Crank Brothers’ M19 hasn’t got the film star looks or the chunky utilitarian feel of some of its competitors, but it does do almost everything right. The slim knurled alloy frame allows the bits to be accessed easily, even if they do have a habit of all wanting to move as one.
Bits have a reassuringly snug fit into Allen bolt heads. The bits are all straight (hurrah) though the large Phillips again isn’t at the edge, making front mech adjustments tricky. We love the look of the cast chain tool body and despite not being that big its shape was just right to get a reasonable grip on.
The large driving pin also helped make solid contact when applying force to pin heads. The carrying tin has just enough space to slide a few self-adhesive patches and a master link or spare joining pin. It’s an oldie and literal and proverbial goldie.