3 cool new tools from PRO
Plus 12 others that are pretty all right, too
You’ve been there: chain whip in hand, approaching a cassette you want to remove from your rear wheel. Then you hesitate. Let’s see. If the cassette spins counterclockwise freely and you need to turn the lockring tool in the same direction, then you wrap the whip’s chain…Wait. Is it this way? No. That way. Yeah.
With the new PRO cassette wrench ($52), you can slide the notches into an 11-tooth cog (or flip the tool for notches designed for a 10-tooth). Then, you can start applying pressure to a lockring tool. You’ll never need to re-adjust a chain whip again.
Mini torque wrenches are handy, especially when you’re travelling. The one wrench takes up less room than a whole torque wrench set. The drawback with a mini is that it tends to have one fastener head and one torque setting. (If only your bike only used one type of fastener and one torque setting for all. Oh, the simplicity!) The PRO mini torque wrench ($100) strikes a good balance between the portability of a regular mini and the versatility of a fully adjustable torque wrench with a complete set of bits. PRO’s new mini comes with six bits that hide away in the tool’s magnetic handle. (Note, the company’s new top-end Team digital torque wrench comes with nine bits.) The mini has three preset inserts that allow you to snug up a bolt to 4, 5 or 6 Nm.
When you’re pumping up your cross country tires, your cyclocross treads or even your gravel bike’s tires, you want precision. With your road bike tires—maybe not so much. The PRO Team floor pump ($175) has an analogue gauge with more detail from 0 to 40 p.s.i. It’s easy to find the 25 p.s.i. mark, for example. Once the gauge passes 40 p.s.i., or a little less than 3 bar, it starts to make 10 p.s.i. and 0.5 bar jumps, because roadies worry more about the precision of their power meters than their tire pressure. Amirite?
Other new pumps and tools from PRO
While the Team floor pump is new, the PRO Team digital floor pump ($150) has just gotten an update. It now features a new ergo-fit handle. Its universal head allows it to work with Presta or Schrader valves. The digital gauge has an accuracy of +/-2 per cent. The entry-level but still very capable PRO Competition floor pump ($40) gets a bigger hose, 12 per cent bigger in fact, so it can now move more air.
As I mentioned, the mini torque wrench is cool. But, the PRO Team digital torque wrench ($370) is what you want to really dial things in on your carbon-fibre bike. The LCD screen displays the torque as it changes. The tool emits one tone as you get close to the torque setting you’ve chosen, and then another tone as you reach the setting. You can ratchet up 1 to 20 Nm of torque with the nine bits included in the set. Replaceable battery included.
Some maintenance jobs would be easier with a third hand. A more attainable solution would be three tools that you can hold in your hand at once. The PRO Team delta wrench ($59) has three bits always ready to go. In total, there are 13 hardened steel bits that fit into the delta wrench’s alloy body.
Two new PRO chain tools are more affordable versions of their top-tier Team counterpart. One new chain tool ($37) works with 1- to 9-speed chains. The other is for 9- to 12-speed chains ($45). They look similar, but not to worry: each is labelled so you won’t mix them up.
For your seat bag, there are two new mini tools. The PRO six-function mini tool ($18) comes with four Allen keys (3-, 4- 5- and 6-mm), a Phillips-head and flat-head screwdriver. The PRO 10-function mini tool ($23) comes with seven Allen keys (2-, 2.5-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6- and 8-mm), a Torx T25 bit, a Phillips-head and flat-head screwdriver. While these mini tools are great for fixes out on the trail or the road, it’s easier to work with proper screwdrivers, especially for smaller fasteners. The PRO fine adjustment screwdriver set ($45) features four screwdrivers: a 2-mm Allen, a Torx T10, a flat-head (SL4) and a Phillips PH2. Fine indeed.
