Attaching spares to your bike can range from electrical taping tubes and tools to places where there are no mounts, to straps like those from Backcountry Research, to the uber clean inframe storage. With more bikes seeing accessory mounts under the top tube, and even bosses for a second bottle cage, using its magnetic rails, Fidlock has a clever solution to carry everything and the kitchen sink on your bike, leaving your pockets free for even more sugary delights.
The Twist Toolbox offers 500ml of storage zipped away from the elements. Inside is a mesh pocket and divider with elastic straps to keep your bits and bobs organized. There is ample space inside for a 29er tube, though you’ll need to roll it neatly to ensure it doesn’t turn into a brick. Even with the tube, there’s still room for a multi-tool, CO2 and inflator, quick link players, tyre levers and a Dynaplug — with a bit of breathing room to spare.
Everything about the Twist toolbox is well-finished, however, its utility will depend on your frame and whether or not you have committed to the Fidlock System.
With the Toolbox itself being about the size of a bottle, how it will fit around other things already inside the front triangle will be governed by your bike. So if you’re frame only has room for one bottle inside, the box will bogart that real estate. On my size large Norco Optic, with the rails mounted under the top tube, the Toolbox touches my bottle cage. I was able to force a bottle in, however it puts a fair bit of stress on the base plate, and in this configuration, it rattles when you ride through a rough section of trail.
Given the Fidlock baseplate adds about 10mm of stack compared to a standard bottle cage, even with the Fidlock bottles, there simply isn’t enough space inside my frame to accommodate both. However on a bigger frame or if your bike has other mounting options, like on the bottom of the down tube, the hold is secure, and this may be a good option.
Of course mounted to the bottle bosses, there is ample room inside the frame, and the Toolbox is secure and quiet.
With the modularity of the Fidlock Twist system, if you’re carrying a hydration pack and don’t want to have to dig into your bag if you need a tyre plug or your multi-tool, this tool caddy allows you to take advantage of real estate that would otherwise be wasted. With that said, carrying tools in your bag is hardly an imposition.
This would be a nifty accessory if Fidlock made it in a smaller size or on bikes where you’re not often carrying water — like a commuter. If you’re already on board with the Fidlock system and are using the bottles, I think the Twist Toolbox offers similar utility to the tool bins that fit into a bottle cage but in a much sleeker package.
However, if you’re looking for a solution to carry spares using those accessory mounts under the top tube, depending on your bike, you may need to wait until Fidlock releases a smaller version.
