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Category Archives: Bicycle Repair

Bicycle tools, repairs and bike maintenance

My Two Favorite Bicycle Chain Lubricants

White Lightning Clean Ride

At this time of year many folks will be getting back on their bikes for the first time in months. First, welcome back—we’ve missed you out on the road all winter. Second, you probably need to lube your bike chain before you hit the road again. There are a lot of great chain lubricants on the market and today I’d like to tell you about the two I use.

Several years ago a local bike shop recommended White Lightning Clean Ride Self-Cleaning Bicycle Lubricant to me and this amazing product keeps my chains looking brand new even after 2,000 miles of use. White Lightning Clean Ride is a liquid wax that goes on wet and dries rather quickly. This lube is “self-cleaning” which means that once the chain dries the wax lube “sheds” off your chain as it gets dirty.

Before applying Clean Ride for the first time you need to start with a very clean chain since the wax will not mix well with the oil that might already be on your chain. I have found that White Lightning Clean Streak Degreaser works extremely well for this purpose. Once your chain is clean, just pour Clean Ride on the chain as you turn it, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe off the excess. I use a small air compressor to blow the dirt off of my chain after every ride and I re-apply the Clean Ride about every 100 miles. If you don’t have an air compressor just use a small cotton cloth (an old T-shirt) to wipe off the dirt after each ride. You will find that dirt, sand and road grime does not stick to your chain once you start using Clean Ride. This means you are not going to have globs of oil flying off of your chain if you get caught out in the rain. Clean Ride retails for around $10.00 for a 4 ounce bottle. I think I have seen White Lightning Clean Ride at every bike shop I’ve ever been in, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.

Boeshield T-9

While White Lightning Clean Ride is fantastic for most purposes, I prefer to use Boeshield T-9 on my winter bikes and the ones I use for riding in the rain. The first time I saw a can of Boeshield T-9 in a bike shop I was a bit surprised because I already had several cans of it in my garage but had never even thought of using it on my bikes. I live between Chicago and Milwaukee and all of my woodworking tools are stored in an unheated garage, so to keep them from rusting I spray them with Boeshield T-9. I also use it on my snow-blower. My favorite use for it had always been on my table saw—not only did it keep the table from rusting, but it provided an extremely slick surface for the wood to slide over.

Boeshield T-9 was developed by The Boeing Company (the folks who make those pretty planes). This product has a solvent and paraffin wax base and uses neither Silicone or Teflon. The solvent penetrates deep through other lubricants, but I would recommend you clean the surface first before you use Boeshield T-9 if for no other reason than it looks better that way. Boeshield T-9 dries quickly, but it is best to let it dry for a couple of hours before wiping off the excess. This will leave you with an incredible barrier against rain, mud, snow, ice, salt and road grime. The bike I reserve for riding in the rain is coated with this stuff! My winter bike is fed a steady diet of ice and road salt, but it still looks great because of the protection Boeshield T-9 provides. Boeshield T-9 is suitable for use on derailleurs, brake cables, pivot points and the chain.

Boeshield T-9 is available in different sizes, from one ounce bottles up to gallon containers, and in aerosol cans. Regardless of what form you buy it in, Boeshield T-9 has exactly the same formula. The 12-ounce aerosol can retails for $18.

18 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on April 8, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, lube, lubricant, repair, triathlete

Cat’s Tongue Heavy Duty Cleaning Towels

07 Mar

If you have read any of my articles about washing and waxing your bicycle you already know two things about me: first, I am almost obsessive about starting each ride with a clean bike, and second, that I am always on the lookout for new cleaning products that will make the job easier. A few weeks ago I was sent a package of Cat’s Tongue Heavy Duty Cleaning Towels and they really make the job of cleaning up a bike a lot easier!

Cat’s Tongue Heavy Duty Cleaning Towels

Cat’s Tongue Towels are pre-moistened cleaning towels that are smooth on one side and have a heavy-duty texture on the other side. Even though the textured side feels gritty, it is a non-scratch cloth that does an amazing job of scrubbing away dirt, grease, and road grime. I live north of Chicago and at this time of the year our streets are covered with road salt—and when you get back from a bike ride the tire rims are thoroughly coated with a thick layer of salt dust that is very hard to get off. The textured side of the Cat’s Tongue Towels took this layer of salt off with just one quick wipe!

