The Future Of Stashed Tools

Truly Hidden Gems

Stash tools, that is tools stashed on a bike, are a passion of mine. It's a bit strange I suppose, as I generally ride with a backpack but I appreciate the thought that goes into fitting a fantastic chain breaker into a handlebar or hiding a bike shop in a steerer tube. There is a variety of options on the market and bike-mounted tools are a small but growing segment both for aftermarket upgrades and for companies selling bikes with stock options installed. Credit to Specialized who have been putting mini-multitools in steerer tubes and on bottle cages on some of their bikes for years now. Credit to OneUp who have really been driving the tool-on-bike bus since the release of the EDC Tool.

I know a number of stash-tool deprecators who raise valid points in disparaging these products. For one, they're expensive. Buying a tool of similar quality and function to throw in a pack is universally less expensive than buying one that squeezes into your bike's unused orifices. They're also much more exposed to the elements compared to being stored in a back-or-fanny pack. Many times the stashed tools are arranged such that they are not as nice to use, don't reach awkward spots on a bike, or can't create adequate torque for some bolts. All fair.

My favourite detraction is pointed squarely at my claims of convenience regarding OneUp's EDC Lite tool. My go-top option for some time now has been to combine an EDC Lite tool in my steerer tube for adjustments with my 8-Bit Pack Pliers and a chain breaker in a tool roll in my pack for repairs. I have a couple of very mechanically inclined friends who have pointed out - rather roughly - that because their bikes are dialed in before every ride, having a quick access tool isn't really important considering how infrequently they need to fix something. And, yes, that's fair as well. I almost never use tools on my own bike on the trail, and when I do it's usually for more than straightening my stem after a crash, in which case, I've been pulling out the 8-Bit for the nicer tool interfaces and convenient swivel-head action.

And, most recently, I've been asked twice if I've ever had my steerer-tool stolen. Apparently, this is now a thing and particularly the questioners had friends who've had their spring-loaded Specialized SWAT multitool and very easy to remove EDC Lite tools pinched while grabbing a coffee or beers. Their bikes were locked, but their tools were apparently quite noticeably still installed. The OneUp tools, in particular, have a colourful 'look at me' aesthetic but who, other than a mountain biker, would notice the foldout covering of a SWAT tool?

This got me thinking about how to best keep the function of stash-tools while at the same time camouflaging them from the asshat of a fellow rider who'll steal your 90 USD BITS and buy a replacement carrier for "so they can swap the tool between bikes." Sure, Bontrager claims their tool is about "Stow It, Don't Show It" but if buddy's stem cap has a handle on it I doubt many mountain bikers wouldn't know something is in there.

I think the answer - at least for anyone who may lock their bike up to a rack or in the back of their truck for a minute to grab grub or a six-pack - is that Stash Tools need to evolve such that they're indistinguishable from a toolless bicycle. That means the top of a steerer tube-mounted tool, no matter how a headset is preloaded, needs to have a provision to bolt on a stem cap. It means that tools mounted in handlebars or crank or hub axles need to be finished in such a way that they look stock.

Is there a rash of Stash Tool theft going on? No, I don't think so. I'd bet I'll keep hearing more and more stories about it though. Will I be beyond pissed off - at myself - if I came out holding my fresh cup of caffeine and my frame-mounted tools have disappeared? Heck yes. And now that I've heard of it happening it's something I can't help but think about. Just, for example, the replacement EDC V2 toolset in my OneUp Threadless carrier is 60 USD, and the multitool for my EDC Lite system is 33.50 USD, not including the necessary plastic top clip. And at least OneUp sells spares, apparently getting just the specifically sized multitools for some other systems out there is not a possibility.

I've also heard of a rider having to replace the cover, and contents, of the downtube stash hole on their frame. Locking SWAT box covers in the future? Probably not, but it probably doesn't hurt to be aware that there are at least some bike-aware bandits in our midst. The nice thing about in-frame storage is of course that tools don't have to be orifice-optimized to get out of your pack and onto your bike.

In addition to the theft-avoidance factor, I know of at least a few riders who would be much more likely to purchase stealthy Stash tools than the current, obvious, options. While the tool-on-bike market is still growing, there are some very established systems like the O.E. BITS and SWAT and OneUp's aftermarket stable and companies breaking in really need a schtick. It would be hard to deliver more, or better, functionality in a similar-sized package to what's on the market.

That leads to either going with the bike-industry-standard approach of R&D'ing what already exists and charging less money, making it a different colour, or putting a 'cooler' brand name on it. Or, I mean, there's also the option of creating a product with a unique and valuable feature. I, for one, am hoping that the future of Stash Tools includes some stealth options.