Lezyne’s Port-a Shop Tool Kit has been designed as a cycling specific tool kit that is small enough to take traveling, yet functional enough to use in the garage.
The A5-sized carrying case, which measures L22cm x W15cm x D5cm when zipped close, is made from durable Cordura with neoprene sleeves on the inside for the tools. The neoprene sleeves are tailored to fit the tools and are all marked with a graphic of the tool inside for easy identification.
As the name suggests it is intended as a portable tool kit, but it has served me well as my main tool kit whether at the trail head or doing basic maintenance at home. Such is the quality and the range of tools that can be found inside.
The first multi-tool has Allen keys from 1.5mm to 6mm, with the addition of duplicate keys for sizes 1.5mm, 2mm and 2.5mm, that are right-angled in addition to the straight keys for those hard to reach bolts. The second contains Torx drivers from sizes T6 to T30.
The third multi-tool has a Philips and flat blade screwdriver head, an 8mm Allen key, 8mm and 10mm open ended spanners, a tyre lever that is ideal for freeing the bead on tight fitting tyres and, of course, a bottle opener. There’s also a disc brake wedge for prying the pistons apart when replacing pads. Clever stuff.
As a showcase of just how much thought went into every tool, the remaining tools all have multiple functions. There is a high quality chain tool with replaceable pin driver (a spare pin is included). With the pin chuck removed, the tool’s body becomes a spoke key with 3.22mm and 3.45mm wrenches along with small and large Mavic spoke wrenches. The two 15mm spanners have tyre irons at the opposite end, for those extra stubborn tyres, plus more bottle openers. I suppose you can never have enough of those when working on your bike.
All of these are high quality, solid tools. Lezyne calls them ‘block tools’, meaning the tool’s body is made from a single moulded block of alloy, machined to leave a bracing bar connecting the two sides. This makes the body stiffer, providing ample leverage for the tool bits when in use and in turn ensures they will outlast most other tools.
On top of that there is a traditional puncture repair kit, with glue, patches, chalk, a pack of glue-less patches and a pair of high strength plastic tyre levers.
Finally there’s a small zipped-up mesh pocket for extra bits and pieces like quick links, brake pads and bolts. You are well and truly covered for just about any road side repair.
In the end
The Lezyne Port-a-Shop is a compact yet comprehensive travel tool kit with thoughtfully designed pieces that sets it apart. It occupies a market niche as there isn’t much else quite like it. Even so, no shortcuts were taken and no effort spared to ensure every bit of space and metal is used to it’s fullest.
It won’t suffice for the avid home mechanic, but it will provide the majority of cyclists with enough tools to look after themselves in one neat and tidy package. The RRP of the Lezyne Port-a-Shop is R1100.
:ph34r:
it is neat, but i think for the tools supplied, its steep