Brand New Home Mechanic Bike Bicycle Tool Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)Like you, I wanted to work on my bike and I wanted to save some money. I happened upon this set and bought it after reading the reviews. Sure there were a few bad ones but one guy listed all the repairs that he'd done with the set and others had said that the tools were fine for the price. Ultimately, I bought the set and chocked the bad reviews up to bike snobs. Now, I suspect that the "bike snobs" were the real reviewers because these tools are so bad that I just can't imagine how anyone could have anything positive to say about them. I give you my word, I have no private interest in whether you purchase this set or not, I normally don't even write reviews but this set was such a rip-off that I feel obligated to leave some sort of warning.
The repairs I wanted to perform were simple; I needed to remove a lock ring and cog from and old hub and put them on a new one, remove a worn chain and replace it with a new one, switch out my pedals and tighten up my crank arms-- easy stuff, all stuff I've done before albeit with someone else's tools.
The wrenches are all made with this really soft metal so most of them will buckle before removing a stubborn nut; the spanner broke as I was trying to remove the ring, and the chain breaker looks impressive but something is wrong with the threading and you'll all of a sudden wonder why this pin that's never been such a problem before seems inexplicably stuck. Took me almost 20 minutes of struggling like this before I realized that the resistance was not being caused by the pin but by the tool itself! Out of the whole set only a few of the tools will be salvageable, like the adjustable wrench-- which I haven't tried yet but how could anybody possibly screw that up? Then again this set has surprised me with its awfulness on five distinct occasions (all during the same project) at this point; which actually brings me to my next point:
I just don't see how these tools can be this bad. It seems like a great deal of thought would have to have gone into making a set so crappy. It surprises me that the price isn't at least a little bit higher to reflect the hours of brainpower that must have gone into designing a tool set that literally disappoints in every conceivable way.
I am not angry, more amused and I view this as a lesson learned. I went over to my local shop this morning and purchased a few real tools and it made the whole project so much more pleasurable. It occurs to me that not only can using tools like this make the job harder but it can be dangerous: one does not expect a wrench to snap when he is putting pressure on it, who knows where the tools or your fingers will end up? Fortunately, I avoided sacrificing a finger tip and skinned my knuckles on some spokes instead.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not claiming to have used every tool in the box, maybe the ones I haven't used are all perfect, but seriously, if you decide not to heed my advice please at least be careful because, man, these is some crappy tools!

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Park Tool CG-2 Chain Gang Chain Cleaning System Review

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(More customer reviews)After years of manually cleaning my bicycle chains, often too infrequently, I made a worthwhile investment in a Park Tool chain cleaner. As a year round bicycle commuter in Chicago, I am often braving the elements leading to concerns over corrosion that could weaken a chain. In years past, I have snapped multiple chains, causing dangerous instability, a loss of balance, and on more than one occasion, a wipeout. Frequent oiling is one approach to mitigating the corrosion. Yet, this leads to a build-up of gunk that can increase the overall resistance. So, for me, finding an efficient routine cleaning method was extremely important, making this product a very valuable item.
When I was younger and had more free time, I would remove a bicycle chain and soak it in a coffee can full of gasoline. This was cheap, environmentally unfriendly and potentially dangerous. Now that I live in a high-rise apartment with beige carpeting, I try to keep the mess and disassembly to a minimum. The Park Tool chain cleaner is excellent for this situation as there is minimal scattering of the cleaning solution. Yet, the cleaning process isn't entirely compatible with carpeting as the cleaning fluid clings to the chain and drips off around the entire path of chain travel. So indoor chain cleaning still requires newspapers or rags to protect the carpeting.
The Park Tool chain cleaner is both fast and effective. The rotary brushes do an excellent job at removing tightly adhering grime. This somewhat surprised me because the bristles are nylon and not metal. From my unscientific observations, the results are as good or better than hand cleaning with wire brush. More importantly, it is definitely much faster. In addition to the main apparatus, Park Tool was nice enough to include a very narrow hand brush with the kit that allow for easy cleaning in between the rear cogs. With this brush and the main tool, the user can perform an end-to-end drive chain cleaning in less than 15 minutes.
One of the advantages of a chain cleaning tool like this is that it contains a reservoir that puts the cleaning solution precisely where it is needed. It is so efficient in this regard that a significant amount sediment builds up at the bottom of the relatively small sized reservoir, requiring that the fluid be changed at least twice during a single cleaning. While it only uses about four ounces per fill, the Park Tool cleaning solution is 20 times as expensive as kerosene or gasoline so there is no cost saving on the consumables front. I suspect that citrus cleaning fluids at hardware or automotive stores would work just as well for much less.
For $28, this product is definitely worth the expense from the time savings alone. While I am not a bicycle mechanic, I do own other Park Tools. In all cases, I have been rather satisfied with their quality. The prices, however, are generally out of line with conventional tools, which may be a result of high dealer markup for niche products with limited markets. In this case, the price is a bargain but I suspect that Park tries to make its profit on the cleaning solution whose expense can probably be avoided by purchasing commonly available alternatives. In total, I would highly recommend this product for both its value and effectiveness.
Pros
Very effective
Saves times
Contains mess
Inexpensive upfront costCons
Expensive cleaning solution
Excessive sediment formation in small reservoir


