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[Dave climbs onto his soapbox and clears his throat. Slowly, he raises his megaphone and, following a short screech of feedback, he yells the words all the tool nerds have been waiting for: "It’s time for another edition of New Tools Day!"]
Just a few weeks have passed since the last edition of Threaded which contained a list of more consumer-focused New Tools. By contrast, this round features a healthy selection of more professional workshop-leaning tools, many of which I’ve been using for a few months.
Within you’ll find out why I spent years trying to buy a certain disc tab facing tool, I get my hands on a few of Abbey’s latest, there's a new chain wear gauge to share, some blunt picks I’ve found interesting, plus I’m increasingly busy thinking about T-handled hex keys and alternatives to chain whips. And like always, there's more within.
Let’s get started.
Cyclus Chain Wear Indicator Pro
There's a new chain wear indicator in town and it aims to provide compatibility across all chain types (including SRAM Flat Top) by measuring from equal sides of the rollers. It does this much like the Park Tool CC-4.2, Pedro's Chain Checker + II, and a few other three-point chain wear tools. The topic of chain wear and how the tools work (or don't) is something covered in a previous Threaded and is well worth a read if this paragraph felt like jibberish. This is the new Cyclus Chain Wear Indicator Pro (#720348). While the likes of the Park Tool CC-4.2, Pedro’s Chain Checker+, and Unior 1644/6 work by manually adding tension to the chain between the two fixed points on the right-hand side of the tool, this Cyclus model automatically achieves that tension with the aid of a spring.
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A quick video to explain the above.
Just a few tools to compare against. The new Cyclus joins a short list of tools that can manage measuring chains with differing roller sizes, including SRAM Flat Top. Only four (arguably five) of the pictured tools can claim such compatibility. Cyclus' previous Professional Chain Gauge (top) also features a sprung design, but its two-prong layout makes it no good for chains with oversized rollers. Compared to more common drop-in (fixed) chain wear gauges, a tool like this can indicate how a chain is wearing and offer insight into the remaining lifespan. In my review of chain wear tools, I highlighted that the previous Cyclus design left a little to be desired with its numberless scale. Sadly, the new version doesn't do much to fix the issue. Cyclus' manual does state that the "Stop" mark represents a chain that's 1% worn. If you assume the top line represents 0%, then each subsequent line represents 0.25% wear. This chain is approximately 0.25% worn, which aligns similarly with a KMC Digital chain gauge. Overall, the stainless steel tool has a nice quality feel and comes in a quality leather case, as expected for the €55 price tag (I bought mine from Bike24 in Germany). While I wish it had some numbers rather than just lines, it's otherwise a good option for those seeking a versatile chain wear gauge, one that works with all common chain types, and shows the progression of chain wear.
Abbey Bike Tools 9T and Shop Crombie Tools
The release of new XTR M9200 was largely free of new standards or tools, with one exception – the 9-45T cassette. That new 9T cog has an external splined lockring and Abbey Bike tools is the first company (other than Shimano) to offer a tool for it. The tool is the 9 Tooth Crombie (US$60). It's a dual-sided tool, doing the 9T lockrings on one side, and regular Shimano/SRAM type internal lockrings on the other side. Both sides feature 12 mm thru-axle guide pins for alignment and non-slip purposes (a feature that doesn't work on quick-release hubs, but that's arguably irrelevant in this modern application). This new dual-sided tool is a chonky one, adding a little over 100 grams of mass in the machined head when compared to Abbey Bike Tools' regular thru-axle dual-sided Crombie. Abbey also recently released Shop versions of its Thru-Axle Dual-Sided Crombie cassette tool and Whip-It Chain Whip (US$65 each). Designed for the professional workshop, these new options add a bit of extra leverage, more strength, and a comfortable silicone grip for making lighter work of stubborn cassettes. Abbey's original Crombie and Chain Whip (bottom of picture) uniquely dock together for compact storage. The American tool manufacturer will continue to offer those original tools which arguably remain the better pick for travelling mechanics and home tinkerers. The added leverage is most obvious in the Shop Crombie, but the Chain Whip gains a little extra help, too. The Shop Whip-It Chain Whip also gets a stronger e-bike-rated chain and a stronger/stiffer mounting point for that chain. It also adds a few 3D-printed magnetic pieces to aid in wrapping the chain and providing cleaner storage. These new magnetic pieces can also be added to pre-existing Whip-It tools. I first started gluing magnets to Abbey's chain whips before ToolBoxWars made such geekery popular. I've been asking Abbey to come up with a more polished solution since and it's good to see it finally happen.
Remco Heavy-Duty Chuck Handle
Reviewed previously, the Remco Bike Lift is a great electric workstand at a reasonable price. However, some of Remco's own bolt-on pieces, such as a chuck adapter, left a little to be desired. Now, the American-based company has released a new Heavy-Duty Chuck Adapter that solves a big complaint I had.
Threaded is an ongoing series created for professional mechanics and enthusiast home mechanics in search of continuous improvement, or at least, ways to bring more efficiency, precision, or just joy to the work.
It’s photographed, written, and created exclusively by me, Dave Rome. With approximately 20 years of experience on the tools, and more than a decade of documenting others doing it, I aim to share my passion for finding quality tools and tips on how best to use them.
This series takes many hours in the week to create and I feel the information shared is worth paying for. You will hit a paywall soon. It's merely through the support of our members (readers) that this content exists.
If you're seeing this, just know that below that paywall sits a whole lot of good stuff you won't find elsewhere.
The new Heavy Duty Chuck Adapter (US$60), with its long pivoting knurled aluminium handle, introduces significantly more efficient clamping force than Remco's original fixed handle. It works with both 45 mm and 2" chuck adapters (Remco or Park Tool horizontal clamp chucks). The new Heavy-Duty version features steel lock blocks. Remco's original used aluminium in this section, which I found wore rather quickly and were a bit sticky when angling the bike. Basically, Remco just created a nice copy of Park Tool's chuck adapter. I'd been using the Park version with the Remco stand after being disappointed by the provided adapter. The new Remco Heavy-Duty Chuck Adapter (middle) is a great upgrade over Remco's original, but there's zero reason to buy it if you already own the Park Tool chuck.
Feedback Sports Grip Whip and Modular T-handle Kit
OK, the title lied. Feedback Sports' tools are used by some pros, but they're often priced for and better aimed at consumers. Here we have the new Grip Whip (US$55), the company's latest alternative to the humble chain whip.
