Torque About Tools

Get your new-tool fix

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By Oscar Huckle

Published: December 13, 2022 at 5:00 pm

Torque About Tools is our new semi-regular round-up of the latest workshop tools to land at BikeRadar HQ.

It will range from everyday options that make your life easier to tempting exotica.

I have appreciated nerding out over workshop tools since I started working in the cycling industry, and have spent my fair share of time in workshops.

After breaking a cheap chain tool on its first use, I realised buying cheap tools is uneconomical and counterintuitive. High-quality tools are more durable and enjoyable to use. They are also usually better designed and will incorporate functions to make tasks as straightforward as possible.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the latest tools to appear on our radar.

Birzman has brought out three new tools to help with brake caliper alignment and identifying when your pads and rotors are worn.

Birzman’s Brake Pad Wear Indicator measures your disc brake pads to determine if they need replacing.

The tool features laser-engraved minimum thickness indicators as per the manufacturer guidelines and is compatible with Shimano, Tektro/TRP, Hope, SRAM and Magura brake pads.

If the pad material either slots into the tool completely or measures less than the minimum thickness, it’s time for replacing.

SRAM and Magura brake pads fit into a slot cut into the indicator arms because the minimum thickness measurement includes the backing plate.

Shimano, Tektro and Hope brake pads suggest a minimum thickness of 0.5mm for the braking material. The third arm of the tool is 0.5mm thick and you can measure the braking material against this.

Rather than slotting the pad in between the gauge, you place the tool on the top of the pad and if the gauge hits the backing plate, it needs replacing.

There isn’t a fitting for Campagnolo. However, Campagnolo brake pads feature a wear groove that, when worn away, indicates the pads are ready for replacement.

Of course, rather than using a specific tool, you could use a vernier caliper to manually measure the rotor thickness and compare it against the recommended minimum thickness.

The Rotor Wear Indicator does a similar job, checking the thickness of your disc brake rotors.

The rotor is often neglected when it comes down to maintenance. Much like a chain or cassette, disc rotors and brake pads wear in tandem, and should be inspected periodically.

The tool comes with four indicators to measure Shimano, Hope, SRAM, Magura and Tektro/TRP rotors.

To use the tool, you slot your rotor into the relevant brand hole to check for wear.

It’s worth noting rotors don’t wear down evenly, and the central braking surface of the rotor is what’s most important to check, rather than the upper tip. Unfortunately, this is a limitation of the Rotor Wear Indicator because it measures the upper tip.

Again, there isn’t a Campagnolo option. The brand recommends its rotors be replaced when they measure 1.65mm or less.

The Birzman Razor Clam is designed to make aligning disc brake calipers easier.

Like the similar Hayes Feel’r gauge, the Razor Clam works by creating even spacing between both pads so the caliper can be centered.

An update over the original Clam, the Razor Clam features a folding handle and is said to work with both two- and four-piston calipers.

To use the tool, you loosen the brake caliper mounting bolts slightly and fit the tool over the rotor and into the pads of the caliper. Then, apply the brake and tighten the bolt.

It’s best to fully torque the mounting bolts at this stage because they can move if you torque them retrospectively.

Remove the tool and check your work – hopefully that’s job done.

Park Tool has also got some new tools to keep your brakes in full working order.

Park’s MWF-3 is designed to be used either as a standalone tool or as an attachment to its torque wrench to torque hose compression nuts and other fittings found on hydraulic disc brake systems.

Historically, there haven’t been many bicycle-specific tools to torque compression nuts – you’ve either had to go by feel or invest in a crow’s foot attachment, but they’re often not slim enough for bicycle use.

One side features a 7mm wrench fitting and the other an 8mm fitting. The flared head is five-sided, which Park says is to reduce any risk of damaging the bolt.

The tool is suitably slim and low-profile to allow for low-clearance design and it’s built around a ⅜ fitting, which conveniently fits Park Tool’s torque wrenches and ratchet drivers.

These typically over-engineered precision T8 and T10 Torx drivers are designed for working on hydraulic disc brake systems. T8 and T10 heads are often found on delicate bleed screw or hose barb fittings, including SRAM’s Stealthamajig.

The handle is CNC-machined from hard-anodised 6061 aluminium. They have a satisfying weight in the hand and feel as though they’ll last the test of time.

Pedro’s latest Tutto II chain tool is the brand’s shop-quality, flagship option and is designed to work with all the latest drivetrains on the market.

The previous-generation Tutto wasn’t compatible with 12-speed SRAM FlatTop or Campagnolo 13-speed chains.

The Tutto II is designed to work with everything from singlespeed to 13-speed chains and has a number of tricks up its sleeve.

