It’s the end of the year. The teachers are burned out and counting down the minutes till an extended break. The curriculum is running dry, and all that’s left to do is watch inspirational family movies (The Mighty Ducks, if it’s anything like my schooling) and clean desks.
Perhaps that analogy doesn’t fit when it comes to end-of-year playing in the home workshop, but it’s certainly how I imagine some shop employees must feel when they’re told to put down the tools and clean up the shop.
In this edition of Threaded, the last for the year, I share a general checklist of things you’ve likely neglected to do throughout the year (or years). Whether you’re a pro mechanic or a keen home wrencher, hopefully, this article gives you a few things to think about that’ll make your time in the workshop more efficient, enjoyable, and with higher-quality outcomes.
Some tools are wear items
Just like how the chain, brake pads, tyres, or bearings on your bicycle will eventually wear out, so too can a number of tools.
Your most commonly used types and sizes of hex keys would be first on the list to check, simply because they’re the most-used tool in bicycle repair. “Compare the very ends to new ones or unused ones, and replace if you see (or can measure) any wear,” says Calvin Jones of Park Tool.
“Worn tools just cost more time,” says Jason Quade, founder of Abbey Bike Tools. “Dull cable cutters require more housing clean up, worn hex keys are more likely to strip bolts, which in turn takes a lot of time to correct. Don't cut corners here – it will absolutely cost you more time when you are busy.”
On this, if you have some preferred hex or Torx tools that you know fit bolts snugly and securely, and then you have some keys (or bits) that worry you, get rid of the crap. If you find yourself rounding out bolts, then your tools or technique are almost certainly to blame.
Unfortunately, unlike measuring chain wear, there are no exact guidelines to tell when to replace tools. Some high-end tools will last users a literal lifetime, while it’s not uncommon for busy bike shops to go through multiple 4 mm hex keys (of a decent quality) in a season. Look for rounded or marred edges, a change in thickness, or a sense that the tool isn’t as secure as it once was.
“Tools can be used on a daily basis by a pro and not have issues for years and years,” says Truman Purdy of Park Tool. "If the tool was used by someone less experienced for the first time, it could have more wear after one use than after years of professional use, just because one knows the limits involved."
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 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 other mechanics' work, I aim to share my passion for finding quality tools and tips on how best to use them.
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Open-ended wrenches, pedal wrenches, and even more specifically cone wrenches, can also wear out. “These must be thin to get into the narrow wrench flats of cones, but the torques are often high,” adds Jones. "That’s rough on a thin wrench. Inspect and replace as needed."
Gregory Thomas of Precision Bicycle Services (Washington, DC, USA) suggests this is also the time to refresh your cutting blades. “I’d go ahead and replace blades in the (disc brake) hose cutters, box knives, etc.”
It can be a tough pill to swallow given the cost of some of these tools, but it’s important to treat all your driving and cutting tools as if you would your prized bicycle or car. Maintain, service, and just maybe, replace.
I’m forever advocating for the use of higher-quality tools. It’s not just that they’re more enjoyable to use (they are) or that they can often produce better results (they do) – they’re almost always more durable, too.
The big clean
If you’re like me, you’ve probably got an increasingly large pile of small parts amassing in the corner of your workbench. Go on, you know you’ll be happier when all of that is cleaned up and cleared away.
Does the corner of your bench look like this? Sadly mine does.
I personally view bike mechanics as an elite level of hoarding. That tiny niche part that only works with that one older generation of Shimano derailleur may not be needed now, but maybe it’ll save the day in future. And oh yes, just this week I was reminded why I’d kept that old SRAM X7 left-hand shifter. Unfortunately, such self-justification can lead to quite a mess.
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