neersighted
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2021
- Messages
- 46
Hey all! Long time lurker, recent poster, and lifelong bicycle/bicycle tool enthusiast.
There's not a long-running thread on tools for use on bicycles or bicycle specialty tools, so let's make one!
To start things off, I'm going to use this thread to list manufacturers of quality specialty tools (generally excluding multi-tools or general shop tools). Please feel free to contribute additions!
There's not a long-running thread on tools for use on bicycles or bicycle specialty tools, so let's make one!
To start things off, I'm going to use this thread to list manufacturers of quality specialty tools (generally excluding multi-tools or general shop tools). Please feel free to contribute additions!
Full Lines
- Park Tool (USA/Taiwan): The go-to in the US for bicycle specialty tools, with most of the specialty tools being US-made. These tools are often the industry reference, and have a excellent lifetime warranty. Overall fit/finish and quality of design varies between specific tools, but the selection and availability is unmatched.
- Unior (Slovenia): Quality European-made tools. They are increasingly offering more bicycle tools, and while many designs are not as refined as the Park version, they have some real winners, and overall fit/finish and manufacturing quality is higher. Available in the US through Trek and Unior USA -- Trek definitely offers better support for the lifetime warranty through their retail stores.
- Cyclus (Europe): A combination manufacturer and rebrander of tools, much of the line is made by Wiha and Unior. They have some real unique options/interesting takes, like their snap.in system. Hard to source in the US, but a mainstay of German bicycle shops.
- Pedro's (Taiwan): Pedro's tools may be imported, but don't be fooled -- they're all unique designs engineered/made for Pedro's. Their warranty support is excellent and their distribution is generally second only to Park. While I generally haven't found any of their designs to be industry-bests, the selection is quite good if you don't require very specific/expensive specialty tools like frame prep cutters/chasers/facers.
- Birzman (Taiwan): A Taiwanese bicycle tool manufacturer who (as best I can tell) exclusively sell under their own name. Birzman tools have average distribution in the US, but tend not to be that popular in my experience. That being said, they have some novel tools in their line that no other brand offers/seems to have thought of, and their kit is solid if not the best in feel in my experience.
- Hozan (Japan): The main manufacturer of specialty tools in Japan, Hozan makes very solid (and often overbuilt) tools. They have a lot of items in their lineup that are unique, especially for older/traditional bicycle parts like threaded headsets and retainer-bearing bottom brackets. Availability in the US is middling, but Amazon.co.jp carries the whole line. Interestingly, Hozan is the Japanese distributor of Park Tool.
- VAR (Europe/Taiwan): The modern iteration of VAR manufacturers and imports bicycle specialty as well as general hand tools. They're hard to get at in the US, but their selection is good and they are widely available in Europe. They offer nothing truly unique, but there are some stand-outs of ergonomics/design in the line-up.
- Lifu (Taiwan): One of the most prolific manufactures of bicycle specialty tools, they're likely better known through rebrands like IceToolz, Foundation (Jensen) and Lifeline (Chain Reaction). Most tools are low cost and there's a fair number of value standouts in the line -- manufacturing quality is quite solid. Despite build quality being good, many designs compromise usability.
- Super-B (Taiwan): Less well known than Lifu, Super-B's main presence is in the form of the BikeHand rebrand. Most tools are top-notch quality, and the designs tend to compromise less than Lifu, though more expensive brands certainly come out on top for bigger/more expensive tools. That being said, some of the designs Super-B makes are best-in-industry, or cheaper clones of top designs. They even make some tools for Shimano (the TL-CN10 master link pliers).
Limited/Boutique
- Shimano (Japan/Taiwan/Asia): Shimano makes most of the specialty tools you need to service their products, and while none are unavailable elsewhere, they do have some really high quality options. It can be hard to order/warranty the tools as an individual, but for a shop they have some of the best versions of certain specialty tools in the industry.
- Pro Bikegear (Japan/Taiwan/Asia): A subsidiary of Shimano, Pro (not to be confused with 'Pro Bike Tools') makes their own limited, unique line of tools. There's nothing truly unique here either, but they do have good distribution through Shimano and well-made tools.
- Campagnolo (Italy): The modern Campagnolo only makes very high end tools specialized in servicing their own products (e.g. chain tools). They're readily available, but quite expensive. While I can't in good consciousness suggest them to any but the Campagnolo enthusiast, for those that would make regular use of them their tools do not disappoint.