Firstly, there’s a spring-loaded retracting guide pin. This ensures perfect alignment so the tool doesn’t push the pin out at an angle. This is the downfall of many chain tools.

In addition, there’s a rotating fit dial. This is essentially four different backing plates that adapt to the different thicknesses of chains.

These are coded with one, two, three or four dots. There is a diagram on the side of the handle of the tool, so you can check which you need to use depending on the speed or manufacturer of chain you are working on.

The tool is also equipped with a replaceable bridge, meaning new plates can be installed in case (or more likely, when) standards change.

It also features an attachment to peen Campagnolo chains, which is stored in the handle and accessed by a 6mm hex key.

The Tutto II is also serviceable and Pedro’s makes a rebuild kit for it, so it should last you for years to come.

These modular bit-based drivers are designed for working on bolts that require low torque, such as derailleur limit screws.

The yellow-banded tool features PH1 and PH2 JIS bits to ensure a superlative fit on limit screws, as well as a 5mm flat blade.

The JIS limit screws, found on many Shimano derailleurs, have a subtly different head design to a Phillips, so you should use the correct fitting to avoid damaging or rounding the screw.

More recently, Shimano has moved to hex key fittings for its limit screws, but these could still be useful for mechanics working on older kit.

The orange-banded tool features 2 and 2.5 hex bits and a T25. All of the bits are made from quality S2 steel and you can use other bits, if you wish, because the Pro Bit Drivers accept any ¼in bits.

One of the bits fits into a magnetic holder of the tool, while the other two are stored in the ergonomic aluminium handle. The handle rotates on a bearing-mounted end cap, which is deeply satisfying.

Compared to a typical ~£40 spanner set, the Wera Tools 6000 Joker Ratchet Combi wrench set is eye-wateringly expensive. However, you’re getting seriously good-quality tools that should last a lifetime.

The set includes 11 colour-coded spanners, starting from 8mm and rising to 19mm (there isn’t a 9mm).

The ring-end side of the spanner features a non-reversible ratchet. If you need to change direction, you can simply flip the tool around and use the other side of the ratchet head.

The open-end of the tool is pretty clever. It features a backing plate that has a locking function so the tool won’t slip off the bolt you are working on.

This is combined with Wera’s double-hexagon geometry, allowing double the amount of placement points for the tool on a fastener.

The set comes in a neat tool roll, with each spanner getting its own dedicated compartment.

Wera’s new torque wrench features a locking feature to prevent accidentally tightening a bolt further after you’ve reached the desired torque.

The tool features a 2 to 12Nm range and a reversible ratchet head.

The wrench emits an audible click when you reach the prescribed torque and it features a return angle of 5 degrees so you can use it in confined spaces.

The torque function can be deactivated and you can use it as a standard ratchet driver, if you wish.

To turn on the torque feature, simply slide the green sleeve downward.

This A2 set features 21 ¼in bits – 5.5 through 13mm wrenches, 6 torx bits (T10 to T30), 5 hex bits (2.5mm to 6mm) and a Phillips PH2 screwdriver bit.

Wera’s Bicycle Set 15 is a set of three plastic tyre levers with hex bits stored in two of them.

The tool weighs 45g (1g under the claimed weight), making it perfect for carrying when you ride.

There are two 4-in-1 bits. This means there are four tool functions – two either side of the bit because the smaller bits are spring-loaded, for when you want to use the larger bit behind it.

One bit includes 3, 4, 5 and 6mm hex fittings and the other 2, 5 and 6mm hex fittings, as well as T25 torx.

To use the tool, simply insert the relevant bit into the bit holder of the tyre lever. Wera says it can provide up to 10Nm of torque. If you stack a second tyre lever when using the bit, this increases to 20Nm.

The third tyre lever without a bit holder features a valve core removal tool.

Technical writer

Oscar Huckle is a technical writer at BikeRadar. He has been an avid cyclist since his teenage years, initially catching the road cycling bug and riding for a local club. He’s since been indoctrinated into gravel riding and more recently has taken to the dark art of mountain biking. His favourite rides are epic road or gravel routes, and he has also caught the bikepacking bug hard after completing the King Alfred’s Way and West Kernow Way. Oscar has a BA degree in English Literature and Film Studies and has close to a decade of cycling industry experience, initially working in a variety of roles at Evans Cycles before joining Carbon Bike Repair. He is particularly fond of workshop tool exotica and is a proponent of Campagnolo groupsets. Oscar prefers lightweight road and gravel frames with simple tube shapes, rather than the latest trend for aerodynamics and full integration. He is obsessed with keeping up to date with all the latest tech, is fixated with the smallest details and is known for his unique opinions.

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