to it. There’s very little cushioning and I’ve noticed a lot more harshness on rough trails compared to the Burgtec Bartender grip that was on my bike previously.

Like other sports equipment that you hold, size, shape and ultimately feel is a personal preference. That sounds like a cop-out on my part, but it’s a fact some riders like fat grips, some like thin grips. I have a preference too, and while this was once for the smallest diameter possible, now my hands ache if I use a thin grip for too long. The good news is the Getta Grip lets you have it both ways – the 30mm feels precise, but if you ride gloveless or want a bit more cushioning,

I’d recommend the 33mm.

Either way, you’re getting a well-made lock-on grip that’s good value and also available in a ton of colours.