The FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox combines the brand’s clever cageless magnetic twist mounting system with a large toolbox to store gear or food. It’s a rigid toolbox that uses the same TWIST bike base that is used by the FIDLOCK water bottles but is meant for storage instead of hydration. The retail price on the FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox is $49.99 which includes the TWIST bike base to mount the toolbox on a water bottle receiver. It’s a fairly large toolbox with 500ml capacity and internal mesh pockets to help organize the content. The toolbox has a rigid design and is constructed from a water repellent material and waterproof zippers.
The FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox combines FIDLOCK’s clever magnetic twist-on design with a large toolbox to store gear.
| Retail Price | $49.99 |
| Rating | 9.0/10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 154 (toolbox), 23 (bike base) |
| Likes | + Cageless design eliminates the need for straps + Internal mesh pockets help to organize contents + Clever TWIST design is easy to install and remove from the bike |
| Dislikes | – Black interior instead of a high-visibility color – TWIST hardware protrudes into the bag – Large size makes it a tight fit on smaller frames |
| Where to Buy (US) | FIDLOCK |
UNBOXING
The FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox comes attached to a simple cardboard backing and is attached using the mounting hardware and some nuts to hold it in place. Once you remove it from the cardboard backing and take out the included instruction pamphlet inside the toolbox it’s ready to be installed on a bike.
MOUNTING
The FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox uses the brand’s standard TWIST magnetic bike base. With this $50 version of the toolbox, the base is included and has a clever design that uses two magnets and a center peg to help lineup the base and the receiver. It’s a simple design that snaps into place when you bring the magnets close to each other for easy installation. Removing it requires a clockwise rotation to unlock the toolbox which is also quite easy. With this magnetic design, there is no need for straps or cages which make installation or removal difficult and can wear out over time. The base uses the water bottle bolt holes on a frame for secure mounting, although FIDLOCK also offers universal base options for alternative mounting locations.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox is a large rigid toolbox that uses FIDLOCK clever mounting system. The bag has an all black finish with grooves on the exterior for additional rigidity. FIDLOCK doesn’t offer any size or color variations for the TWIST toolbox which means this fairly large 500mL version is the only one available. It’s a fairly large bag at almost 7.5” long, 3.5” deep and 3.5” wide so it may not fit all bike frames. Branding on the bag is limited to a FIDLOCK logo on the front that is ghosted on with a glossy black finish. FIDLOCK describes the bag as using a water repellent material so while it isn’t truly waterproof, the bag does have a coated zipper that should keep water out of it.
Inside the toolbox you have an all-black interior with several compartments to organize things. On the outer door is a deep recess with a half width mesh panel that is perfectly sized for inner tubes or larger items. There is also a built-in center divider panel with elastic straps on it that can be used to place CO2 canisters or tools securely in place. The backside of the divider also has additional elastic straps for storage. It’s a simple design that works well for storing flatter items like tire levers. The FIDLOCK TWIST base receiver also protrudes a fair amount into the toolbox which eats up some of the interior space behind the center divider. There is still some space in front or to the sides of the receiver for other miscellaneous item storage.
RIDING IMPRESSIONS
We installed the FIDLOCK TWIST on our Decathlon Triban RC520 has a clean way to carry extra gear and spares without the need for a saddlebag. The 500mL size is fairly large with a divided compartment design that helps keep things organized. We were able to fit a Tubolite tube, Topeak multi-tool, tire levers and a wrench. The elastic straps on the divider are a simple but effective way to carry smaller items without them getting lost inside a bag. Although it’s a larger bag, the divided design and protruding mounting hardware does limit the toolbox to smaller items. It’s one of the downsides of the divided compartment design which meant it couldn’t carry nearly as much as our 700ml EVOC Seat Bag.
Otherwise, the multi-pocket design makes it easy to organize and find items. Even with the all-black interior, we would have preferred Topeak’s bright yellow interiors, it’s easy to find items inside the bag without having to pull everything out. The TWIST magnetic base is also easy to install and makes installation and removal of the toolbox quick and easy. There are no straps, or dials to deal with when removing or installing the toolbox. On our two-bottle setup with the toolbox on the seat post, the toolbox is a tight fit against the downtube water bottle cage. However, with the simple twist off design of the mount it’s still easy to remove the toolbox to access the contents.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox to be a well designed and easy to use toolbox. FIDLOCK has taken their clever magnetic TWIST bike base and integrated the mount onto a rigid toolbox with the TWIST toolbox. At 500ml, the TWIST toolbox is nearly the size of a water bottle and features a divided interior compartment that makes it easy to organize the contents. Although you can’t fit quite as much as a similarly sized saddlebag due to the divider and protruding mounting hardware, it has enough room to fit gear and is a breeze to install or remove from the bike. As far as negatives, we would have liked to see a brighter interior color and found that the mounting hardware eats up some of the interior volume. That said, the FIDLOCK TWIST toolbox is a great way to carry tools and features an intuitive magnetic mounting system that eliminates cages and straps.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by FIDLOCK. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.