Chain tool lust? Pump love? Come on inside…
Even the layer of dust that covered everything by day three of Sea Otter couldn’t conceal the sheer amount of polished aluminium at the Birzman booth. Shiniest among many shiny things was the tool company’s Dragonfly chain tool. A £50/$70 workshop tool, the Dragonfly is 8-, 9-, 10-, and 11-speed compatible by way of a reversible stop. The combination of chunky handle and fine threads should make breaking even stubborn chains easy enough and the handle spun with a very pleasing smoothness. This one looks as though it deserves pride of place on the pegboard.
wood is good.
At a more accessible price point, the Light-Er does much the same thing in a more compact, organic package. A little spring clip keeps the chain in place during use and the Light-er is also 9/10/11-speed compatible. At £12/$17, this could well be the best tool bling value going.
On the shock pump side, Birzman were keen to show off their Zacoo line. Available in several sizes, all Zacoo shock pumps feature the company’s lossless Air-Lock valve. The Zacoo Macht is pack-friendly, includes a nice little analogue gauge, seems solid, and at £35/$50 is a nice step up over that one pump that everyone else seems to sell.
Up a notch in size and seriousness, the Zacoo Salut’s larger volume will reduce the frantic pumping required to bring rebuilt shocks and forks up to pressure. A larger gauge is easier to read and the £TBC/$55 price should be justifiable for professional settings.
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Decent aesthetically pleasing tools are the new black.