Finding a great present for a cyclist is hard to do. Beginner cyclist are somewhat easier to shop for, but their garage and tool bag quickly fill up with their new love of the sport. Seasoned bike riders are even harder to shop for. They seem to have 2 or 3 of the essentials, bikes included and at least 1 of the non-essentials. So how do you shop for someone that loves bicycling? Here is a great gift that likely any experienced cyclist wants, but typically won’t buy for themselves. Because a torque wrench is not a necessity it often get’s passed up by other more fun bike tools and toys. Also, bicyclist can get by with the “that feels about right” torque. I know because I’ve been doing it for years. It wasn’t until I had a real torque wrench that I realized how off my “feeling” was.
Torque wrenches are used to ensure that a bolt is tightened just enough to hold the part, but not so hard that you damage a carbon part or bike frame. Typical use are to tighten down headset caps, handle bar stems, seat post, pivot bearings. Here is a quick video to show you one in action.
The D-Torq wrench range from 1Nm to 20Nm. This will cover most of the parts on your bike. However, there are some high torque bolts that you may need the larger torque wrench for, these may include suspension bolts and larger bearings.
The wrench has a direction lever, however it should not be used as a regular wrench. To use you should hand tighten the bolt and only use the torque wrench to fine tune the tighness. There are some simple functions with the digital wrench to fine tune the torque spec. Also, there are adjustments to save the torque when the beep is reached. Another important point when using the wrench is to hold the handle in the middle to get an accurate reading. Once you have used the wrench a few times it becomes second nature. It runs off a single AAA battery that is included. So far mine has last me many months with average use. Using the menu button, you can cycle through Nm, In-lb, Ft-lb, and kg-cm. Most specs on my bikes are in Nm so I just leave my wrench in that setting most of the time, however in other countries you may see the need to change this more frequently. To set the max torque simply use the up arrow to increase the torque value. The wrench will go to sleep after no buttons are pressed for 2 minutes.
With a new wrench, the bits get stuck in pretty tight, but after repeated use they come in and out much easier. Overall it’s a pretty nice tool to have and easy to use. I prefer the digital readout and beep much more than the click and manual adjustments
Included:
- Torque Wrench
- Carrying case
- Battery
- Philip #2, T25, 6mm hex, 5mm hex, 4mm hex, 3mm hex, 2.5 hex, 2mm hex
- Instructions
- Calibration test
- Two Year Warranty Card
A great present for any time of year, check prices from many online bike retailers on GearChase.com or Click Here