Welcome to the second edition of Torque About Tools for 2024 – you best get comfortable because there are 13 tools to take you through in this installment.
There’s a real mix of tools this time – from simple ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ add-ons to the customary tool exotica.
And because the underside of my desk is a tool jungle, I promise it won’t be as long until the next instalment.
Elegant solutions from BSC Tools
David Gunthorpe is the one-man band behind BSC Tools. Based in Wales, the brand has quickly garnered a following among many British workshops. Its tools are easily identifiable by their typically orange anodising.
BSC Pro Cannondale Hollowgram SiSL / SiSL2 Crank Removal Extraction Tool
- £45.83
Although Cannondale has now largely phased out the use of its own SiSL and SiSL2 cranks on its bikes, there are still plenty of them out on the roads. They remain popular among weight weenies too.
I wouldn’t count myself as a fan, however – a piece of my soul withered away each time I had to remove one back in my workshop days.
Replacing a Cannondale crankset is quite different from other brands.
You first undo and fully remove the 10mm hex bolt end cap on the non-driveside crankarm, making sure not to lose the washer on the threads.
If you’re using Cannondale’s own KT013 tool, you thread the 8mm attachment until it’s flush with the end of the threaded section of the crankarm. You then thread the extraction cap by hand and loosen until the crankarm slides off the spindle.
However, the main hex bolt and the threaded section required tons of force to undo.
Enduro Bearings’ CT-008 made the process significantly more tolerable because it incorporated a large handle.
But the handle was very thin and you’d still need the force of He-Man to undo it. I often resorted to putting a crown race setter over the top for particularly stubborn cranks.
BSC reckons its tool is the magic solution, also incorporating a handle but one that’s more ergonomic.
BSC Pro Dummy Pedal
- £45.83
A dummy pedal is very useful when assembling new bikes, particularly for adjusting and indexing gears – you don’t want to catch your fingers in the chainrings.
Offerings from brands such as Park Tool and Enduro Bearings dominate most workshops, but this one from BSC is an altogether more premium option.
BSC’s CNC-machined aluminium handle spins effortlessly on two ABEC-5 double-sealed bearings. The handle is nice and long at 95mm and I’ve been using it to check over test bikes in the last couple of months – it has quickly become a favourite.
BSC DAG Extension
- £10.99
Many older derailleur hanger alignment tools lack the clearance for some modern dropouts, such as the SRAM UDH. BSC’s DAG Extension is a perhaps unexciting but exceptionally useful 30mm extension that threads onto the end of a tool.
The DAG Extension is also compatible with lever setter tools. This is useful for particularly low stems, where you may lack sufficient clearance without the extension.
Kudos to BSC for making a product that breathes new life into an old tool.
Three new pliers from Feedback
American brand Feedback has been busy, with three new plier tools introduced earlier this spring to add to its ever-growing range.
The Mini Diagonal Cutters are designed to ensure sharp cuts, predominantly on zip ties, but can also be used to crimp cable end caps.
The Mini Diagonal Cutter and Mini Needle Nose Plier incorporate an ergonomic rubber handle for comfort. The jaws of both tools are knurled to hold items securely.
The Adjustable Pliers Wrench is Feedback’s answer to the popular Knipex Cobra Pliers.
The Cobra pliers are my gold standard and, for most bicycle-related jobs, perform the same function as an entire set of spanners, making them ideal for the travelling mechanic.
Feedback’s tool can grip up to a 35mm nut and features a forged steel body.
The handles on the Adjustable Pliers Wrench aren’t quite as substantial as the Mini Diagonal Cutter and Mini Needle Nose Plier, with Feedback using a double-dipped rubber grip.
- Feedback Mini Diagonal Cutters – £32 / $30 / €38
- Feedback Mini Needle Nose Plier – £32 / $30 / €38
- Feedback Adjustable Pliers Wrench – £60 / $55 / €70
SteinTool HyperHandle Cassette Holding Tool 10-11-12
- $60
SteinTool’s HyperHandle Cassette Holding Tool is an interesting take on the conventional chain whip.
With a similar – but more luxurious – design to the Unior Cassette Wrench 1670/2BI, the tool uses a set of three 4mm hex bolts, rather than a length of chain, to grip onto the smallest cassette cog.
There’s an opening in the middle of the handle for a cassette lockring tool to slot inside.
One side of the handle is for 11t cogs, the other is for 10 or 12t cogs.
SteinTool makes other variants of this tool for 10/11 and 11/12t starting cogs, with options starting from $35. A 9t option for Campagnolo Ekar groupsets is not currently available.
The icing on the cake is a real oak handle.
I’ve used this tool to replace cassettes on a couple of wheelsets and have been impressed by its efficiency. The oak handle makes for a comfortable grip too.
However, I wish the hole in the middle was a little larger so my favourite Abbey Crombie lockring tool would fully fit through.
New releases from Park Tool
Park Tool has been quietly updating some of its workshop staples, with Jack Luke and Stan Portus spotting them earlier in the year at iceBike, UK distributor Madison’s annual trade show.
The RR-12.2 tape measure is a modest improvement over the RR-12, still extending up to 3.5m / 12ft.
