Topeak’s Ninja Master+ Toolbox PT30 makes for an excellent way of carrying some of the best multitools on your bike at all times. Coming with a range of mounting options, it offers excellent versatility and the included multitool, while fiddly to a point, is a bit of a belter. Though storage for tubeless plugs would make this more useful and fitment is limited in full-suspension bike frames.
- Best mountain bike pumps and CO2 inflators
- Granite Design Stash RT Ratchet multitool review
- How to choose the best dropper post for your mountain bike
Topeak Ninja Master+ Toolbox PT30 - Technical details
This product comes in two parts. First off there’s the Topeak Mini PT30 multitool that offers an impressive 30 functions, and then there’s the toolbox which houses the tool. Handily, the toolbox is waterproof but what’s special is that it can be attached to almost any bike through the use of a special bottle cage adaptor that allows the box to pair with a number of Topeak’s bottle cages, a two-bolt direct-mount or with a pair of cable ties. While the very last option is a little untidy, it means that you can fit this to any bike if you’re willing to sacrifice a sleek look.
The multitool is the Topeak Mini PT30 has been well received here at off.road.cc and has become a mainstay of my riding pack. It’s a very comprehensive tool, as the '30' in its name would suggest. It comes with Allen keys ranging from 2-8mm with a 10mm Allen socket, T10, T15, and T25 Torx wrenches, as well as 15g, 14g and Mavic M7 spoke wrenches.
That’s not all as there’s a tyre lever built in, along with a chain hook, chain tool, power link tool, both kinds of screwdrivers, a disc spacer, a knife and a tubeless plug insertion tool with a reamer. While the size of this tool means that there are not tonnes of leverage on offer, it comes with basically everything you’ll need to sort almost every mid-ride bike breakage, at least to get you home.
Topeak says that this kit weighs 225g while my scale weighed it at 245g with the bolt mount.
Topeak Ninja Master+ Toolbox PT30 - Performance
It goes without saying that the tool itself is pretty darn good. While weighty compared to its rivals, it's not short of tools in a neatly compact package. Some bits take a little figuring out and, to this day, I’m still finding new things it can do but I find great comfort in knowing that I’ve got such a mass of repair power nearby.
Though, the real star of the show is the toolbox aspect of this product. Topeak seems to have thought of everything here and it’s pretty simple to put together. That’s in each configuration, too. Essentially, each attachment fits in the same way which boosts its overall simplicity, though, I will admit that fitting this to a bottle cage requires a bit of finesse, as you’ll need to hold onto the box and the bottle cage as you send the bolt home to make both pieces one.
Putting the direct/cable mount and box together is more straightforward but generally, I can’t fault Topeak’s design here.
Having mounted the Ninja Master+ Toolbox in each of its configurations, apart from zip-tying it to my frame, I’m pleased to report that it’s as stable as you would ever need it to be. At first, when attached to the bottle cage I was a little worried, I was quickly proven wrong as it happily stayed in place even rattling down lumpy descents on a hardtail.
Attaching the toolbox using a bottle cage does come with one big caveat, however: it fits very few full-suspension frames without coming into contact with the shock, or other bits of the frame. Though, if your bike has an extra bottle mount under the top tube, as we’re seeing is increasingly common on trail bikes through to enduro mountain bikes and even some downcountry rigs you’ll easily be able to hard mount it to your bike.
Mounting the tool this way was my chosen method, mostly on my gravel bike using the mount under the downtube by the bottom bracket. Here, the toolbox is well out of the way and when riding, it’s totally unnoticeable. There’s little else I use this mount for, too, so it’s a no-brainer for me.
Access to the tool is made easy thanks to the toolbox’s rotating feature. Spinning the box by 90 degrees makes sure that the box’s lid completely clears the bike frame, neatly presenting the PT30 multitool.
Pulling out the multitool is easy, though its fit is definitely snug but putting it back in can be a bit of a faff. That’s because the tools need to be arranged perfectly to fit into the box correctly. I would rather this though, than a looser, more rattly fit.
One thing that would absolutely make this little set-up is space or a compartment for tubeless repair plugs. With the tool being capable of tubeless repair with its reamer, fork, and knife it feels a bit unforgivable that this has been overlooked. Instead, you’ll need to carry them elsewhere on your bike or in a pocket, or like me, tape them into the toolbox.
Topeak Ninja Master+ Toolbox PT30 - Verdict
With the multitool now costing £48, the extra £17 outlay is well worth it if you’re after a secure and easy-access method of storing a very useful multitool on your bike. After taking a look at other ways of carrying multitools on a bike, options are generally more expensive, with OneUp’s EDC V2 costing just north of £69. The threadless carrier or threading tool will then set you back an extra £40.
Granite Design’s Stash system is one that I swear by on my mountain bike, but then that will cost you more again. The basic Stash RCX tool kit is £50 and that’s just for a small set of Allen keys. A chain breaker and tyre plug kit on top is another £20 each.
Though, you could get the tool, or similar, and a gear strap that’ll be significantly cheaper, and you’ll be able to carry a tube around too. Though, security will be an issue.
There is some room for improvement in the Topeak Ninja Master+ Toolbox PT30 but because of its comprehensive multitool and range of fitment options, it’s one that will suit a lot of people. Regardless of how you attach it to your bike, it’s perfectly stable and offers easy access to one of the best multitools around. But if you ride a full-suspension mountain bike, make sure you’ve got an accessory bottle mount, or that there’s clearance for the toolbox before committing to the purchase.