New tools day. It’s just like new bike day but more accessible and easier to fit into a drawer.
This gallery is an assortment of interesting new tools that have hit the market in recent days/weeks/months, many of which are just begging to be featured in Cool Tool Tuesday. I’ve been fortunate enough to get hands-on experience with all of these and figured it was time to do a little show-and-tell presentation to the class. Unfortunately, I got a little carried away and overshot the time (word) limit, so I’ll be back with act two next week (now published).
This is my fourth gallery of new tools in the past 12 months. The fast pace of development in the cycling industry means new tools to work on increasingly complicated bikes are never far away. If you haven’t already, check out parts one and two of what’s new in the world of cycling tools and what new tools were revealed at the Sea Otter Classic.
Shameless pre-show advert: If you haven’t already, also be sure to check out my two-part deep-dive on torque wrenches. If you already own such a tool, then the second part is the one you need to read – if you don’t learn anything, I’ll personally refund your admission fee.
PNW – the company best known for its great-value dropper posts – has entered the multi-tool game. This is the Pebble, a rather minimalist and compact 51 g folding tool that combines a few of the commonly needed tool sizes with a single Dynaplug tubeless repair plug. That Dynaplug insert unscrews from the tool; beneath it hides a T25 bit. The tool also has 3-6 mm hex sizes covered. The tool even passes the often-failed test of whether the 5 mm fits into a recessed derailleur mounting bolt. Overall it’s a quality-feeling product, one that is available in multiple colours and for US$37. It’s no secret I’m a fan of Dynaplug tubeless repair products. Yes Dynaplug carries a high premium over other solutions, but in my experience nothing is faster to use or more reliable. Here the PNW Pebble is pictured with the Dynaplug Racer and Racer Pro. This is the new Park Tool EP-1 (US$30). It’s a plier that serves the single purpose of crimping cable end caps. Most bicycle cable cutters already feature such a crimp function, so why the dedicated tool?It’s because an increasing number of derailleurs now place the cable in a hard-to-reach spot. The integrated crimp function on cable cutters is frustrating to use in these positions, and even gaining access with a blunt side cutter (my old preference) can require removing the rear wheel. To answer this, Park Tool’s new Crimping Pliers offer two angles of approach. You can crimp from the side or straight on. The pliers produce a rather stealthy centrally placed crimp that holds tight. Similar tools do exist from electronics industries, but you’ll struggle to find one as practical as this for the task. I know I’ve already covered brake bleed kits to death. As far as high-end options go, the BKM-1 (mineral) and BKD-1 (DOT) from Park Tool are real good. Part of that is due to the number of adapters included that make them ultra-versatile. Other positive aspects are the long flexible hoses, quality syringes, and a neat syringe-holding tool. However, my favourite element is that Park Tool lets you buy individual replacement parts. I’m rehashing all of this because there’s now a small upgrade kit available for these kits. This upgrade kit is the Park Tool BK-UK. The gold bits are M4 x 0.7 mm fittings for SRAM DB8 mineral oil brakes (yes, SRAM is no longer all-in on DOT), along with Campagnolo and Trick Stuff. The silver piece is a hose compression sleeve for clamping the hose onto certain bleed nipples. The blue pieces are bleed blocks for certain Hayes brake models. And lastly, the hose features a game-changing insert for use with old-and-new Shimano bleed nipples. That new hose insert is something that was first introduced with Shimano’s new bleed syringe (TL-BR001), a product I have previously praised for how much cleaner and easier it makes bleeding Shimano brakes (caliper end). Following Shimano, Park Tool is the first company I’ve seen to offer this insert. The insert works as a guide and securing support on all Shimano bleed nipples, whether they’re on an entry-level MTB brake or the latest 12-speed road stuff. Park Tool’s insert (top) seems to sit more securely in the hose than Shimano’s version (bottom). The Shimano version is good, but once in a while I find myself having to wiggle it back to the edge of the hose. And as I mentioned in my previous review, the Shimano synringe feels pretty cheap for what it costs – something the Park Tool solves. These are just the adapters for the upgraded BKM-1 (mineral oil) kit. Such a universal kit is unlikely to be needed if you’re a home mechanic with one brand of brake, but such a kit is certainly of value in a busy professional workshop. The Park Tool bleed kits were released at the start of 2020 and quickly sold out. Those early kits suffered from leaky hose ends and easily wrecked fitting seals (shown on the right). Park Tool has since revised the hose ends to be vastly more durable and secure (left). It’s an update that took the product from my sh*t list to my hit list. Reach out to Park Tool if you’re one of the few with the original leaky kits. The BK-UK means there’s now another option for those keen on the insert that makes the Shimano TL-BR001 syringe so special. The Daysaver