I’ve invested in a carbon handlebar and this time around I’m keen to install to the correct torque rather than nipping it up by feel.

Alas my budget isn’t the largest, so I’m wondering if there are any small quality kits out there that are known to be well calibrated – recommendations are most welcome!

Can you borrow one? I bought one about 15 years ago and very rarely use it these days. If you are regularly building bikes, changing parts, etc then it might be worth it but in my experience it’s not.

What about a Ritchey torque key. Can be 4 or 5nm. If you are happy to have everything else done by guesstimate then this is what if go for.

Id happily borrow one if anyone local to Brighton doesn’t mind, also keen to have one for the odd occasion I change bar/stem in the future – especially if I hear of a highly recommended design/kit at a price I can stomach

What about a Ritchey torque key

Depending on which thread I jump into they get very mixed reviews when it comes to consistency.
I suppose I’m looking for the highly recommended bargain that has been measured as accurate

My ‘travel’ torque wrench is an IceToolz Ocarina … it’s the one that some bike companies (YT?) ship with their bikes.

BR did a group test a few years ago.. they all came out as accurate when new, but it’s whether they stay that way (or need recalibration) over time..

even top of the line torque wrenches will need calibrated down the line. Generally the more you use them, the quicker they’ll need to be calibrated. I’ve got a bunch of different ones from cheap to expensive, teeny tiny to monster, and honestly, unless you’re using it day in day out, a relatively modestly priced one will be absolutely spot on. If you’re only worried about clamping bolts, then the bike specific ones like the torque key are great – if you’re wanting to use it on crank bolts, etc – or have it around for tinkering with the car or whatever, then get a ‘traditional’ one. In terms of traditional bike suitable sized ones ones, i’ve got both a cheap as chips x-tools ones, and a nice facom one – yeah, the facom one is ‘better’ – its nicer materials and better put together – but the x-tools one is also absolutely fine and no noticeable difference in accuracy

Wera are releasing some bike specific kits. I like wera stuff.

also keen to have one for the odd occasion I change bar/stem in the future

I suppose I’m looking for the highly recommended bargain that has been measured as accurate

At some point you just know by feel … and/or ignore because you lubed differently or despite the recommended setting it twists in the stem… accurate is a bit irrelevant unless you are using the exact lube. (bear in mind stem bolts may come with blue loctite) and the rotational torque is not what you’re interested in but the actual force put on the bars that depends on the stem lubrication and the carbon paste.

Same goes for brakes… you don’t want to go OVER the torque on carbon bars but equally you don’t want to do them up too tight to rotate in a crash…

Add to which as cxmonkey say’s down the line they need recalibrating.

you also need to remember to store properly … I’m aware of it but have ended up not resetting prior to storage so if only used occasionally then that’s an added way accuracy degrades.

Just test them every so often which assuming you have a vice and weights is only a 10 min job for non aerospace (bike) stuff (due too all of the above)

I have just treated myself to a LifeLine Essential Torque Wrench Set

£37 from Wiggle etc

Very nice piece of kit.

Wera are releasing some bike specific kits. I like wera stuff.

ooohhhh …. I just got a new Vessel JIS screwdriver delivered … came with a complimentary origami.
I use Wera bits in the torque wrench and for suspension bolts though…

Ice Tools/X-Tools/Lifeline ones work perfectly well at around the £30-40 mark.
(But this being STW you must get a Wera or you’ll destroy your bikes.) (blimey, I didn’t even see that someone had already said that. LOlZ)

I’d say you would get a reasonable one for about 40 quid.

Yes Lifeline/X-Tools etc. are all fine for around £40.
Even the Planet-X ones are pretty decent – they seem to have them on sale again:
Jobsworth Torque Wrench £29.99

I bought a Draper 5-25Nm wrench a few years back for £25. Came with a calibration certificate. Haven’t had any issues with it, been great value for money.

I got a Bikehut torque wrench from Halfords ages ago because I needed one that day. Seems decent enough Good for 2-24Nm & comes with 6 hex & 3 Tx sockets.

I’ve also got an Icetoolz Ocarina which is handy & convenience for those little jobs.

But this being STW you must get a Wera or you’ll destroy your bikes.

Wera bits are a couple of quid each … I keep 4,5,6 and T25
Worth it IMHO for pivot bolts etc.

But this being STW you must get a Wera or you’ll destroy your bikes.

😀

I’ve got 3 torque wrenches, including one about 15 years old now with a 1/4 drive (branded as BBB).

The way I figure it, a bike isn’t a space shuttle. If your carbon bar is going to crack because your calibration was 10% out you should probably get a steel bar 😀