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A dirty drivetrain causes poor shifting and unnecessary wear to expensive parts. The Chain Gang contains everything needed to quickly and easily clean the chain, freewheel cogs, and chainrings. The Chain Gang includes a CM-5 Chain Scrubber, a GSC-1 GearClean Brush, and an 8oz bottle of CB-2 Citrus Chain Brite. The CG-2 works on all derailleur bikes and many 3-speed and coaster brake bikes.

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Park Tool PCS-10 Home Mechanic Repair Stand Review

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(More customer reviews)I read many other reviews about how others were surprised at how sturdy this stand is, but I was still surprised myself once I got it in my hands and put my bike up. It is big, strong, and durable; this really will last you at least most of a lifetime of biking. Fully extended it can put the top of the bike over your head, so no worries about having to bend into uncomfortable positions to get anything done. "Portable" might be a bit of a stretch, as there are lighter and smaller stands out there (like the Park Tool PCS-11 Super Lite Home Mechanic Repair Stand), but this will still fold up and should fit into most cars without taking up too much space.
I went ahead and chose this over the less expensive Park Tool PCS-9 Home Mechanic Work Stand to get the quick-release clamps, which I recommend; after all, you want to spend your time working on the bike, not the stand, and getting back out on the road or trail, right? Every little bit of frustration and effort saved helps.
This stand has surpassed my expectations. I should have bought this long ago, like when I was in school and my bike was my primary transportation!
Be sure also to check out the Park Tool AK-37 Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit if you are just getting started with a home workshop.

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Park Tool BBB-2 The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair - 2nd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)This new Park Tool Big Blue Book of Repair - 2nd Edition (also known as BBB-2 to differentiate it from the first edition) is a superb improvement over the original edition, Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, which was considered by many to be THE "must-have" reference for bicycle repair by many enthusiasts, cyclists and bike shop owners.

This is a good, solid repair manual for almost any bike, be it the single-speed classic cruiser, mountain bike, BMX or road bike. At 246 pages, this new edition has hundreds of photos that will prove to be quite helpful when doing bike maintenance. Like the previous edition, it was written by Calvin Jones, whose years of experience as the Park Tool Director of Education shows.
There is a definite emphasis on tool selection (don't forget that it comes from Park Tool), but such topics as general bike upkeep, emergency repairs, on-the-road fixes and even bike cleaning tips are well covered. There's a thorough table of contents that will appeal to novice, experienced enthusiast and shop mechanic alike.
The various sections cover a wide range of topics. For example, the chapter on pedals covers everything from removal and installation to bearing service to servicing Shimano pedals. There are plenty of helpful photos in each chapter to help illustrate the repair topics. The four appendices in the back of this edition cover such topics as a tool list, glossary, the recommended torque for bike components and a bike map.
The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair is used as the official student textbook in a unique program for learning bicycle maintenance and repair known as the Park Tool School. Check with your local bicycle dealer to see if one of these hands-on programs is coming to your area. If so, getting this new edition will give you a jump on the curriculum covered.
Another excellent manual worth considering is The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes, a more basic, well-written reference that is also excellent for teaching youngsters how to perform their own bike repairs.
Even if you just want to get BBB-2 as your sole bike repair manual, it's a great 5-star reference. Highly recommended.

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