Review of Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool

Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool
By: Topeak Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 31
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All functionality needed

On: 2008-06-24

Following great tradition of Alien tools this item provides all one needs for typical maintenance and repair of bicycles in amazingly small form. I have used the original Alien tool for years and this one adds more useful features in the same format.

My only gripe vs. the original tool is air-travel related. Original Alien tool didnt have any parts that could be interpreted as a "weapon" and it was easy to carry it on air flights. This, Alien II I wouldnt dare bring as a carry-on. Couple of knife-like implements are good functional add-ons but cause this issue...

Great tool

On: 2008-06-18

Well made, versitile, just a great tool to have. It could be smaller and lighter - but I guess that would be hard to do.

everything you need on the road.

On: 2008-06-18

As close to perfect as a multi can get.
even a place to store extra chain pins!
I dont see how it could be any better.

excellent tool

On: 2008-06-16

compact versatile, very happy with it, has bailed me out many times. excellent for a tool to carry on your ride!

Lots of tools in a small package

On: 2008-05-16

This toolset is quality made and should last. I only have two minor complaints: the plastic body would be better if it was aluminum and opeing the knife is not intuitive because it is locked in the closed position. Yeah its kind-of heavy but thats the nature of steel. I suppose titanium would make it about 40% lighter but it would be more expensive.

Super bike tool!

On: 2008-05-15

Since I purchased this item, I have used it A LOT...I mean A LOT. The reason why is....it has EVERYTHING that you can use. I keep it in a frame bag. It has come in handy various times when I am out on the road or on the trail and something needs adjusted or fixed. Great item! I recommend it to every person that owns and bike. Period.

Just Awesome.

On: 2008-04-17

Very high quality tool made of solid materials. Its actually a lot smaller than I thought it would be based on the picture here, but that really is a good thing considering the limited amount of storage space there is on my bike. It easily fits in the front and side pouch of my handlebar bag, and would fit with no problems in those small under the seat bags as well.

Every single part of this tool has a function. Unbelievable really. One of the tools that sorta gets overlooked that I personally find very handy is the air release on the tire lever. I have a quick release front tire on my bike that requires me to deflate the tire in order to pass it through the brakes. I always end up searching for a pointy object when I need to do so. The Aliens solves that problem for me.

I couldnt be happier with my purchase.

Great product

On: 2008-03-02

I just purchased this product off Amazon last weekend. I dont think I could be any happier with my purchase. I got to use the tool hands on today helping my friend fix his chain. If it wasnt for this tool our day of riding wouldve been finished. Some people say the tool is heavy, but I cant even notice the added weight to my Camelbak. All in all a great product, and a great price!

Functional, useful.

On: 2008-02-14

This is the only tool I have in my bike bag. Nough said.

Sincerely,
Ira Carmel

It has it all!

On: 2008-01-08

This neat little tool has just about everything you could need to make on the fly repairs. Topeak thought of everything. Form the chain breaker all the way to having the proper size alen key to tighten each side of the tool itself. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who is going any distance and is not worried about a little extra weight.

Almost the Ultimate Road/Trail Tool

On: 2008-01-02

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. Its a bit heavy, but thats 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 dont mind a few extra ounces to have a very complete tool.

Swiss Army Knife of Bike Tools

On: 2007-12-30

I cant say that Ive used all of the tools, but its got almost everything you would need and it built very well.

Nice Tool, Packed with Features

On: 2007-12-25

This is a nice tool, packed with features. I was impressed withe the overall quality and fit and finish. The engineering is unique and they shove a lot of tools into a small form factor.

I have one main complaint - they include a nice carrying case with a clever attachment on the back - but they dont include a bracket for it. The bracket would allow you to attach it to the frame and/or seatpost. While that may not be for everyone, it seemed like a small corner to cut which was annoying to me at least. If they had included a bracket I would give it 5 stars.

