Wolf Tooth’s 8-bit takes a different approach to most of the best multi-tools on the market. Instead of a Swiss Army style handle with folding tools, Wolf Tooth has designed a long rectangular grip that swivels open to reveal chain pliers. It’s made of alloy, so is reasonably light for its size, is well made, and features an array of tool bits held inside the handle by strong magnets. At one end is an 8mm Allen key that can be rotated through 180º so that it sits perpendicular to the handle.

Rated to 40Nm, it’s the perfect tool for loosening stubborn pedals or tightening cranks and pivot bolts as you can get way more leverage than with most multi-tools. By positioning the Allen key inline with the tool, it’s easy to spin out a bolt (such as a rotor bolt) and the six double-ened tool bits within the handle fit into the 4mm opening in the middle of the hex tool to cover most parts on the bike. The flip-side of the Wolf Tooth’s length (150mm) is that it’s not great for accessing confined areas, such as brake lever reach adjusters or bottle cage bosses. Equally, it’s not a tool I would feel comfortable stashing in a jersey or trouser pocket for short blasts.

Swivel open the handle and there’s space inside for a quick link, once again held in place by magnets, and the chain pliers themselves work well. My main question mark over the chain pliers is how useful they will be in the event of a broken chain. Most, if not all, broken chains require a chain breaker to drive out the damaged link, so the Wolf Tooth won’t do the job on its own. And once the damaged link has been removed, a quick link can be installed without any tools by positioning it along the upper chain run and pushing down on the cranks. So you’ll still need another multi-tool or chain breaker if you want to be fully equipped on a ride.

Another criticism of the Wolf Tooth is that the tool bits are very difficult to remove from the handle. Even pushing through the hole in the handle, you need strong fingernails or another tool to lever them out, and being so small means it’s really easy to drop them. It’s not something I’d relish doing on a cold, winter’s ride by the side of the trail with a long way home. As such, it’s worth knowing that a set of replacement bits is available for £24.