- Abbey Bike Tools (USA): The best known manufacturer of boutique bike tools, and Jason Quade's baby, who arguably helped popularize the concept of premium bicycle tools and jump-started the low volume bicycle tool cottage industry. Everything is made in the USA and made to be used daily in shops/race pits -- their motto is 'tools, not jewels' despite the flashy apperance of the entire line. Abbey is also known for popularizing the 'Crombie', a one-piece cassette tool.
- Efficient Velo Tools (USA): Even more niche/boutique than Abbey, EVT is Brett Fleming's no-compromises tool company. While they make some very affordable, high quality tools, most of the line is no-holds-barred takes on common specialty tools. EVT is also known for their unique counterbalanced/sliding repair stands, as well as their repair stand clamp, which is compatible with Park stands.
- Wheels Manufacturing (USA): One of the oldest names in the boutique tools space, Wheels MFG is best known for their replacement derailleur-hangers and thread-together bottom brackets. They are also well-known among the industry for making one of the most comprehensive lines of bearing installation tools -- in the US at least, it is rare to find a shop that doesn't own at least one Wheels drift/press set.
- Enduro Bearings/Real World Cycling (aka Enduro Fork Seals)/Sonny's Bike Tools (USA): These three companies are hard to untangle from each other, so I will list them together. While not that common in shops, Enduro makes some of the most premium/overengineered bearing installation and removal tools on the market, with their only real competition being Abbey. Their drifts/presses are designed around metric sizes, unlike their American competition (Abbey and Wheels MFG). Anything branded Enduro is made by Sonny's Bike Tools, and RWC makes/distributes the Enduro line (with additions) as well as their own line of fork/shock/bearing/bottom bracket tools.
- Bicycle Service Center Tools (UK): Something of an up-and-coming tool manufacturer, as well as one of my personal favorites, BSC Tools makes everything in the UK and focuses on what I would call 'practical' takes on common specialty tools. Price-to-performance as well as manufacturing quality is second to none, and while the tools are not the most refined/designed versions on the market, the focus on simplicity and value is clear, and everything holds up to shop use.
- J.A. Stein (USA): Jim Stein makes many unique tools for servicing older bikes and bike parts (e.g. manufacturing pullers for vintage cranks, taps/reamers for repairing cranks, a tool for cleaning/lubricating sealed Shimano freehubs) as well as his own takes on many common specialty tools. The line is very specialized, but there's probably one must-have item for everyone in the lineup. Availability of the line is spotty through US distributors and eBay, but anything not available for purchase can usually be sourced through an email to the company and a PayPal transaction.
- Wolf Tooth (USA): A Minnesota-based manufacturer of premium bicycle parts that in recent years started making lightweight and trailside tools. Everything is made in the USA and excellent quality, and they have some unique designs in their lineup that are awesome for mobile repair kits or touring cyclists, as well as some unique high-quality multitools.
- Silca (USA/Taiwan): Sometimes controversial in the bicycle world due to their prices, brand image, and outspoken founder/owner Josh Poertner, the modern Silca makes high-end leather-gasket pumps in the image of the original, as well as a very limited premium line of tools. Some interesting items in their line are their 3D-printed titanium tools, as well as their titanium torsion-bar based portable torque tool.
- Lezyne (Taiwan): A maker of premium/rebuildable bicycle pumps (though not as expensive as Silca), with a limited shop tool line. Their tools are good quality, though there are no real standouts in the lineup relative to other makers, unless wood handles are your thing.
- Feedback Sports (Taiwan/China): Feedback Sports started out as the bicycle division of Ultimate Support (who some might know as a manufacturer of musical instrument/audio equipment stands and accessories), and has recently branched out into making their own (growing) line of tools. Their portable stands are likely the most popular on the market, and are well-designed to last for years and years.
- Runwell (Japan): A niche manufacturer of some of the best-finished and most ergonomic track-bike specialty tools ever made, as well as a line of bicycle-adjacent novelty items. While the line is very limited, many of the tools cross very well to the wider bike world.
- Terske (???): A manufacturer of premium/blingy bicycle accessories like valve stems and titanium bolts who has recently branched out into making the best wall-mounted wheel displays in the industry, as well as some interesting trailside tools that use your thru-axle as a handle. Something of a sister/cousin company to Wolf Tooth.
- Pinner Machine Shop (Canada): Sort of a one-man-and-a-machine-shop manufacturer of specialized spare parts and personal takes on common industry tools, Pinner has some very neat tools for trailside repair in their Thru-tools, a line of derailleur hanger removal/install tools that use a thru-axle as the handle.
