Quick Take Review
Sometimes things get lost in the elaborate GearGuide inventory system. Unfortunately, that happened recently to a Hero Kit – a pre-packaged set of bike repair gear assembled and sold by a Butte, Colorado-based company known as Hero Enterprises. A sample Mountain Bike version arrived in the late fall and languished over the winter months only to resurface here in early summer.
The story goes like this: the Hero Enterprises founder – an avid biker – often found himself in situations where he needed to help others. Flat tires, broken chains, you get the idea. People don’t always have the expertise to deal with those situations and he did. But what if he wasn’t around? How could you package up that know-how, and make it available where-ever and whenever it was needed? Herein lays the idea behind the Hero Kit.
The Mountain Bike Hero Kit includes a dozen or so different items. It’s designed to provide the most-often-needed tools, components, and most importantly, the know-how, to make common repairs on the trail. The kit comes in a heavy-duty plastic pouch that holds a 12-function multi-tool, zip ties, tire levers, patch kit, duct tape, Tyvek patch, frame bolt, cleat bolt, gear cable, emergency contact form, chain links and wipes. And at the heart of the Hero Kit, the company places a very comprehensive and well-written repair manual.
I too found myself in exactly the situation described by the Hero Enterprises founder. Last summer while biking on Mount Diablo, I ran into a father and two boys in need of a patch kit. Luckily, I had one to lend. In the process of digging through my saddle bag, however, I realized just how under-prepared I was. Upon returning to civilization, I headed straight to the local bike shop to stock up. That experience and others gives me even greater appreciation for the Hero Kit.
Specs
Weight: 9.75 oz
Dimensions: 4.5 x 7 inches
Couple of notes on the product itself. On the plus side, I found manual to be outstanding and nicely illustrated with color photos. This is not your typical Lego instruction sheet. Rather, Hero Enterprises has gone the extra mile to clearly articulate each step on a range of repairs. They also rate those repairs in difficulty. The manual truly does package up the substantial know-how of an experienced rider and present it in a way that a more novice rider can understand and action. Also, the Planet Bike tire levers and integrated patch kit are pretty killer. I dig the way the patch kit nestles inside the two tire irons.
On the minus, the kit itself is a little heavy at nearly 10 ounces. The primary offender is the 12 function multi-tool. It provides all the elements for field repairs but there are certainly lighter ones available. The kit is also somewhat large and difficult to fit in a mid-size seat pack. It’s doable, but certainly a tight squeeze.
And finally, there’s the price. Hero Enterprises claims the Mountain Bike Hero Kit warehouses $75 worth of gear. The product is currently priced at $39.99 so it’s easy to see the real value for money. If you don’t have a current kit, buy one. Find it at Amazon.