Welcome to the final edition of Torque About Tools for 2023, our semi-regular round-up of the latest workshop goodies to land at BikeRadar HQ.
It’s been uncharacteristically quiet for new tools since August’s edition, but fear not, I’ve still got 11 cool tools to run you through.
And as we’re coming up to the closing straight of Christmas, what better time to consider what you’re missing and need to add to your toolbox.
From innovative new designs by Abbey Bike Tools to a rather militant duo of cassette tools from Cyclus, it’s time to get stuck in.
A trio of tools from Abbey
Abbey Bike Tools preHAG
- £22 / $20
With the wholesale shift to 12 and 13-speeds, making sure your derailleur hanger is dead straight has never been more crucial. This is because the tighter spacing between cogs is more likely to result in poor shifting if the hanger is even slightly off.
The preHAG is designed to complement Abbey’s Hanger Alignment Gauge, more commonly referred to as the HAG.
It weighs 19g and is constructed from 3D-printed plastic – correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that makes the preHAG the only non-metal tool in Abbey’s catalogue.
The preHAG acts as a quick visual aid to see if the derailleur cage is parallel with the cassette cogs, before you go to the trouble of removing the rear derailleur and installing the HAG.
It presses onto the largest cog and hangs down to give you a reference plane.
I can see this tool becoming very useful for checking over test bikes, and it could save a lot of time for shop mechanics.
It’s not uncommon for hangers to be skewiff out of the box and any bike shop worth their salt factors this check into the PDI (pre-delivery inspection) process.
Abbey Bike Tools Saw Guide
- £140 / $105
Although the Saw Guide isn’t a brand-spanking new product from the Oregonian creator of shiny and green tools, it’s the first time we’ve had our paws on one in the UK.
A steerer tube cutting guide is a rather unceremonious tool, but trust Abbey to go and reinvent what was a locked-in design.
Conventional designs see the steerer tube inserted through the round tool and then clamped down.
Abbey’s offering reinvents the wheel by being U-shaped and possible to split in two, thanks to a unique removable section.
Mechanics sick of working on integrated front-end jigsaw puzzles, where the hydraulic hoses often pass through the steerer, can breathe a sigh of relief because they won’t need to remove everything prior to cutting.
To use the tool, place it around the steerer tube and screw the anodised green clamp in place over the top.
The Saw Guide has two slots for cutting – one that can accept a regular blade for cutting metal steerers and a thicker slot for carbon steerers, which require a larger abrasive blade. It’s compatible with 1 through to 1 ¼in steerer tubes.
The tool can also be clamped in a vice and Abbey says it won’t budge, to ensure a clean, straight cut.
It’s also far smaller in profile than the workshop staple Park Tool SG-7.2 Oversized Adjustable Saw Guide. This, in conjunction with its low 297g weight, will appeal to travelling mechanics.
Abbey Bike Tools T-Way
- £75 / $60 for fixed bits or £145 / $120 for interchangeable bit set
The T-Way is an innovative T-handle three-way wrench that Abbey developed for SRAM mechanics when setting up T-Type Eagle Transmission drivetrains.
Given the brand’s pedigree, there was naturally strong demand for Abbey to create a more general version for shop, home or travelling use.
Abbey says the T-Way is crafted from the same stainless steel used on the head of its revered Crombie cassette lockring tool.
There’s a knurled grip and the tool has a satisfying weight in the hand (274g in this 4, 5, T25 option).
The bits are provided by Wera, which is a shrewd move.
Wera (along with PB Swiss) is my pick for the best bits, thanks to its tight tolerances that really bite into the head of a bolt. Abbey says it opted for Wera bits because it didn’t feel it could better them.
There are a few configuration options – you can opt for two pre-set options, where the bits are fixed in place with a retaining compound. These are 4, 5 and T25 (as I have here), and 5, 6 and T25. You can also opt to pick which three-bit options you’d like when ordering.
Finally, the tool is offered in a swappable bit variant and comes equipped with a 10-piece bit set for an extra £70 / $60. The bits are held in place by magnets, so you can mix and match depending on use.
I can see the T-Way being particularly useful for undoing thru-axles, which sometimes require more leverage.
Hardcore cassette tools from Cyclus
Although Cyclus Tools are seldom seen in home setups, the European-manufactured tools are quite popular in workshops.
Cyclus Tools Sprocket Removal Wrench
- £87.99 / €85.95
Reminiscent of a scythe, Cyclus’ Sprocket Removal Wrench is an intriguing take on a chain whip.
The inside of the curved end of the tool fits over your cassette cog of choice and its substantial 639g mass, when combined with Cyclus’ lockring tool (coming up next), means if these combinations of tools won’t get a cassette off, then likely nothing will.
Given there isn’t a chain, compatibility with drivetrain speeds isn’t an issue, so it’s a future-proofed design.
The tool is rated to handle 21 to 42t cogs (although you’d typically select one of the smaller or middle cogs to position the chain whip over).
Cyclus Tools Jetmount-r Lockring Assembly Tool
- £258.99 / €225.60
The Jetmount-r Lockring Assembly Tool is the slightly less brutal sibling of the Sprocket Removal Wrench, designed for removing and installing cassette lockrings and disc brake rotors.
The tool comes with a selection of bits to slot into the end of the long, plastic-dipped handle, enabling you to tailor the fit to your cassette regardless of axle standard.
The tool is compatible with 12, 15 and 20mm thru-axles, as well as quick-release. In addition to the two internal lockring attachments, Cyclus also includes a socket for disc brake rotors secured with an external lockring.
