Best Tools I Ever Bought

[Mohawk]

I doubt ours would do 160, but we could "go meccano" like in that circumstance.
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Isn't it annoying when you cleverly adapt a tool to keep up with modern specs, then it no longer fits in the box?

Of course, if the box isn't worth £1000, @bulgie can just cut a hole in it!

That is the kind of job where you ask the owner to look away, or 'come back in 45 minutes'!

 

[bikeworkshop]

That is the kind of job where you all the owner to look away, or 'come back in 45 minutes'!

Truth be told, I love "bicycle forensics"
You get to discuss how tf this has come about - this part adapted with imagination, that part forced into submission, inappropriate tool marks, random fasteners...

Every bike tells a story,
But some stories are more interesting than others.

Give me a well loved inner city style piece over a carbon di2 tribike every day!

 

[Canuk]

I also love getting a bike with scars and tool marks on it, and trying to do the back story on how it came to this condition.

The worst thing invented tool wise though was the Shimano headset/spanner nightmare which for me was always going sideways!

 

[bikeworkshop]

The 600 ex model?


Looks lovely, but you need the tool to do a tidy job of headset adjust.

Many early hexnut alloy headsets were savaged by adjustable spanners or too-thin headset spanners, so I can see Shimano's point - the hex-nut headset adjustment came to us from the early Threaded headsets in steel, 1930s, and the standard tooling wasn't right for a lighter, softer material.

Is this an early example of the race quality component needing a part- specific tool, thus assuming a professional mechanic?

Plenty more of this now, and campagnolo were particularly prone to it.

 

[Canuk]

I had the DA version, but it was well mangled when it came to me. It was possible to adjust then with a regular set of plumbers pliers, which I guess was the fate of mine! Beautiful headsets though, and they needed little adjustment when properly fitted.

 

[Canuk]

VAR 670 for removing vintage Mavic 630 and 500 bottom brackets

 

[bikeworkshop]

Shame they didn't think to include an axle bolt to hold the tool in place, like this cyclus (for shimano sq taper)

Pin tools for bbs are almost always pushed to the limit.

 

[Canuk]

I think VAR tools are designed for the 'think out of the box' mechanics, those kind of people who improvise and then execute

 

[bikeworkshop]

I think VAR tools are designed for the 'think out of the box' mechanics, those kind of people who improvise and then execute

Although this bb tool takes the removal torque at quite a distance from the tool face, increasing the risk of slippage, and then tool and cup damage.
A lot of var tools are great though, and a lot less annoying than park.