Original9 and Coworking5 are two separate tools that can be combined into one impressively capable and compact package. You get 14 tools for just 72 grams when paired together. I recently did a detailed review on this combo – I’m including it in this gallery in case you missed the review of this tool which will surely inspire many other new tools. German tool company Wera recently released a catalogue worth of new hand tools, many of which are applicable to bicycle wrenching needs. Pictured is the 8009 Zyklop Pocket Set 2, a compact tool that has a staggeringly large feature list, making it pretty handy for general fixing needs. Wera’s original Zyklop ratchet features a swivelling head that can be locked at various angles, allowing it to be used as a screwdriver, a regular 90° ratchet, or somewhere in between. The new 8009 adds a new universal head into the mix, one that can fit both 3/8″ square drive sockets and 1/4″ hex bit sockets. The dual-purpose drive head is a concept first seen in Bosch’s ‘Freak’ electric impact wrenches. But wait, there’s more. The base of the 8009 pulls out to reveal an organised collection of quality Wera bits. Add the extension and you have a rather handy ratcheting screwdriver. Pivot the head and you have yourself a ratchet. This tool is arguably a little too exposed and big for use as a carry-along multi-tool, but surely many will find it useful in pre-ride tunes, workshop wrenching, and general household DIY. Wera has been steadily growing its cycling footprint for a few years now, and the ‘Bicycle Set 15’ is one of the more focussed efforts to date. This 46-gram ride-friendly toolset aims to provide eight separate functions from something that is quite literally the size of a set of tyre levers. Most of the US$50 / AU$70 cost is the result of these two unique little steel bits. Perhaps inspired by the DaySaver, each end offers two common tool sizes. And there’s a special hidden trick… The smallest tools on each end are spring-loaded and will press into the tool if you need to use the larger size sitting behind them. It’s a clever concept, but the downside is some play between the sliding interfaces which gives a more vague feeling for what the fastener is doing.The impressively strong tyre levers double as the bit handle. It is possible to use just one lever, but I’ve found the bit will begin to round the handle if taken over 5 Nm. Thankfully using two handles is plenty strong to undo thru-axles or other medium-torque needs. The third tyre lever isn’t needed for driving the hex/Torx bits but does provide a valve core tool. Overall I’d say this tool is fun but not the most practical or to Wera’s usual professional quality standard – namely the bits are fiddly to get into the lever’s hex-shaped hole and I prefer a more positive engagement between tool and fastener. Siri, find me an interchangeable long-blade T-handle ratchet.
“Ok, I’ve found this on the web for interchangeable long-blade T-handle ratchet, check it out”.
Introducing the new Wera Kraftform Kompakt 400. This is one cool tool. The ratchet offers an incredible low back drag with a fine 80-tooth mechanism (4.5°). The direct switch is sunk into the handle – great for not accidentally flicking it but a little tough to change it one-handed. Wera’s T-handle grips are full of traction and offer a comfortable shape in the palm. The bit-holder locks itself when a bit is inserted, and stays locked until the collar is slid to release it. That collar also doubles as a spinner for the tool, meaning you can hold it and spin the handle around it. Add in Wera’s high-quality bits and there’s plenty to drool over with this one. I do enjoy talking about a good torque wrench, and Wera’s new Safety Torque had me clicking with joy. This 2-12 Nm adjustable clicker-style torque wrench may be priced out of reach for many, but it has a number of rather cool and useful features. At the top of that list is the cam-over ratcheting head, meaning the tool will continuously click-over when the set torque is met, meaning there’s no risk of accidentally tightening the wrench further after it has clicked (video of how it works). I tested this feature and can confirm that the peak torque remains unchanged with every extra click you make. Better yet, the tool is well calibrated. The second-coolest feature is the lock-out sleeve. Simply slide this green sleeve upward (exposing the red warning label) and the torque component of the tool is locked out, meaning you can then safely use the tool as a regular ratchet for loosening and tightening needs. That should be especially useful for the travelling mechanic looking to keep their kit small. Just don’t forget to slide that collar back down when you need a torque wrench! The Safety Torque wrench is available in two variants: the A1 (shown) features a 1/4″ square drive head, while the A2 features a 1/4″ in-hex drive head – otherwise, they’re the same tool. Wera offers just the torque wrench by itself or various kits are available. Pictured is the “A 1 Set 1”, which isn’t all that applicable to cycling applications with the included 5.5 – 13 mm sockets and extension. Wera’s torque wrench range has grown steadily in recent years. Shown in the middle, the Wera A5 is a torque wrench I’ve reviewed previously. Pedro’s recently updated its popular star nut setting tool. This tool is used for installing star fangled nuts