OneUp} EDC multitool

Over the course of my MTB “career” my basic motto has been: If I can spend money on something new to make my ride better/faster/stronger, I’m in! Or, you could also say, “there’s a sucker born every minute.…” I like trying out new stuff, so I’ve rarely regretted it, though my bank account might have different feelings.

I still get a little giddy in the parking lot before a ride, especially when my friends are there. For me that pre-ride excitement also has the unfortunate side effect of forgetfulness, which means on more than one occasion, I’ve ended up being “that guy” who needs to borrow a tool on the trail. I HATE being that guy.

What I needed, I decided, was a tool to replace the standard issue multi-tool I’d always (sometimes) carried that would live on my bike instead of floating around in the back of my car. And, because the majority of my rides are on our metro trails, it didn’t need to be expedition grade. The basics would cover it.

One word, stealth. EDC stands for Every Day Carry and it’s small enough to fit inside a steerer tube. As small as it is, the EDC Tool System is a fully functioning multi-tool, and OneUp, in their infinite cleverness, took full advantage of its tiny size and developed a way to actually mount it inside the steerer tubethere. EDC stands for Every Day Carry and that’s the beauty of it—once it’s mounted it’s always there. I’ve always tended toward minimalism when it comes to putting stuff on my bike, so being able to have a toolit simultaneously be all but invisible, easily accessible, and functional? Sold, done, bingo, we have a winner!!!

To be fair, it’s not the only stealth option out there now. Syncros has their Matchbox Tailor Cage and now Specialized has their SWAT(™) Conceal Carry MTB Tool. Youand you can still find Industry Nine’s Matchstix if you look around. But at the time of my purchaseI bought it, options were few, and the EDC looked to me like the most elegant solution available.