Giant Quick Fix Kit Road

The Giant Quick Fix kit is a nicely thought out set of tools to get you going again on your road bike, neatly packaged in a case that'll fit in your jersey pocket. The only thing you really need to add is a spare tube, and maybe some patches.

• Pros: Has the basics you need, mini-ratchet is good with fiddly bolts
• Cons: You need to be careful not to lose bits

In the case you get a mini-ratchet tool with nine bits. There are 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm hex keys, a flat head screwdriver and T10 and T25 Torx bits. That should cover most of your road bike needs, although a Phillips head bit would probably be a more useful inclusion than the T10 bit will be.

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The benefits of a mini-ratchet are that it's a very compact way of carrying tools, and it can get to and tighten or loosen even really awkward bolts. Sometimes you struggle to fit a multi-tool into the gap you need to, or rotate it when it's in place. That's never really an issue with the mini-ratchet; the only time it struggles is when a bolt is recessed deeper than the length of the bit but I didn't have any bolts on any of my bikes that it couldn't get to.

The downside of the ratchet and bits is that they're a bit more of a fiddle out on the road. If you're wearing gloves then pulling a bit out and fitting it to the ratchet without taking them off is a tough ask. If you drop a multi-tool you just pick it up again, but my advice would be not to do a roadside tweak with this kit near an open drain or long grass. If you drop a bit, you're going to lose it. You need to be a touch more considered.

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The bits are a tight fit in the ratchet, so sometimes it's a struggle to remove them to fit them back in the holder. I'd expect them to loosen off a bit with use.

The kit comes with two tyre levers which are perfectly functional, if unexceptional, and a CO2 inflator with two 16g canisters. Giant hasn't included an inner tube as there's a range of sizes you might need to have with you, but there's room enough in the neat case for a single tube. I'd add at least some instant patches to the mix, so if you do puncture a second time you can actually use that second CO2 canister. The CO2 head is nicely made, with a good valve so you can regulate the flow to the tyre to help it seat.

For what you get, £34.99 is good value for the kit. Some ratchet multi-tools on their own cost more than that.

The case is small enough to fit in any jersey pocket I've tried, even on aero jerseys with little pockets.

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When I'm out on longer rides I tend to go a bit belt and braces, but for something like a sportive or the club ride, this kit has enough in it to fix the most common roadside issues quickly and efficiently, and it's compact enough to chuck in a pocket and forget about until you need it.

Verdict

Good, compact emergency road bike kit that has most of the basics for roadside repairs