Cat’s Tongue Towels measure 8” x 12.25” and one towel usually cleans my entire bike (even if it is covered with road salt). These towels are coated with a citrus scented degreaser that will remove sealants, adhesives, and oil-based stains. These wipes work without the need for water or rinsing, and are aloe fortified to make them easy on your hands.

Cat’s Tongue Heavy Duty Cleaning Towels are available in either a 30-count canister or individual pouches. The Cat’s Tongue online store has a package deal that has one canister and ten individual pouches for under $20. They also have several bundle packages available (the more you buy the better deal you get). I would suggest you buy a canister for your garage (or bike storage area) and carry an individual package in your saddle bag to clean up after you fix your next flat tire.

Two more important notes: 25% of the profits from the sale of Cat’s Tongue products are donated to the Pan Massachusetts Challenge, an annual bike-a-thon that raises money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition, this product is made in the U.S.A. (something I really appreciate).

17 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on March 7, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling

Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump (Product Review and Giveaway)

04 Mar

During the course of the year I ride with several different cyclists, both male and female, and I always like to hear their opinions about bicycle products. I am a MAMIL (middle-aged man in Lycra) and it seems like nearly all bike products were made with men like me in mind. Last year one of the ladies I was riding with gave me a 30-minute lecture on how most companies don’t understand the needs of female cyclists. To be quite honest, it was a subject I had never given much thought to before. However, when the folks at Serfas sent me one of their Women’s Bicycle Floor Pumps to review I realized that some companies do understand female cyclists after all.

Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump

While there are some very tall women in the world, the bottom line is that, on average, men are taller than women. A bicycle floor pump designed for the average man is going to be too tall for the average female. The Serfas WFP-200 Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump is 22″ tall, which is eight inches shorter than the standard floor pump I have in my garage. This lower stand over height allows for people of short stature to use the pump with ease—the shortened barrel provides greater leverage.

An easy to read dial sits at the top of the pump

Another nice feature of this pump is the easy to read dial—it sits up at the top of the pump instead of near the floor (the older you get the more you will appreciate this). This pump is rated to go up to 160 psi, but since I don’t have any bike tires that need that high of a pressure I only tried the pump out to 120 psi. This pump has an alloy barrel with sturdy alloy base and weighs 3.35 pounds (1460 grams).

The pump head handles both Presta and Schrader valves

In addition to the pump head that adjusts to both Presta and Schrader valves, this floor pump also includes a needle so you can also use it inflate volleyballs and basketballs, along with an adapter so you can inflate a beach ball. The ergonomic handle on this pump makes it very comfortable to use. Ladies, even if you don’t like the pink color and floral design of this floor pump, you will have to appreciate the fact that your husband or boyfriend won’t be borrowing it!

Needle and adapter so you can inflate beach balls or basketballs

The Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump retails for $45 and is available from the Serfas Website and most bike shops in America. You can also find this floor pump at a few places you might have expect, like Sears and Camping World (catalog and Internet sales only). This product comes with a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects in material and workmanship.

While this product functions flawlessly, I don’t exactly need a pink floor pump in the Man Cave (my garage). So, I have one Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump in perfect condition that I am going to give away to some lucky reader. To enter the contest for the floor pump pictured above all you have to do is pick a number between 1,000 and 1,250 and enter it in the comment section below (you don’t actually have to make a comment). The contest ends at midnight (CST) on Friday, March 8, 2013. After the contest closes I will use a random number generator to pick the winning number. If no one has the exact number the person with the number closest to, but not over, the winning number will get this Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump. In case two or more people chose the same number the first person to pick the number will be the winner. This contest is for U.S. residents only and only one entry per household allowed. When the contest is over I will publish the results in the comments section of this article. I will send this product to the winner via U.S. Mail at my expense.

83 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on March 4, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, inflation, inflator, serfas

Park Tool VP-1 Vulcanizing Patch Kit

22 Feb

Unless your bicycle tires are made of solid rubber you are going to get a flat tire—maybe not this month, nor even this year, but you will get a flat. When I get a flat while out on a ride I use a self-adhesive tube patch so I can get back on the bike as soon as possible. These self adhesive patches are easy to apply: just roughen the tube a bit with sandpaper, wipe off the dust, then apply the patch. I’ve used these patches several times while on the road and they have always gotten me home safely. However, these patches do not hold nearly as well as those that use a vulcanizing solvent. Therefore, once I get home I always replace a self-adhesive patch with a Park Tool Vulcanizing Patch.

