I’m trying to put my bike back together after breaking a spoke and find myself needing a cassette removal/splined socket tool thingy. I know I have one, because I remember buying it, but that was before the last house move and I have no idea where it is now. I’ve searched for it (twice) and am now strongly considering buying another so that I can get the bike back on the road.

So, how soon after buying another one will it be before I find my existing one? Any takers?

Less than 5 minutes or longer than the life of the universe.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fettle-box-how-do-you-organise-your-bike-tools

how soon after buying another one will it be before I find my existing one? Any takers?

You’ll find the old one when you put the new one away, as when you go to put it in the obvious spot for it the old one will be sat there looking at you.

how soon after buying another one will it be before I find my existing one? Any takers?

You’ll find the old one when you put the new one away, as when you go to put it in the obvious spot for it the old one will be sat there looking at you.

It’s not quite that simple though.

If you use the new one first then go to put it away you will not see the old one until next time one is required.
At that time there are 2 possibilities, either you will find Both or Neither ..

On the over hand if you go to put the new one away before use , then , as has been said above , the old one will be sitting in the toolbox where it was all along.

I have bought about a dozen folding Allen key sets over the years. I haven’t given any away, I don’t think any have been stolen (more expensive tools haven’t), but I have two left.

I did think they might be down the back of workbenches, but didn’t find any when I moved shop.

I’ve three cassette removal spline thingies, seem to hide more than any other tool.

Once you have finished the job and think of a good place to put your new tool. At that moment will you remember where you put the previous two tools. Aaaaggghhhhh!

Well, I’ve ordered a new one and started the timer on my watch.

Interestingly, I did search the crate that my bike tools and spare parts normally go in, but could only find three puncture repair kits, an inner tube and a car stereo. All my other bike tools are on the tray of the work stand and it’s not there.

Ah well, I just hope that the new one/the old one/both turn up tomorrow so that I can get the road bike back in action before the weekend.

have you looked under the fridge?
you should have at least 3 cassette removal tools anyway – a normal one, one on the end of a wrench and one with a locating pin on it. don’t have them all in one place and then it will take 1/3 of the time to find it.

my issue is that I can ALWAYS find the utterly useless 5.5mm allen key even though it has no use whatsoever.

It depends on whether or not cassette tools are tool-loss type A or type B for you. If they’re type A then the old one will appear like magic about five minutes after you’ve used the new one enough to make it impossible to return. If they’re type B then you’ll lose the new one shortly, and the one after that, and the one after that, ad infinitum.

Tyre pressure gauges are type B for me (which reminds me, I need to buy a new one). Shimano cartridge BB tools are type A, I’ve got at least three of the things.

my issue is that I can ALWAYS find the utterly useless 5.5mm allen key even though it has no use whatsoever.

I threw mine away, bloody annoying thing.

I have two, borrow one of mine if you like.. 😉

Talking of which, I bought the first about 3 years ago, been used loads as I change ratios on the SS quite regularly. The other one was bought when I bought my new bike and wanted to change the inner ring, Rotors use the same tool, I didn;t know this and bought said tool for the job, turns out it’s exhakerly the same 🙄 then 😆

I threw mine away, bloody annoying thing.

so did I – they keep appearing

so did I – they keep appearing

Well, they are the right sort of shape to keep coming back.

Bikebouy, thanks for the offer. I’d actually been through the loan route with the two cycle people here, but both have admitted that they don’t have one. I suspect that they are in the same boat as me.

I lent my fatty wheel spacer to someone from STW Land and cant remember who they are or their e mail address, met them just outside Bristol.

I also lent my old chain whip to a mate who now swears blind it is the one he bought, that grates every time I see it in his shed.

I’d lost my trusty old Park tool allen keys years ago, it was bugging me quite a lot. A few months ago the washing machine was playing up not emptying and the bearings had gone. Anyway, new machine bought, and taking the old one I shoved my hand around the seal to get some grip pulling it out, and low and behold my Park Allen keys!! Gawd knows how long they’d been there for!

The answer is simple, just ask the wife where she put it……story of my bloody life 😆
Having regained my man cave aka garage , she is now banned for life but can hide her stuff anywhere in the house or shed 🙂

It will be on the end of your ratchet handle and has been staring you in the face the whole time.

As above you need multiple ones, they’re like hollowtech 2 preload thingys, have at least 6 of those 😉

See i do owe alot to my journeyman ….. He was a clean freak in the workshop with tools , finish the job you cleaned the tools and put them back in their homes.

My garage might be a shit tip , but i can always put my hand on a tool … Because i always put it back where it lives , the last time i lost a tool it never even made it back from the shop. It was on the passengers seat of the car ….. And when i got home it wasnt. Ripped the car apart looking for it , didnt find it .

Forgot i changed cars with mrs tr before i came home and it was under the seat in the other car – took 3 months before i came across it – so now i have 2 sliding bevels.

There was a time when I had a B&D chuck key in that otherwise-useless little pocket of every pair of jeans. They survived numerous washes. I decided that was the jean makers’ intention.