I need to buy a full set of frame prep tools for our workshop and much as i would like to spend £1k+ on nice park tools that is way out of the question not to mention our available budget, i’ve noticed the Cyclus range on Parker International and they seem almost reasonable – anyone have experience of them or is there another brand we should be looking at?.

We need BB facing and thread chasing tools, headtube facing and reaming tools for 33.9mm (1 1/8th) and 43.95mm (1 1/8th or EC44/ZS44)

Anyone got ideas or can point me to a website.

Cheers peeps.

Worth checking out VAR, i’m using one of their BB line taps and it seems to work nicely, a bit cheaper than Park, but seems better quality than any of the Cyclo stuff i’ve had the misfortune to use.

Cheers coatesy, i’ll have a google for them.

Icetoolz do some very good tools( much better than cyclo) , if you have an account with windwave you can get em a bit cheaper as well

Cheers spev, I’ll check them out as well – even applying the “workshop tools” discount that bike shops get for Park tools, the Headtube reamer/facer and BB facer and thread chasing tools still cost way over £700, money we don’t have unfortunately.

I’ve just ordered the bb face/taps having used them in my previous employment, the head tube one doesnt do 44 unfortunately, can’t see us having much use for it mind( that means I’ll have 5 in tomorrow to do 😳 )

Cyclo isn’t the same as Cyclus 😉

Cyclus stuff is very good, I’ve got several things from them. Var also very good if you can find it – Chickens used to bring it in, but not sure if they still do.

Also have a look at what Ceeway have – they do Cobra (cheap but decent) and Silva (excellent, prices vary).

Cheers Ben, hopefully we’ll find something within our budget from the suggestions so far.

The IceToolz complete facing/reaming set for £169 seems good value,, we’d need to buy a 43.95mm reamer/facer bit as well but it is far cheaper than anything i have found so far, obviously it will not be up to the quality of Park or Var but i am very mechanically sympathetic when it comes to such items as i’ve been brought up with a greasy spanner in my hand since i could crawl.

I quite like Unior stuff, you don’t see it much and I’ve no idea who the importer is.
Donnington Moto sell it retail

Raleigh do Unior I think, i’ll takea look at VAR as well

Yes Unior is Raleigh, can’t say much about them never used them.

I got a few Cyclus tools, all work fine so far, good feel.

Also I have Ice tools BB tread and face kit, not that impressed with the facer, needs sharpening very soon after using it, thread chaser is OK for cleaning crap out of threads, if you need to re thread a BB might not be the best. feel so so.

Used a Cyclos headpress tool, NOT impressed.

I have Park post brake mount facer and is brill, (as with the other park tools I have)

The other thing Park tends to be the first people to bring out tools for the new “standards”

Sorry to say you get what you pay for. I say Park and Cyclus is a good bet.

Yeah, i fully agree wi you Rob,”Buy once – Buy right” philosophy. 24 odd years ago i served my time as a vehicle mechanic then moved onto a Mech Eng Degree and in my workshop at home i have a 32 drawer snap on tool chest filled with overpriced but very desirable Snap On and Facom tools of every description, beautiful tools to handle and work with but very expensive, a bit like Park tools in that regard.

Somafunk, yeap Snap on stuff is great, but pricey, again, they make some tools that other don’t.
Got one of there bottom roll cab, nice bit of kit.
And life time warranty which was great when I was working all over the place, long as you find a dealer you get it replaced.

No idea about unior tools but I have their workstand

It is definitely workshop quality and looks indestructible tbh.
[ in case you think of buyng the stand – Not the best grip mech [ a hinge one is better] so you do seatposts rather than frame but I cannot see how you would ever break it tbh as it is all metal.

Hi Soma

I got a Cyclus bb thread tool at Christmas and it seems fine – certainly good enough for repeated basic cleanup / removing paint from threads etc and a bargain at €84.

http://www.roseversand.com/article/cyclus-thread-cutting-tool-for-crankset-casing/aid:22920

I’ve also used it for post-brazing cleanup of a few bb shells and it coped OK – not sure how long the taps will last for repeated use in that application but certainly far far better than I expected for the money.

Cheers mick, that’s within our budget so i’ll get it ordered on monday, it’s not to cut the threads in a bare shell but more to prep new frames that have paint overspray in the BB so i imagine it will cope fine for the limited amount of work it will be doing. On looking through the rest of the site it looks like we’ll be able to furnish our shop with the necessary tools for a fraction of the Park prices, excellent!. In an ideal world we’d have the spare £ to buy the park tools but that is not an option at all at the moment.

Cheers mick, have a party keg of Galloway Gold 😀 .

[list]Someone has had a Park head tube reaming kit on eBay on and off for a few weeks now.

Bike tools and Castle Douglas beer – fine combination 🙂

We usually come up for Feb half-term, but this year won’t be up until October – probably see you then

Good luck with the shop stuff.

Mick

I like the cyclus stuff far bette than ice toolz and cyclo
Not as nice as the park cutters and taps but a lot less money

Cheers mick, see you in October – our shop is a 30 yard walk from the Brewery……..it could be fatal but we are very restrained…HIc!…burp……

I’ll keep an aye out for that peter, cheers.

Think i’m gonna go for the cyclus stuff from rose, cheers all. Much appreciated.