Park Tool VP-1 Vulcanizing Patch Kit

The Park Tool VP-1 Vulcanizing Patch Kit has four 25mm round patches, two 25mmx35mm oval patches, self-vulcanizing fluid, and sandpaper—all stored in a plastic box that measures 2.75″x1.5″x.75″. The instructions for use are printed on the inside of the box. To use these patches you need to roughen up tube with the included sandpaper and wipe off the dust. Then spread a thin layer of the self-vulcanizing fluid around the area you want to repair and allow it to dry before you apply the patch. Once the patch comes in contact with the self-vulcanizing fluid it will bond to the tube at the molecular level—this patch is permanent and good for the life of the tube.

The Park Tool VP-1 Vulcanizing Patch Kit retails for under $3 and is available at just about every bike shop in the United States. If you visit the sporting goods section at Walmart or Target you will see products similar to this one—and some of them actually work. However, the only patches I use are the ones from Park Tool.

29 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on February 22, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, repair, tires

Park Tool AWS-10 Fold-up Hex Wrench Set

30 Jan

I carry several different brands of multi-tools in the saddle bags of my bikes, but when I am working on a bike in my garage I prefer to use products made by Park Tool Company. In fact, if you scroll to the bottom of the “My Bikes” page you will see that my garage almost looks like a Park Tool showroom. On the wall in my work area I have a set of Park Tool P-Handle Hex Wrenches and they are the wrenches I use when I need to apply a lot of torque, but most of the time when I need a hex wrench I use the Park Tool AWS-10 Fold-up Hex Wrench Set.

Park Tool AWS-10 Fold-up Hex Wrench Set

The Park Tool AWS-10 Fold-up Hex Wrench Set has seven hex wrenches (1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm) and they are made from Bondhus Protanium, a high quality industrial steel that should give a many years of use. These wrenches have chamfered tips which makes them a pleasure to work with, and the wrenches all fold up into a slip-resistant composite handle. This handle feels very comfortable in your hand and that is probably the reason I like this product so well.

This tool weighs 3.7 ounces (104 grams) and measures 3.75″ long by .75″ tall and 1″ wide. While you could easily carry this with you as you ride I prefer more compact and lighter weight wrench sets for my saddle bags. However, at home when I care more about ease of use that I do weight I prefer this wrench set. In fact, I think you could walk into just about any bike shop in America as see that this is the tool most bike shop mechanics carry in their apron pockets.

The Park Tool AWS-10 Fold-up Hex Wrench Set retails for under $9 and is available at most bike shops. If your local shop does not carry this product they can easily order it for you—or you can visit Amazon.com and order it yourself.

10 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on January 30, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, repair, tools

Fix It Sticks Lightweight Bicycle Multi-tool

18 Jan

A few years ago when I started writing reviews for cycling products I determined that I would never talk about a product that was not already commercially available. However, today I am going to break that rule for the first time so I can tell you about one of the coolest new cycling products I’ve seen in a long time—Fix It Sticks. A few weeks ago Brian Davis, the inventor of Fix It Sticks, sent me a fully functional “stage two” prototype of his patent pending creation. Davis just had his project accepted by Kickstarter, a Web-based program for funding creative projects (more about this at the end of the article).

Prototype Of The Fix It Sticks Bicycle Multi-tool

Prototype Of Fix It Sticks Bicycle Multi-tool

The basic idea behind Fix It Sticks is that most cyclists don’t want (or need) to carry a lot of repair tools with them, so Fix It Sticks just offer the bare essential tools for roadside repair (a flathead screwdriver and three Allen wrenches). The unique design of Fix It Sticks provides for a very lightweight tool (less than 50 grams) and it doesn’t take up much more room than a pack of gum (they are only 4″ long)! However, the real advantage of Fix It Sticks is that when you put the two pieces together it gives you a handle that provides an incredible amount of leverage—you can apply more torque with this tool than you can with just about any other cycling multi-tool on the market. This compact tool is constructed of high-quality aluminum and has steel bits for durability.

Fix It Sticks Offer Incredible Leverage

I don’t know how Davis is going to advertise this product in the future, but it ought to appeal to two main groups of cyclists. First, female cyclists will love the leverage this product offers—there are times when I don’t think even a muscle-bound weightlifter could get an old Allen bolt to budge, but Fix It Sticks will make the job a lot easier—even if you don’t have bulging biceps. The second group that is going to love this product will be those Roadies who are overly concerned about the weight of anything they put on their bike (the Weight Weenies among us).

