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Are tools like this worth buying or are they just a toy that's going to let me down?
More for removal of chain quick links rather than as a tyre lever. I snapped a Granite Talon lever yesterday, looking at trail toolkit alternatives (I've got good pliers in the home kit).
You can use a shoelace or paracord apparently. There are a few videos around on how to do it.
I have this one, which I got for around 99p in an AliExpress flash sale when I was buying something else.
The exact one you're looking at can be found for around is under £2 on AliEx too.
You can use a shoelace or paracord apparently. There are a few videos around on how to do it.
I've watched a mate do this successfully but never managed it myself although he made it look easy, been carrying tyre levers with quick link tool but haven't actually tried using them yet so no idea if they're going to be any use
i carry a small gerber multi with needle nose pliers. They will pop a chain link along with lots of other handy jobs
Why not just use the inverted v/big chainring technique and skip the need for a tool? Quicklinks slack off with a few miles as well so little force is needed...
They work just fine, but I would recommend getting one that has some padding on the handles...
The raw metal handles are not at all ergonomic and wreck your hands if things are a wee bit tight/stiff. The raw handles can also be quite slippery when wet etc
I have one and have only used it once (on a mates bike), it worked ok, doubles as a tyre lever (though I've never used it as such) and stores a spare link. Not much to report really.
I have a piece of old gear cable with ferrules criped on each end to stop it fraying.
I have used the Granite Tyre levers with quick link tool
So did the OP. He’s the second who’ve reported them breaking, I’m worrying mine may let me down at a vital moment now
They work fine as chain link pliers. As tyre levers, not so much.
Ah fair enough! Can't remember the last time I used tyre levers out on the trail though. That's me jinxed...
Ah fair enough! Can't remember the last time I used tyre levers out on the trail though and I do have either Pedros or Topeak Shuttle levers in my pack as well on "big" rides when I take a tube. Punctures either seal themselves or just need a anchovy 99% of the time. That's me jinxed...
I went for the Topeak mini PT30 multi tool. It’s got a quick link remover, storage for replacement quick link, plus tubeless plug tools so removes the need for other clutter.
short length of coat-hanger wire here
I've got the wolf tooth tool that those ZTTO ones have shamelessly copied.
Small, easy to stash in a tool roll, very handy way to break and fix a chain as well as store quick links.
Why not just use the inverted v/big chainring technique and skip the need for a tool? Quicklinks slack off with a few miles as well so little force is needed...
Can you tell us a bit more about this technique please.
or You tube perhaps ?
Here you go. He makes it look harder than it is by randomly battering the link tho...
Nice to have a DIY bodge in the back pocket, but I wouldn't want that as my default for the same reason I, for example, prefer using fabricated tensioners on a tent guy line rather than tying a hitch - I don't want to be doing that in the cold and dark, with numb fingers, in the rain. Sometimes the correct tool is just the way to go.
Ended up ordering one of the cheap master link tools from the original post, plus a set of steel cored levers. I tend to steer clear of multi tools, don't like having all my eggs in one basket.
Hairy muff.
In that case, I present this for your edification... I actually carry one when touring despite advocating (and mostly using) the inverted vee:
<Ahhh, I see you’ve found them... 🙃>
Closure is good. Bank holidays are bike maintenance days. I'm replacing the drivetrain on the commuter so thought I'd use the ZTTO tool for the first time. Works fine. It arrived with a magnet missing; couldn't be arsed pursuing the matter so I keep it closed up with an elastic band. Does the job.
Oooh, nice! I can't even get the damn quicklink open when I'm in my home shed, so chances of doing it on the trail are basically zero - will check out the ZTTO option.
Meantime, how does
short length of coat-hanger wire here
work??
I have the Wolf Tooth one but have never used it... A riding friend asked my why I carry one - in what scenario on the trail would I need one? I have to admit to being more or less stumped. Aside from the possibility of splitting the chain to wrestle it free from getting stuck around a BB or something, I think he has a point! If the chains mangled or snapped then I'll be using a chain tool to remove knackered bits, and a fresh split link to rejoin it (don't need a tool for that).
What am I missing? What's the scenario that requires opening a split link on the trail?
pinching the sideplates together makes them come apart easier IME
I bought my original Granite Talon levers four years ago after I snapped a gear hanger on a climb. Everything survived, spare gear hanger in the bag, but the chain was so twisted I couldn't sort it out. January in the Black Mountains; numb frozen hands, couldn't force the quicklink apart. Eventually had to use my chain splitter to break the chain, prior to straightening it out then rejoining with another quicklink. Went online and ordered the Talon levers as soon as I got home. If I'd had them, or this ZTTO tool, I'd have been on my way in a couple of minutes.
I can also think of applications for maintenance during long distance touring.
I always use the pyramid method as above but I always do it with the double hole at the bottom so the plate you are tapping is on your side and you can see what you're doing.