Gizmag is currently in Las Vegas, prowling the showroom floor of Interbike 2013 – North America’s largest bike show. While there are plenty of impressive high-tech e-bikes and carbon fiber whatzits on display, sometimes it’s the so-called simple things that really catch your attention. Such is the case with a clever cycling multitool known as Fix It Sticks.
Most multitools for cyclists have a sort of jack knife-like form factor, in which the tools fold out from one end or the other. This may be handy, but doesn’t provide much in the way of leverage.
Bicycle mechanics instead often use a Y-tool. As its name implies, it’s shaped like a letter Y, with a different tool bit at the end of each arm. While it does offer a lot more torque, it’s kind of awkward to stuff in a pocket or pack while riding.
That’s where Fix It Sticks come in.
The set consists of two aluminum “sticks,” each of which has a different steel tool bit permanently attached at either end (for a total of four bits per set). Because the sticks are long and skinny, it’s easy to get their bits into tight spaces. Once you’ve got the bit of choice where you want it, you just join the two sticks together so that they form a T – the end of the “working” stick goes through the middle of the “handle” stick. The result? Lotsa torque. We know, we tried them for ourselves.
When they’re not in use, they sit unobtrusively side-by-side in their included rubber sleeve. They have no moving parts to wear out and they’re also light, weighing in at about 51 grams per pair.
Fix It Sticks are available in a variety of bit combinations, and are priced at US$29.99 a set.
Source: Fix It Sticks
