Hype This – Must-have tools (you don’t need!)

21.09.2023
by Peter Walker

There are tools that every mountain biker should have. The following 6 products are definitely not amongst them. But we must have them anyway! These sexy tools will blow away your mates and make you want to work on your bike, though you’ll probably be sent away to the couch for a few nights by your significant other.

Abbey Bike Tools T way

The Abbey Bike Tools T way is the multi-tool among T-handles. The chic stainless steel handle houses 3 interchangeable and incredibly high-quality bits from Wera that are held in place magnetically. The socket is bombproof and prevents anything from spinning or slipping. For a price of € 60 you get a choice of two versions with three bits: either a 4 and 5 mm hex, and a 25 mm Torx bit, or a 5 and 6 mm hex, and a 25 Torx bit. An extra € 5 lets you pick the three bit sizes yourself. You can also get an additional set of 10 bits for another € 60. For the SRAM fans amongst us, there is a limited edition available, specially made for the installation of the new Transmission derailleurs.

Price: € 60 (5, 6 mm hex, T25 Torx)
Manufacturer’s website: abbeybiketools.com

SSRAM Ultimate Piston Press

With the stylish brake piston press from SRAM, you can easily and gently press your brake pistons apart when changing the brake pads, without having to resort to a tire lever, screwdriver or brute force. The tool is simply positioned with the help of the cotter pin that usually secures the pads, and can then be spread apart by hand or with a 5 mm hex key. This way, the pistons get pushed back evenly and you can easily replace the pads or bleed the brake with a specific bite point. The fine aluminium tool can be yours for a whopping € 101.

Price: € 101
Manufacturer’s website: sram.com

FORGE+BOND Recycled FUSIONFIBER® Tire Levers

FUSIONFIBER is a patented thermoplastic composite material from which FORGE+BOND manufacture high-end MTB wheels and accessories. Thanks to the special manufacturing method, a thermoplastic binder is used to bind the black carbon fibres instead of thermosetting epoxy resin. The highlight: this allows defective components to be partially recycled. Broken wheels are turned into fancy tire levers made of recycled carbon fibre. For € 45, you can have two of these beautiful tire leavers cutting a very fine figure in your luggage.

Price: € 45 (pair)
Manufacturer’s website: forgeandbond.com

Unior universal spoke tension meter (1752/2)

Regularly checking and then correcting the spoke tension of your wheels will greatly increase their service life. With the Unior spoke tension gauge, doing so is as simple as it gets: simply clamp the spokes between the two pins and read the value off the scale. With the help of the enclosed table and the integrated recesses for measuring the spoke thickness, you can determine how high the tension of your spokes should be and thereby ensure that your wheels continue running true. The high-quality tool comes in its own box and can thus be safely stored in your workshop or van.

Price: € 108.25
Manufacturer’s website: uniortools.com

RAAW bearing tool

Sure, a hammer and a piece of wood would also work if you had to replace the bearings on your frame. But we all know how stressful it can be to try tapping the new bearings carefully into the frame without damaging anything. It’s much easier and above all smoother to do with the bearing tool from RAAW. The bearing tool is specially designed to press in the 28 and 52 mm ball bearings found on RAAW’s frames. It holds the bearings in place while allowing you to press them in gently and evenly with two open-end wrenches.

Price: € 57.95
Manufacturer’s website: raawmtb.com

SILCA Dead Blow Hammer

Every home mechanic knows that a courageous but well-measured blow with a hammer can be the last resort for many unknown defects. And with the SILCA Dead Blow, you’ll certainly look like the most civilised mechanic doing so. The 3D printed titanium hammer weighs just 160 grams. Its hollow head is filled with 125 grams of the finest stainless steel and tungsten grit for added momentum and to prevent kickback. The flip-flop head also has one side made of titanium and one made of hard rubber. It can be yours for a whopping € 99, or you can grab the whole set for about € 300, including a chain whip and a cassette tool along with the Dead Blow hammer, both of which also consist of 3D printed titanium, of course.

Price: € 99
Manufacturer’s website: silca.cc

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Words: Peter Walker Photos: Manufacturer

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About the author

Peter Walker

As editor-in-chief, Peter is as much a man of action as he is of words. This expert, screw-driver-flexing two wheeled-whizz has many envy-inducing characteristics, including a background in motocross, several EWS race plates to his name, and more than 150 recorded days at Whistler Bike Park. However complex the bike and however steep the trail, he’s probably already nailed it, twice. Oh, and he can do it all on skinny tyres too. When it comes to guiding consumers, Peter cut his teeth at Vancouver’s oldest bike shop and now puts pen to paper on the daily translating this know-how into our editorial plan. When not tearing up Stuttgart’s local trails while testing bikes, he loves nothing more than loading up his self-renovated VW T5 and hitting the road. The fact that he’s a trained paramedic gives his colleagues reassurance out on the trails. So far we haven’t had to call him by his alias ‘Sani Peter’, so here’s hoping he keeps it right side up for the rest of his time here!

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