into the top of metal fork steerer tubes (it’s what the top cap bolt threads into). Shown on the right, the Star Nut Setter II (US$60) shares the same concept and dimensions as Pedro’s original tool (left). The new version features an aluminium guide sleeve for more-reduced weight, while the steel driver has been refined for improved ergonomics (and further weight-savings). The original Star Nut Setter was one of the most compact options but weighed a hefty 416 g. The new version is exactly half that. The tool’s sleeve keeps everything aligned and acts as a depth stop for the star nut. The guided design has been copied by a few other tool manufacturers since. I’m a fan of stashable multi-tools, at least where a bike allows such a thing to be used without compromise (basically just mountain bikes at this time). This is the new Stash RT Ratchet Socket Set (US$70) from Granite Design. It’s the first steerer-stashed bit-based ratchet tool, and is a sibling to the Stash RCX I’ve reviewed previously. The Stash RT is designed for use in tapered suspension fork steerer tubes that have an opening at the crown. Like many stashable tools, this one replaces the pre-existing starnut or compression plug by effectively clamping the top of the stem toward the bottom of the steerer. Shown here are the multiple pieces provided, including three different M6 bolt lengths to match your steerer tube. Pieced together, this is what the tool looks like once installed within your mountain bike’s steerer. All up it weighs 160 grams, including the tool. That tool combines a very well-proven ratchet mechanism (the same one most popular bit-based ratchets use) with quality bits spanning 2-8 mm, T25, and a longer PH1 that can be placed into the bottom of the tool for more leverage. And this is what it looks like once installed. It is possible to run it with fewer spacers than shown for a lower-profile fit. Thanks to the magic that is a coil spring, the tool pops up by itself. For an extra US$10 you can get the optional computer mount top cap kit. This quite simply replaces the stock swivel cover with either a Garmin quarter-turn or Wahoo-type computer mount. I personally loathe having a computer in this position, but each to their own. Overall there’s a lot to like about this one. It’s easy to install, well priced. easy to use, does not rattle, and is a highly functional tool. However, one big flaw is that the stashed tool can’t (at least not easily) be used to preload the headset it hides within. Add in that it has no tyre lever or chain-breaker and that is why I’ve since reverted back to using the OneUp EDC (threaded). I rarely use my air compressor or track pump(s) for inflating tyres; rather my go-to is the Fumpa. I’ve been a fan of this little handheld compressor since day-dot and have seen the product go through a series of design tweaks since. Pictured (from left to right) is the new NanoFumpa, Fumpa Gauge, and the updated Fumpa Bike Pump. The original Fumpa Bike Pump (AU$179) is the product I use daily. The new model is on the left, the previous version on the right. It’s still the same fast-inflating handheld electric pump with an accurate digital pressure gauge. However Fumpa has added USB-C charging, given the internals a small tweak or two, and replaced the swivel extension hose with an in-built adapter. The new push-on adapter is now configurable between Schrader and Presta valves.The market for electric tyre inflators has certainly blossomed over recent years. Now just about every major battery tool company has such a thing, and other copy-cat products are popping up in quick order, too. I’m yet to find anything that beats the Fumpa for its ease of use, inflation speed, and compact sizing. The NanoFumpa (AU$119) is the smallest electric tyre inflator on the market and is designed to replace a mini pump and/or CO2 inflator (16 g CO2 cartridge shown for scale). Despite its cute size, I inflated two 700 x 30 mm tyres (measured width) to 60 psi – with a little battery to spare. It did each of those inflations in 1 minute 45 seconds. By comparison the regular Fumpa Bike Pump does the job in 22 seconds. This 99-gram model doesn’t have a gauge and its weather sealing comes in the form of a provided zip-seal bag. It cuts out at a maximum pressure of 82 psi (actual figure as tested). Want a USB-C rechargeable digital pressure gauge? How about one that weighs just 30 grams and is smaller than anything else on the market? Fumpa has it (for AU$49). It works remarkably well and with verified accuracy in showing the nearest whole psi. It can also measure up to 250 psi, meaning it can be used as a quick check on air-sprung suspension products, too. That’s at least assuming you remember to charge it once in awhile. A quick little size comparison. The Fumpa Gauge bleeds air differently to the others, otherwise it gives up little in the way of function. My favourite feature is how little air it wastes/loses in being connected/disconnected – I measured the loss at just 0.1 psi (at 55 psi).
Note: A number of the tools mentioned in Cool Tool Tuesday are not sold through traditional cycling channels and can be hard to find, which is also kind of the point of the series. Access to the tools covered will be easy for those in Europe and the United States. Use a search engine to find the products mentioned.
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