The idea is simple: Never forget your bike tools again. The execution is creative, but pretty simple as well. Small bike accessory upstart Rugged Components has a new concept for on-the-bike tools in what they are calling the world’s first steerer tube integrated multi-tool. With a bit of creative rethinking, Rugged’s Dialed Cap wants to take advantage of the unused space inside your steerer tube to keep a few key tools always at your fingertips. By simply sliding your star nut a bit lower in the headtube, they’re able to securely fit in four of the most used tools with a cap that keeps everything tight and easy to access. Take a closer look below the fold…
The Dialed Cap simply presses your star nut a couple of inches deeper into your (straight 1.125″ or tapered as long as you have at least 3″ of straight steerer tube before the taper, and metal only) steerer tube to make room for two L-wrenches. It then locks your stem down tight with a new aluminum cap and a longer tapered stainless steel bolt to reach down to the star nut.
At the ends of those two forged, heat-treated wrenches you get a 4mm, 5mm & 6mm hexes and a T25 bit. The wrenches themselves are pretty unique. First they get a larger overall diameter that makes them fit snugly in the new cap, but also easy to get out even with gloves.
But then to make it so you can get proper leverage on which ever bit you actually need, they use what Rugged calls Hex Hole tech. What that actually means is that the 6mm hex is hollowed out so the 4mm fits inside of it. That lest Rugged get away with short elbows on the two wrenches to fit within the footprint of the cap, while still giving you leverage to properly tighten bolts.
Once you slide the two tools back inside the special top cap, the Dialed Cap has a secondary cap that threads on hand tight to keep the tools out of the weather and secure. The screw on cap also includes a small rubber disc that grips the top of the tools and keeps them from rattling around inside the steerer.
The Dialed Cap is available for pre-order online direct from Rugged’s website now, with delivery slated for “soon” but still a bit up in the air. They’ve said that some early pre-production units had been available in person from one of their local partner retail shops – Go-Ride.com in Salt Lake City, but it’s not clear if they still have stock. The Dialed Caps sell for $45, with shipping adding about $7 in the US and international shipping available.
