[Tested] Crank Brothers Y16

A while back at Interbike we stopped by the Crank Brother’s booth to poke around and have a look at their latest offerings. While we did see a bunch of cool products, one particular tool caught our eye – the Y16.

Initially, the Y16 peaked our interest because we are fans of the Y-wrench while working on bikes at home, and it seemed to be a bit more substantial than your average multi tool. While we do love Crank Brothers’ M series tools, this one seemed a bit more comprehensive, or at least more sturdy. That said, Crank Brothers back their tools with a full lifetime warranty regardless.

Included tools/Specs :

co2 inflator
chain tool : 8/9/10 speed compatible
spoke wrenches : #0, 1
hex wrenches : #2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
screwdrivers : phillips #2, flat #2
torx : t-25, t-10
weight : 260 grams
warranty : lifetime

First off, we loved that all of the bits included popped neatly and securely into a molded plastic frame which houses everything. Each of the two Y-wrenches are magnetic in the center so they pop together into the frame nicely.

Inside of the tidy metal case are some socket versions the less common tools you will use. They’re housed in a ziploc bag and packed into their home with a bit of foam so they don’t make a racket while you’re bombing down the trail and smashing KOM’s like a legend.

The 3,4,5,6 and 8mm allen keys are all super accessible as part of the two Y-wrenches. The spoke wrenches are forged into the chain tool, which is pretty beefy, and driven by one of the Y-wrenches while being secured by the other as you can see in the above picture.

So how did everything work out? Overall we loved this tool. It’s brilliantly laid out, compact, quiet and super functional. The build quality is top notch, it had no design flaws and didn’t show any signs that it would wear prematurely. If anything, it seems much tougher than the average multi tool. If we had to call out one minor gripe it would be that the triangular shape makes it hard to fold up into a tube and strap to your bike. That is a very minor quip though…it fits in a jersey pocket or the side pocket of a pair of shorts just fine.

If we had to summarize the Y16 as a whole, it’s a perfect tool for the rider who likes to work on his bike and appreciates good tools. If you’re looking for uber lightweight minimalism, there are better offerings for you out there – the Y16 a touch on the heavy side due to how comprehensive and real world usable it is. It’s a tool for the rider who regularly tweaks their bike, or want to have everything at their fingertips to avoid getting stranded on LONG rides. If you are a tool geek in your garage or your man cave, you will appreciate having the bit of extra leverage that the Y-wrenches provide for you mid ride and it’s tailor made for you.

photos : Luca Cometti