It introduces a revised thumb lock function and a quick stop button at the base of the tape measure. I’ve found the thumb lock to be greatly improved over its predecessor.
The Digital Caliper DC-2 is ostensibly identical to the DC-1 in terms of its measurement capabilities. However, the all-metal construction of the display over the plastic used on the outgoing model makes it a worthwhile upgrade.
Finally, the EP-1 End Cap Crimping Pliers are a new addition to Park Tool’s portfolio. They are specifically designed for crimping cable end caps to achieve a professional finish.
Typically, a crimping function is incorporated into a cable cutter or a plier, as seen on Feedback’s Mini Nose Needle Pliers.
- Park Tool RR-12.2 – £6.99 / $9
- Park Tool Digital Caliper DC-2 – £64.99 / $70.95
- Park Tool End Cap Crimping Pliers EP-1 – £34.99 / $29.95
Prestacycle TorqRatchet GO – Portable 3-12Nm Torque Multi-Tool Ratchet
- £56 / $59 / €54
Launched last week, Prestacycle’s new TorqRatchet GO is a ratcheting multi-tool designed for carrying on rides that incorporates a beam-style torque wrench.
Prestacycle primarily produces torque wrenches or ratcheting multi-tools for other brands. The Ritchey TorqKey, for example, is a rebranded Prestacycle product.
The TorqRatchet GO sits alongside the TorqRatchet Pro and TorqRatchet Elite, but with a wider 3-12Nm range (the Pro and Elite are 2-10Nm). That’s a more useful range, because it now means you can tighten Shimano crank pinch bolts, which are rated to 12-15Nm.
All of Prestacycle’s torque options use 1/4in bits.
On the TorqRatchet GO, a slim alloy handle is paired with a hardened steel head, with a reversible ratchet with a thumb wheel integrated into it.
Prestacycle says the TorqRatchet GO is 8 per cent smaller than the TorqRatchet Pro. Aside from the increased torque range, it’s ostensibly the same product.
Despite the 12Nm maximum torque, Prestacycle says the tool can withstand up to 60Nm of force and you can even use it to remove and install pedals.
To use the torque function, press with one finger on the end knob and observe the white indicator against the scale.
The new tool is 123mm long and comes in at 66g.
Although I prefer to carry a multi-tool, I’ll often take on-the-bike torque options whenever I’m shaking down a new bike. My preferred option is my beloved Silca Ti-Torque and T-Ratchet.
I’ve also recently been carrying the Feedback Range Click Torque Wrench outside of its case for a test bike with a wanting stem design, because it has a slightly wider torque range.
Comparing the three tools, the TorqRatchet GO is slimmer and lighter than the others, so I’ll be interested to see how it fares.
Topeak Torq Stick Pro 4-20Nm
- £159.99 / €179.95
This comprehensive set from Topeak incorporates a torque wrench and a ratchet that can be configured in multiple ways to ease the job at hand.
Starting with the torque wrench, the Torq Stick has a wide 4 to 20Nm range. This means it’ll cover almost everything on your bike.
It has a satisfying long handle and the adjustment dial is easy to use, enabling you to set the torque in 0.5Nm increments. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to guess you’ve set a torque wrench correctly if its indicator window is unclear.
Although the torque wrench has a definitive click when you’ve reached your desired measurement, it’s not as noticeable as the Feedback Range Click, Park Tool TW-5.2 or Effetto Mariposa Giustaforza.
Topeak says the torque wrench is accurate to +/- 4 per cent and recommends recalibrating it after 5,000 cycles.
Moving away from the torque wrench, there’s a ratchet tool and even a Finger Bit Holder and Speed Sleeve Bit Holder for getting into tighter spaces (this is useful for bottle cages).
The 1/4in bits are all in a flip-up organiser so you can easily access them, and the 4, 5 and 6mm bits are colour-coded for easy identification.
The included bits are as follows:
- 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm hex
- T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T15, T20, T25 and T30 Torx
WheelsMFG Axle Ruler Pro
- £139.99 / $122.99
Ever needed to replace a thru-axle and found it an absolute headache to buy the correct thread pitch?
Well, gone are the days of conventional rulers and counting the number of threads per centimetre, because Wheels Manufacturing has brought out this (rather extravagant) ruler.
Crafted from 6061 aluminium (and in red, of course), the Axle Ruler Pro incorporates a 280mm ruler, with units in both inches and millimetres.
On its side is a collection of 13 different female and male thread gauges you can offer up to your thru-axle to see if the thread matches. If you want to be doubly sure it’s correct, you can thread the gauge into the exposed thru-axle insert.
The included male and female thread gauges are as follows:
- M9 x 1, M9 x 26, 3/8in x 24, 3/8in x 26, M10 x 1, M10 x 26, M12 x 1, M12 x 1.25, M12 x 1.5, M12 x 1.75, M14 x 1.5, M15 x 1, M15 x 1.5
There’s even a slot at the top of the tool if you want to hang it on a peg board.
While a decadent purchase for the home mechanic, I foresee this tool being popular with busy workshops where they want to save time double-guessing any measurements.