Fix It Sticks do not come with tire levers at the moment, so you will have to supply your own (but they do have plans to add them in the future). Also, this product does not come with a chain break tool—this is not the end of the world since most cyclists don’t know how to use them anyway. Just to be clear: I own many cycling multi-tools and the further I go away from home the more tools I want to take with me, especially if I am riding off-road on treacherous terrain. Most cyclists will find Fix It Sticks adequate to meet their needs, but if you need a pedal wrench, Torx wrench and a bottle opener then this product is not for you.

Fix It Sticks As They Appear On Kickstarter

Brian Davis is trying to raise money to start the production of Fix It Sticks. On January 15 his product was accepted by Kickstarter and if enough people pledge to help fund this project then production will start rather quickly. Davis needs $18,000 and about half of that amount was pledged within the first two days. You can donate any amount over $1 to help fund this project, and people who give $25 or more will receive a set of Fit It Sticks when they are manufactured (there are also several other levels of donation and they offer added benefits). Fix It Sticks are machined made in the USA (Appleton, Wisconsin to be exact). And in case you were wondering, I did give to this project—I hate to admit it, but when I’m on my Trek Madone I turn into a Weight Weenie myself. If you would like to donate to this project, or just read more about it, then please see the Fix It Sticks page on Kickstarter.

27 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on January 18, 2013 in Bicycle Repair

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, repair, tools

Quick Stik Bicycle Tire Changer Tool

16 Jan

I won’t say that I enjoy changing bicycle tires, but it is something that I seem to do a lot of. Not only do I go through a couple sets of tires every year due to normal use, but I also have to swap-out the tires on three of my bikes due to the changing of the seasons (winter tires). Sometimes tires are easy to install or take off by hand, but most of them need a tire lever to help you get the edge of the tire over the rim. This past summer I was talking with the guys at the local bike shop and noticed that all the mechanics used the Quick Stick to change tires, so I bought a pair to try out.

Quick Stik Bicycle Tire Changer Tool

Quick Stiks are made of molded nylon so they won’t scratch your rims or pinch your inner tubes. While no tire lever is going to be perfect for every tire, I believe this is the best all-around tire lever I’ve ever seen. Most people are only going to need a single lever to change a tire (though it wouldn’t hurt to carry a second one just in case).

The Quick Stik is six inches long which makes them longer than the levers you will find in your typical bicycle multi-tool, but smaller that the steel levers some of us have hanging on the wall in the garage. This tire lever has a wonderful grip which makes it so much easier to use than most of the other levers on the market. Weighing in at only 14.2 grams this lever can make even the most ardent Weight Weenie happy. One of the biggest benefits of the Quick Stik is that they will not nick your rims—some metal tire levers will shave off a bit of the rim as you are using them.

I wish I could tell you this lever will work with every tire/rim combo on the market, but that is not the case. Last week I was trying to remove a road bike tire and I couldn’t get it to budge with this lever—but then again, two other brands of tire levers didn’t work either. I think the problem was that the Mavic rim was very narrow and when combined with the Kevlar bead of the tire it seemed like nothing was going to work! Another part of the problem might have been that I had been riding in 19 degree weather and cold tires are always harder to remove—after I let the tires warm up in the garage I was finally able to remove the tire and patch the tube.

The Quick Stik retails for under $6 each and are available at just about any bike shop in North America—you can also find them at places like REI and on Amazon.com. The product is made in the U.S.A. by California Bike Gear. If you use this tool long enough (like daily use in a bike shop) you are going to wear a small grove in the plastic and will have to replace the lever—but at this price that really is not a problem.

29 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on January 16, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, repair, tires, tools

Serfas ST-17i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool (Product Review and Giveaway)

07 Jan

I’ve never kept count, but I imagine that in the past 10 years I’ve purchased at least 20 different compact multi-tools for my bikes. Like the Cynic philosopher Diogenes who spent his time looking for an honest man, I spend my time looking for great bicycle products. A few weeks ago the folks at Serfas sent me one of their new products for review, the Serfas ST-17i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool, and it has a few features that ought to be of interest to any cyclist. As an added bonus, I’ve not seen this product reviewed anywhere else yet—and I am always delighted when I can share new products with my readers.

