off-road.cc

The 24 IN 1 Multi Tool is the biggest multi tool that Merida offers. It’s got enough kit to get you out of most trailside conundrums but it’s fiddly to use, and it can be tough to get enough leverage with.

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On the 24 IN 1 Multi Tool you get – surprise! – 24 handy bits to fix your bike with. It has hex keys in 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm sizes, cross and flat-head screwdrivers, and T10 and T25 Torx keys for those random fasteners in your brakes.

You also get a metal tyre lever, a pad spacer and even a ruler, plus spoke keys (G13/G14/G15/G16/Shimano hex 4.6/Mavic M7) and a chain tool.

All of that comes in an aluminium chassis for an all-up weight of 150g, which itself slides into a neat neoprene sleeve to keep it comfy in your pocket.

The 24 IN 1 feels solid, but rather cheaply made for its price. There aren’t any markings on the tools, which is a minor inconvenience but adds faff as you search through to find the right size.

It's on the stubby side, too, which makes it difficult to get to those hard to reach bolts, while the overall shape doesn’t offer much in the way of leverage either. Stiff axles, for example, can become a real problem.

The 10mm Allen sits over the 8mm as an attachment, and is held on with a spring hidden inside. Unfortunately, the spring completely evaporated from this one, and now the 10mm attachment takes every opportunity to make a run for it.

As always, the inclusion of a pad spacer is very welcome, as is the tyre lever. On the 24 IN 1 the lever is metal though, and because of that I’ve stayed well clear out of fear of dinging my rims under a stubborn tyre bead. At least there’s a stopper to prevent the tyre lever from over-rotating on the tool, which is very handy if you do decide to use it.

The Merida 24 IN 1 Multi Tool is very comprehensive, to the point where there’s one or two bits on there that I’ve never seen before. However, its abundance of tools makes it faffy, it's too short for good access or leverage, and it lacks the quality you expect for a tool at this price.

• www.merida-bikes.com

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