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review
Lezyne Stainless 12 multi tool£19.99
VERDICT:
An excellent tool with build quality that sets it apart from the crowd
Weight:
115g
Contact:
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Lezyne 12 is a stylish and practical design in an overcrowded pocket tool market. The forged CNC machined stainless steel construction improves rigidity and lifespan while the high lustre aluminium side plates look pretty and shave a few grams into the bargain.
Tools are pretty comprehensive: there’s 2,3,4,5,6 & 8mm Allen wrenches, Phillips screwdriver, a T25 torx and a chain breaker that cuts stubborn chains down to size with relatively little effort. This tool even incorporates spoke wrenches- Mavic, two standard and one square. The tools are initially quite stiff and benefit from a shot of Teflon based lube but haven’t become floppy or required tightening despite continuous service.
Phrases such as “ergonomic” are easily dismissed as marketing puff but the shapely profile falls very naturally to hand without pressing uncomfortably into the palm. However, as always with this kind of tool the Allen wrenches don’t offer a great deal of leverage. For this reason an 8mm crank wrench is salvation in a dire emergency but a test of perseverance to achieve anything resembling a snug fit.
A sturdy neoprene sleeve prevents injury in the event of a tumble but it’s a faff when you’re in a hurry-a pouch would’ve been better. Small niggles aside the Stainless 12 combines good build quality, shapely design and keen pricing making it a worthy choice for most riders.
Verdict
An excellent tool with build quality that sets it apart from the crowd. A few simple tweaks (most notably a pouch) would make it better still.
road.cc test report
Make and model: Lezyne Stainless 12 multi tool
Price: 19.99
Weight: 0g
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
As the name suggests, it's a twelve function multi-tool aimed at the enthusiast market without being limited to specific disciplines. The tool will serve most riders very well, although expedition tourists might want the 19 (its bigger sibling)
Tell us some more about the techincal aspects of the product?
Forged CNC machined stainless steel parts make for a strong, dependable package whilst the polished alloy side plates ensure a comfortable grip.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Undertakes most things competently, chain breaker seemed particularly good by pocket tool standards.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
8/10
115g means you hardly notice it in a jersey pocket or seat-pack.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
7/10
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 1m 81 Weight: 70 kilos
I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)
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