Serfas ST-17i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool

Here is a breakdown of the seventeen tools in the Serfas ST-17i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool: Eight Allen keys (8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.5, 2, and 1.5mm), one 10m open wrench, four spoke wrenches (3.23, 3.3, 3.45, 3.96mm), a chain break tool with two chain retainers, two Torx drivers (T25, T30), CO² Inflator head, and both a Philips and flat head screwdriver. This tool has a full metal body and is 2.75″ long, 1.5″ wide, and .75″ tall. This products weighs an even 4.0 ounces (114g).

Spoke Wrench and Chain Break Handle

The Torx drivers are mainly needed to tighten the bolts on disc brakes (usually found on mountain bikes). In case you are wondering—Torx bolt heads resist slipping better than Philips head bolts, and there is less chance of stripping a Torx head bolt.

Chain Break Tool on the Serfas ST-17

The chain tool on the Serfas ST-17i is one of the best I’ve ever seen on a cycling multi-tool. I never throw my old bicycle chains away—I keep them so I can test chain break tools! When I put a short length of chain on the Serfas ST-17i I was surprised to find out it had a self-centering head since it’s not mentioned on the package. The self-centering head means that your chain will not slip as you are working on it. Even if you keep your bicycle chain clean and well lubricated it is going to wear out. While it is always best to replace your chain before it wears out, some cyclists (maybe most) just don’t check very often to see how much their chain has stretched. If your chain should snap when you are out on a ride you will need this tool to remove the damaged link and put the chain back together. If you are not sure how to use a chain tool there are several good videos on YouTube.com that can show you how they work (most of these tools work the same way).

CO² inflator Head on the Serfas ST-17i

The biggest selling point for the Serfas ST-17i is the CO² inflator head (Presta valve only) that is built into the mini-tool. It seems like nearly every time I get a flat tire it is during a rain storm (this past Saturday it was during a snow, sleet and slush storm). The small CO² inflator heads that most cyclists carry are easy to drop (especially when wet), but since the CO² inflator head is built into the body of the Serfas ST-17i it is very easy to handle and even easier to use.

There are two items lacking from this tool: a tire lever and a carrying case. You always need to have a pair of tire levers with you when riding, so make sure you pick up a set before you head out. The lack of a carrying case is no big deal since most of the ones that come with cycling multi-tools just take up space in your saddlebag anyway. However, loose items in a saddlebag will make enough noise to drive you crazy on a long ride. A great way to prevent the noise is to put loose items in a short length of on old inner tube and seal up one end with the glue from your tire patch kit. By the way, I also keep my spare CO² cartridges in shorts lengths of inner tubes as well.

The Serfas ST-17i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool retails for $45 and can be ordered from the Serfas Website or from almost any bike shop in America. If you like this tool but have no need of the chain break or Torx wrenches you should check out the Serfas ST-13i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool (it retails for $36). One step above the Serfas ST-13i is the Serfas ST-15i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool. The Serfas ST-15i comes with two tire levers and glueless patches (it retails for $40).

As some of my regular readers know, I seldom keep the products that are sent to me for review—most of the time I give the products to random visitors who comment on this blog. However, I’ve decided to hold a contest for this beautiful Serfas ST-17i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool. To enter the contest all you have to do is pick a number between 200 and 500 and enter it in the comment section below (you don’t actually have to make a comment). The contest ends at midnight (CST) on Friday, January 11, 2013. After the contest closes I will use a random number generator to pick the winning number. If no one has the exact number the person with the number closest to, but not over, the winning number will get the Serfas ST-17i I reviewed today. In case two or more people chose the same number the first person to pick the number will be the winner. This contest is for U.S. residents only and only one entry per household allowed. When the contest is over I will publish the results in the comments section of this article. I will mail this product to the winner via Priority Mail at my expense.

105 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on January 7, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, mtb, serfas, tools

Topeak Mini 18+ Multi-tool

11 Dec

In the past ten years I’ve probably bought over 20 different cycling-specific multi-tools. I have five bikes and carry a multi-tool in the seat bag of each one. It seems like every time I find a multi-tool with a new feature I have to buy it (I am an impulse buyer). There is one feature on the Topeak Mini 18+ Multi-tool that made me want it instantly, i.e., the pad spreader for disc brakes. If you have a mountain bike (or even a road bike) with hydraulic disc brakes you probably already know that if you accidentally squeeze the brake lever while changing a tire the brake pads will close and are nearly impossible to open again without a special tool. One time I made this mistake and had to use a knife to trim down a credit card to pry the pads open (then I had to order a replacement card once I got home).

