The IceToolz Essence tool kit is a really handy selection of tools that covers the vast majority of work you're likely to do on a bike. The well-organised plastic case keeps everything tidy and it's small and light enough that you can chuck it in the car boot and be ready for anything.
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Weighing in at 1.9kg, the tough plastic case houses a solid selection of 16 tools that are all held neatly in place so they don't escape unintentionally. Inside, you get staples such as flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, plus 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 & 6mm Allen keys with ball-ended heads on the larger sizes, plus a T25 Torx head key.
There's also a long-handled, soft coated 8mm Allen key that can use used as is or with a 1/2" drive adaptor for use with the cassette tool, Hollowtech 2 and standard bottom bracket tools and crank extractor. The Hollowtech 2 tool also has a driver for the little plastic tensioner you get too, which is highly useful. Packing in the features is a chain whip that also doubles - nay, triples - as a lockring tool and also 15mm pedal spanner, the latter having a soft coating to prevent damage to your crank arms.
It's nice to see a small adjustable spanner of decent quality in addition to a spanner with open 8mm and 10mm ends. For truing up wheels, there's a spoke key with six sizes for 1-15 gauge spokes.
The only real disappointments are that the chain breaking tool is a pretty basic item that doesn't have a second set of tabs to allow you to ease up a tight link and while I'm grumbling, it'd be nice to have a chainring bolt tool, as that's exactly the sort of thing that can ruin a day out if you notice it's loose before a ride.
Apart from that, this a well thought out and quality portable toolkit at a decent price. It'll allow you to remove, fix and replace most things on your bike, so unless you're really serious, it's probably all you need for most tasks.
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