Nice tool set include chain pin tool and spoke adjusting wrench

by: sell5813 On: 2007-12-04

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.

This has it all

On: 2007-11-23

All of the other reviews are spot on. It has everything you need to get the job done for bikes. If you are worried about the weight I would recommend looking for a multitool that is more specific to your needs. This Topeak has a number of tools that I doubt I will ever use, but for me its nice to know I have extra instead of not enough.

This has it all

On: 2007-11-22

All of the other reviews are spot on. It has everything you need to get the job done for bikes. If you are worried about the weight I would recommend looking for a multitool that is more specific to your needs. This Topeak has a number of tools that I doubt I will ever use, but for me its nice to know I have extra instead of not enough.

Extremely useful tool

by: dasn0wman On: 2007-10-30

This tool is sooooo useful, I cannot stress how often I use it. With this, you pretty much own like 30% of a bike repair shop. Purchasing this tool is the smartest thing I did since marrying my gf!

Topeak Alien II

On: 2007-09-24

solid product! a little on the heavy side, but it has everything you need to stay riding on the trails.

It works

On: 2007-08-06

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 works

On: 2007-08-05

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.

Bike tools

On: 2007-07-26

This product is a must if you plan on biking for many miles.
We biked 180 miles with 12 other people and used it on
day one. Great product.

Personally I love it

On: 2007-06-14

Sure its big and heavy, but it has pretty much everything youd need for on-the-road repairs. Another great Topeak product.

Great Tool

On: 2007-06-12

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. Dont 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.

Pocket Perfect

On: 2007-05-13

This is the best bike tool for its size. The way it is built, moves and works. Great quality.

Pocket Perfect

On: 2007-05-12

This is the best bike tool for its size. The way it is built, moves and works. Great quality.

Bicycle multitool

On: 2007-05-08

Excellent is all i was expecting...very well made good material very strong... I have had to use it once but it had every thing i need... the chain tool is excellent

perfect small tool

On: 2007-04-29

This tool is very compact. Amazing on how it is so small, yet does so many different things. This is the complete biking tool. It will save you from being stranded several times. You can constantantly make adjustments to bike parts on the go

A very complete tool

On: 2007-03-23

I purchased this tool because of how complete it looked in all the information I had seen. My only complaint -- and a minor one at that -- is the size of it. Overall the tool is larger than I thought it would be and takes up a correspondingly greater space in my seat wedge. That being taken into account the Alien II is nicely constructed and is something that I will be glad to have in my bike bag.

Good product

On: 2007-02-19

Durable enough to actually be a useful tool for the road. Compact enough to easily fit in a small saddle bag. Would buy another.

Good product

On: 2007-02-18

Durable enough to actually be a useful tool for the road. Compact enough to easily fit in a small saddle bag. Would buy another.

Very comprehensive compact set of tools

On: 2007-01-21

This is a very complete and compact set of tools. It has basically all the tools you would need for a normal repair or modification in the bike. Probably bulky for carrying in a road bike, but not on a mountain bike.
It comes neat and tidy and in its own case.

Very comprehensive compact set of tools

On: 2007-01-20

This is a very complete and compact set of tools. It has basically all the tools you would need for a normal repair or modification in the bike. Probably bulky for carrying in a road bike, but not on a mountain bike.
It comes neat and tidy and in its own case.

Good Bike Tool

On: 2007-01-09

Has a bunch of tools. A little heavier than I thought it would be. Used it the first time out with it. Had everything I needed. Easy to use.

Very Handy

On: 2006-12-31

Ive been carrying a Topeak Alien in my saddle bag for the last 5 years. This is a very handy product thats saved my ride multiple times....as critical an item as a tube, handpump or a bottle of water. I wont ride without it.

Multi Tool for bike

On: 2006-03-09

I chosse topeak alien II multi tool for excellent product, and complete tool when ride a mountain bike, I recomended its.

excellent allaround bike tool, easy to carry

On: 2005-05-24

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.