Topeak Mini 18+ Multi-tool

Here is a breakdown of the hardened steel tools in the Topeak Mini 18+ Multi-tool: Allen Wrenches (2, 2-L, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10mm), two spoke wrenches (15 and 14g), chain tool, T25 Torx bit, chain pin breaker, bottle opener, pad spreader for disc brakes, and both a Philips and flat head screwdriver. This multi-tool also has an anodized aluminum tire lever—please note that this particular lever is designed for emergency use only. And, like most of the other Topeak multi-tools, it comes with a Neoprene storage bag. This product weights 6.5 ounces (185 g).

A couple of notes about two of the tools: The chain tool in the Mini 18+ works well, but I would rather use a full size chain tool when possible—but certainly would never carry the big one with me due to the weight. The T25 Torx bit will easily adjust mechanical disc brakes—if you have disc brakes on your bike you really need to carry a T25 Torx bit with you.

The Topeak Mini 18+ Multi-tool retails for around $33 and is available at any well-stocked bike shop. This product comes with a 2-year warranty (see Topeak’s Website for complete details). You can find this tool at a lower price on Amazon.com, but do yourself a favor and support your local bike shop.

If the Topeak Mini 18+ Multi-tool does not suit your needs, Topeak has many other tools to choose from. Here are a few links to some of their other multi-tools I’ve reviewed: The Topeak Mini 9 Pro Multi-tool has all the Allen wrenches you will need for most modern road bikes (2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 mm), along with two tire levers. The Topeak Hexus II Multi-tool has 16 well designed hardened steel tools and it fits into an easy-to-hold composite body. The Topeak Alien II is the “mother of all multi-tools” and includes 26 tools, including eight Allen wrenches (2/2.5/3/4/5/6/8/10mm), box wrenches (two each of 8/9/10mm), a T25 Torx wrench, Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, two spoke wrenches, two tire levers, mini pedal wrench, stainless steel knife, bottle opener, a cast Cromoly steel chain tool and a steel wire chain hook.

4 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on December 11, 2012 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, mtb, repair, tools, topeak

Park Tool Tire and Tube Repair Kit (TR-1)

19 Sep

As anyone who has ever visited my garage will tell you that it looks like a Park Tool Co. display room. Nearly every bike tool I own is made by Park Tool and I believe they make the finest bike tools money can buy. However, even a great company can sometimes produce a product that just doesn’t perform as intended, and in my opinion the Park Tool Tire and Tube Repair Kit is one such under-performing product.

Park Tool Tire and Tube Repair Kit

The Park Tool Tire and Tube Repair Kit (Item #TR-1) consists of three tire levers, six glueless patches and a small piece of sandpaper. The blue tire levers (Item #TL-1) are made of nylon and do not very comfortable in my hands, but the biggest problem is that when you try to take a tire off the rim with these levers it feels like they are made of sandpaper. Unlike many other tire levers, these levers do not glide over tire rims very well.

The tire patches in this kit are also marketed as the Park Tool Super Patch Kit (Item #GP-2). These self adhesive tube patches are easy to apply: just roughen the tube a bit with the included sandpaper, wipe off the dust, then apply the patch. I’ve used these patches several times while on the road and they have always gotten me home safely. However, these patches do not hold nearly as well as those that use a vulcanizing solvent. I need to make it clear: I carry (and use) these patches on all of my bikes, but every time I use one on the road I always replace it with a vulcanized patch as soon as I get home. For this use I prefer the Park Tool Vulcanizing Patch Kit (Item #VP-1).

The Park Tool Tire and Tube Repair Kit retails for under $6 and can be found at just about any bike shop in America. In case you are wondering, my favorite compact tire levers are the ones found in the Genuine Innovations Tire Repair Wallet (reviewed here last June).

18 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on September 19, 2012 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, puncture, repair, tires

All Seasons Cyclist

Category Archives: Bicycle Repair

My Two Favorite Bicycle Chain Lubricants

Cat’s Tongue Heavy Duty Cleaning Towels

Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump (Product Review and Giveaway)

Park Tool VP-1 Vulcanizing Patch Kit

Park Tool AWS-10 Fold-up Hex Wrench Set

Fix It Sticks Lightweight Bicycle Multi-tool

Quick Stik Bicycle Tire Changer Tool

Serfas ST-17i CO² Inflator / Mini-tool (Product Review and Giveaway)

Topeak Mini 18+ Multi-tool

Park Tool Tire and Tube Repair Kit (TR-1)

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