Customer Reviews

Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool

5 star:		(141)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I got this for the chain tool. It works as well as a non-portable tool. For me, the other tools are just a bonus.

I would agree it has everything a "swiss-army" bike tool should have, including tire levers, spoke wrenches, a knife blade, and bottle opener. The halves separate and lock together easily.

Several of the tools lock open, and the knife also locks closes to absolutely prevent accidents. An interesting feature of the case - it has a spring loaded belt clip for easy attachment to a pack or your waist. It also apparently has available accessory mating clips for quick release attachment to seat post or handle bar stem.

I would like to have compared the blackburn tools,Blackburn Toolmanator Multi-Function Bike Tool & Blackburn Toolmanator II Multi-Function Bike Tool but the bike mechanic I spoke with agreed this would do fine.

It is a nice tool set, include all the allen wrenches you needed to adjust bike handle, brake and brake handle, speed rover, seat position.
It also include the chain tool for remove a section of the chain. In addition, it has two size spoke wrench for ajusting the wheel.

When you ride your bicycle, your tires may rub against the brakes. This is easy to fix wheel problem - spokes need adjusting. What you need to do is wheel truing.

Place bicycle upside down. Spin the wheel while holding a pice of chalk close enough to the wheel. After spun around a few times, stop the wheel and take a look those chalk marks. Do this process on the other side of the wheel. Tighten the spokes on the other side of the chalk mark and loosen the spoken facing the chalk mark. Adjust each spoke one turn.
Wipe out that chalk mark. Once all the chalk marks are gone, you can spin the wheels and using chalk to find the next spot to tighten and loose the spoke. At the end, you have a perfect round wheels :-)

The included spoke wrench has two sizes. It works fine for all our bikes.

I used this tool assembled a complete tandom bike in two hours. The tool felt little loose at the end of the assembly. But nothing really worn out.

Unfortunately had to send the first one back to Amazon - excellent return service by the way. The tool is held together using a small catch which was defective. For the price I expected it to work. The replacement tool also has a defective catch, so I am guessing its a bad run on their production line. The catch is slightly better on this one, i.e. the tool holds together most of the time.
One comment on the Allen keys (wrenches?). They are all metric and will not fit the bolt on the iBert Safe-t-seat. You will still need to carry around the Allen key that iBert send to you. I really wish the US was metric.

Happy Cycling to you all.

every bike should have one of these in its saddle bag. i have the original alien and have always found what i needed to do any work on my bike. both on the road and at home. it is very well thought out.

Nice tool kit..very good quality but....

The pouch it comes in has a bracket on the back which mates with the F55 Fixer (not included) which staps on to any post, othewise there is no good means of attachment. The F55 Fixer is a $3.95 part which for some reason they decided not to include with the Alien II itself. Shipping for this part is $5.58. Now I ask you...who wouldn't want to have this included with the Alien II?

well as a 100% commuter who didn't understand the value of a good tool, i started learning when i opened this package. i love these tools, well i don't love them, but they are imperative for the tweaks i am learning to make on my bicycle. i did not know that this would fit every nook and cranny of my bike. feeling silly, i'll admit that i did not know that this toolkit would be so specifically designed for bicycles. when i got it i thought, i'm sure i'll use maybe the philips head and flat head screwdriver now and then, but what's all this other funky stuff for? eventually i found out. this is a handy handy part of my day. it has become necessary instead of just helpful. my bike carries this kit around because it knows better than me how much i will need it. my bike is smarter than me, see. if you don't have bike tools, i promise this will be a perfect start. i have commuted for 18 months now and never bought another tool except my pedro pedal wrench, so it seems that i still have everything i need right here in my fist, that's how small it is, oh and it is really sturdy, none of this aluminum-y crap that bends and cracks when you put pressure on it, this feels like old fashioned car parts used to feel-indestructable, the angles are so that i can get enough torque, in my girly hands, and with the right amount of patience (provided by me) i am learning to make friends with this little toolkit
again, i don't drive
not ever
i have to appreciate good tools or i will not be able to be a 100% bicyclist

Pretty much every tool you will need in a compact case. Tool seams solidly built except for maybe the plastic parts, but you have to shave weight somewhere. It is not the same as having all the tools seperate. Don't plan on using it for routine maintenance, just for emergency repairs/adjustments. Ergonimacally it can be a little awkward to use, but it gets the job done. I used cable ties to mount mine to the seat post, as low as it will go. If it gets lost or stolen, I will replace it with the same model. It is worth the $$ just for the peace of mind knowing that you have pretty much whatever tool you may need.

I've been using an original version of this tool for the past 5 years, and would still be, if not for losing half of it on the trail. I bought this newer version as a replacement and have used it for three weeks. I find it inferior:

* Steel: I commute to bike in the northeast US; that means this tool will see everything from snow to hurricanes and everything inbetween. The original tool held up well, but, after 3 weeks of mild summer weather, this new tool is already pitted with rust. At this rate, I'm skeptical about the tool lasting to winter.
* Craftsmanship: The machining of the original tool was more exact. The 15mm wrench, for instance, fit snugly over bolts. On the new tool, the wrench fits loosely, gouging the steel as you work fruitlessly to try to change a tire on the road.
* Joint: The joint between the two main pieces is much flimsier than in the original tool.

The upgrade version of this tool [...] may be better, but it's hard to say. This tool, though, is poor enough that I'm considering just carrying a bag of tools with me.

I just received the Topeak Alien II 26 Function Bicycle Tool and am very impressed with it. Well made tool, nearly everything you need to do emergency repairs and some shop repairs too, in a compact package. It has tools for both road and mountain bikes. For those who might think the bottle opener is superfluous, the flat-blade screw driver and chain pin tool are integrated into it. That tool is similar to those on Swiss Army knives that integrate a flat-blade screwdriver with the bottle opener.

Having said that, I will offer the following cons regarding this tool. It's a bit heavy, but that's expected in a tool this well made and complete. As I only own a road bike without disk brakes, the T-25 Torx tool is not of use to me, but might help out a friend I ride with. I find that unless you align them carefully, the two halves of the tool might only be half-attached to each other upon reassembly. Lastly, I wish they had included the seat post mount with the tool, as opposed to needing to buy it separately.

I would definitely recommend this tool to off-road riders and those road riders that don't mind a few extra ounces to have a very complete tool.

Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool Wow what a great device. Instead of husband lugging 4-8 tools in pouch that rips because of weight we had this tool. We took 11 mile bike ride in Cades Cove no help except on your own if you break down. All 11 bikes and family did fine. Several bikes needed adjustments and this tool handled all the problems that occurred like a champ.Thanks for thinking of it . I would call it "The McGyver" bike tool no duct tape included !!!