I’ve used this tool a couple of times for switching over cassettes and disc rotors on a test wheelset and the two Cyclus tools make for a potent pairing. Although they’re not too big for a portable toolbox, they’ll be the ‘I’m not asking’ duo I reach for with stubborn cassettes.
A quartet of tools from Knipex
Although not a cycling-oriented tool brand, you’ll get the mechanic seal of approval if you use Knipex. Its tools generally tend to better the quality of cycling-specific brands and once you own your first Knipex product, it can be an expensive gateway to a dangerous habit.
Knipex Long Nose Pliers 29 25 160
- £39.99
Needlenose pliers are always useful in the workshop for grabbing small items in hard-to-reach places, such as exploded Shimano gear cable heads in shifters or undoing a tricksy valve locknut.
The blades on this Knipex offering are made from forged and oil-hardened chrome vanadium electric steel. The half jaws are cross-hatched and knurled on the gripping surfaces, so they grip tenaciously.
They weigh 145g and came in very handy (along with some other tools) when trying to reach for a dropper post cable that had fallen down the seat tube on a bike I was changing the groupset on.
Knipex Side Cutters 70 01 160
- £39.99
Side cutters are very useful for cutting through anything that isn’t a cable – I’m thinking specifically of zip ties.
It’s best to only use cable cutters for their intended purposes so the blade is kept nice and sharp.
These red snips weigh 176g and offer a precise, sharp cut, as you’d expect from the brand.
Knipex PlastiCut Hydraulic Brake Pipe Cutter 90 120 185
- £65.99
Knipex’s take on the hydraulic hose cutter is quite different from other tool brands, opting for a plier-style design. Given the brand’s back catalogue, it makes perfect sense.
Weighing in at 175g, Knipex says the cutters won’t deform or crimp the hose when cutting.
The best hydraulic hose cutters have no flex – there’s nothing more annoying than a cheap set where the blade goes out of its guided groove. A stiff body also ensures repeated sharp cuts.
The plastic handles are glass-fibre reinforced and the head is chrome-plated.
A release button keeps the cutters closed when in storage and the blades are interchangeable.
A replacement blade is quite pricey, though, at £21.99 (part no. 90 29 185), but judging by Knipex’s quality, you shouldn’t need them for a while.
My first impressions of the tool are it might just be my favourite hose cutter to date. The blade offers more of a precise cut than options I’ve tested from Park Tool, BBB and Shimano.
However, it means you’ll need to invest in a separate installation tool to drive in the olive and barb, which is integrated on the Park Tool and Shimano options.
Knipex Bowden Cable Cutters 95 61 150
- £39.99
If you read my High Mileage Heroes article on my favourite workshop tools, you’ll remember I really rate my Knipex snips.
Those were the memorably named 95 61 190 Wire Rope Cutter Forged model and this updated 95 61 150 version has a couple of nifty features over its predecessors.
Weighing in at 223g (18g more than claimed), these cutters are designed for chomping through stainless steel brake and gear cables and housing up to 3.0mm in diameter.
Knipex says the cutter’s head uses a special high-grade tool steel, which is forged and oil-hardened.
As well as a locking button for easy storage, there’s a crimping function for your cable’s finishing touches.
I’ll be interested to see if the minor improvements further elevate what I consider to be a near-perfect product.
Wheels Manufacturing Adjustable Press Stop
- £39.99 / $59
Resembling an enlarged Lego brick, this shiny, anodised press stop is designed as an addition to Wheels Manufacturing bearing presses to make life easier.
Rather than thread on a second press handle, the stop quickly slides along and locks into position on the threaded rod when you press the button, speeding up tasks such as installing a new press-fit bottom bracket or replacing a headset.
The Adjustable Press Stop is compatible with the ½in rod found on the brand’s Press-7, Press-7-Pro, Press-8 and Press-9-Pro kits.
An Adjustable Press Stop Mini is also available and retails for $55, if you have a Press-4, ST0006 or Press-1 kit, which uses a ⅜in rod.
I got to test it out when pressing in a BB86 bottom bracket recently and it works exactly as described.
Wera Bicycle Set 3 A, Tool Check Plus with Pouch 40pc
- £162.99
Wera has adapted its Tool-Check Plus for bicycle use and included some nifty features, such as its first chain breaker.
On the face of it, if you’re familiar with Wera’s ratchets and bit-holding screwdrivers, there aren’t a lot of surprises.
You get the tried-and-tested 8001 Zyklop 1/4in Bit Ratchet, as well as a Kraftform 813 Mini Screwdriver Bit Holder. These are paired with the Rapidator bit-holding screwdriver, with a fast-rotating sleeve.
This particular variant of the Zyklop is one of my personal favourites, with its fine 60-tooth ratchet mechanism deeply satisfying to use. The Zyklop’s just the ticket for using in tight-to-access places such as some saddle bolts or bottle cages.
These are matched with seven colour-coded bit sockets from 5.5 to 15mm, as well as 23 other bits encompassing Hex, Torx, Phillips and flat-blade screwdrivers.
The set comes with an extra bag, which is designed to be taken out on rides. In it is a set of two tyre levers – one has a valve core tool integrated into its body and the other can accept the bits. You then use the tyre lever for extra leverage.
You also get a chain breaker and hook, which I believe is a first for Wera. The base of the chain breaker slots into the Kraftform Bit Holder and its pin can be driven by the Zyklop ratchet. Wera says it’s compatible with singlespeed through to 12-speed chains, but not FlatTop.
There’s also space for two CO2 inflators in the pouch.