BONTRAGER BITS INTEGRATED MTB TOOL REVIEW

Review by Sourpatch

The Bontrager BITS integrated mountain bike tool kit is Bontrager’s offering to riders looking to get the weight out of their packs, off their bodies and in their bikes. A recent trend lately has been to incorporate essential tools onto the bikes, and it’s a trend we’re happy to see grow. Bontrager’s new BITS MTB tool system has some neat features and a couple things we’d like to see improve, so let’s get right to it and see how it stacks up.

THE LAB
Bontrager’s BITS Integrated MTB Tool was designed to take on the likes of Specialized’s Swat Tool storage and OneUp Components EDC kit. The multi-tool is equipped with 2-, 2.5-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 8mm hex keys along with a Torx T25 and a flat-head screwdriver. The Integrated tool holder also holds two master links and at the base of the tool is a chain breaker.

The BITS compression sleeve installs in place of the traditional star nut inside the fork steerer tube and doesn’t require threading unlike some options on the market. It installs simply (if you take the time to measure) with numerous spacers to customize the fit to match most fork’s steerer lengths.

THE DIRT
Installation of the BITS Integrated MTB Tool, though simple, still took a bit of time since I didn’t have a tape measure with a slim enough head that could fit down the steerer. There was quite a bit of guess and checking going on, but once the length was figured out, the install was done in seconds.

I installed the BITS on a Canyon Torque just in time for Season 2 of our North American Bike Park Review Tour and am glad I did. Seems like the BITS tool is getting pulled out very frequently during our long days of filming and riding bike parks. I’m fairly certain we have used every bit in the multi-tool, I even used the chain breaker portion of the tool to try and tighten a loose valve core, and I was just barely able to make it work. Thankfully, none of us have had to use the chain breaker as it was designed on the trail…yet.

At this moment, my biggest qualm with the Bontrager BITS tool is with how hard it is to get the tool out of the Compression Sleeve. The short D-Loop is hard to grasp at times and the amount of pressure needed to get it to slide out is really hard, though we’re hoping it will get easier and easier to pull-out the more it gets used. While I think they nailed it with all the tools included, I think if there was a way to integrate a tire lever or add a way to store a tire lever, Bontrager would really get a leg up on the steerer-concealed tool competition.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Bontrager has always made high-quality, thoughtful parts and the BITS Integrated MTB Tool is no exception. They have included all the basic tools a mountain biker would need on the trail while keeping it in a compact package hidden out of sight and off the rider’s body. The BITS Tool is slightly more than it’s competition at $90, but the fact you don’t have to thread your steerer tube, easy installation, and practical choice of tools offered makes it an item we think is worth checking out if you’re in the market for an on-board tool stowage system.

Price: $89.99
Website: Bontrager.com