- Elevation Wheel Company (USA): A wheel-focused bike shop that has recently branched out into manufacturing, Elevation offers some of their own takes on industry classics, but the real standout are their DT Swiss ratchet removal tools. Made for use with impact wrenches or breaker bars unlike the OE tool, they are instant favorites of every mechanic I have introduced them to.
- Noble Wheels (UK): A wheel-builder turned specialty wheel tool manufacturer. I do not have personal experience with any of their products, but they appear well-built and are priced to match.
- Wheel Fanatyk (USA/Japan): The manufacturer of the Brandt tensiometer, as well as the US distributor of the Morizumi spoke cutting machine and other premium wheel-building tools. Ric Hjertberg, the proprietor is also one of the most knowledgeable wheel gurus in the industry, having been an early employee of Wheelsmith and student of some of the best wheelbuilders of the prior generation.
- DT Swiss (Switzerland): DT Swiss is one of the foremost manufacturers of wheel components like hubs, spokes, and rims, in addition to making speciality tools for wheelbuilding and servicing their hubs/wheels. As you might expect, some of the items in their lineup are rebranded PB Swiss -- namely their dead-blow hammer and spoke-head setting punch.
- P&K Lie (Germany): P&K Lie is the manufacturer of what most consider to be the most premium truing stand in the industry, which is uniquely equipped with their patented non-linear/logarithmic dial indicators
- Islandix Instruments (Canada): One of the newest and most interesting faces in the industry, Islandix makes a modern alternative to the P&K Lie truing stand that works with almost any traditional truing stand. The Islandix Wheel Analytics tool is a box that connects to any SPC/Mitutoyo-compatible digitial indicator and turns the stand into a state-of-the-art digital truing stand.
Vintage/Former
- Campagnolo: Vintage Campagnolo frame tools were offered in a complete case -- standalone or as part of the set, these tools are highly collectable and sought-after.
- VAR: Before Campagnolo was well-distributed in the US and Park made a complete line, VAR made the most accessible line of bicycle speciality tools in the US, and many tools are still in service today in long-established shops.
- Eldi: A German-made line of specialty tools, contemporary to classic Campagnolo and VAR.
- Suntour: The modern Suntour is a maker of entry-level suspension components, but it's vintage predecessor was known for high-quality drivetrain components. As part of this offering, they also made a well-regarded line of specialty tools, with a focus on servicing their own products.
- Bicycle Research: A manufacturer of many specialty bike tools, who used to fill holes in the Park line as it was developing. Long-since defunct, but still has a dedicated following and are decently collectable.
- Silca: The Silca of old was an Italian maker of bicycle pumps, known for using leather rather than Buna-N or Urethane seals. The company went bankrupt, but was purchased and relaunched in Indianapolis.
- Wrench Force (Snap-on/Trek): A brief collaboration between Snap-on and Trek Bicycle, envisioned as a premium competitor to Park. The line never was fully realized, and was discontinued quickly, but the quality of the tools that were made are excellent.
Framebuilding Tools
- Paragon Machine Works (USA): Sort of the Park Tool/Wheels MFG of the framebuilding world, they make jellybean parts that many framebuilders use, and some clamping/fixturing tools.
- Simple Bicycle Co (USA): Makers of the Arctos frame fixture.
- BRINGHELI (USA): Traditional frame fixtures/jigs and misc framebuilding tools like reamers.
- Cobra Framebuilding (USA): Framebuilding jigs, including some unique argon purging rigs, mitering guides, etc.
- FARR Frameworks (USA): More framebuilding jigs, including some of the best disc brake/bottle boss tooling available (or so I am told).
Honorable Mention/One-off
- Wera: Wera makes a line of bicycle-focused kits. There's nothing in their lineup truly specific to bicycles other than a thin 15mm Joker wrench and tire levers, but the bicycle remixes of their existing products are useful for many low-torque situations, not just bicycles.
- PB Swiss: Makes a bit-based bike tool with tire lever, also rebranded by Victorinox.
- Spurcycle: US-based manufacturer of premium bicycle bells, also makes a bit-based multitool.
- Mineral Design: Makes a bit-based multitool.
- Daysaver: Makes a unique nesting-bit multitool, which is manufactured by PB Swiss.
- Kyoto Tool Company: KTC makes a very nice 15mm crow's foot wrench for pedals as well as some thin, long, bicycle-specific combo wrenches.
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and the bike I "raced" in college, which has a 6-speed Regina Oro freewheel. Don't need a chain whip for that one, unless disassembling the freewheel. But one does have to possess a Regina freewheel spline tool. I have spline tools for half a dozen different freewheels, and for both Campy and Shimano freehubs.
