Inflation expressed through the medium of bike tools..

[wafter]

In 2018 I bought a Park CT-5 compact chain tool for the princely sum of £10.99; which seemed to be the going rate from the more competitive retailers at the time.

This handy little tool gets carried in my rucksack incase I get a chain failure and need to pop out a link to fit a quicklink. Some weeks ago on the Brompton I encountered a fellow cyclist with a broken chain, and was disappointed to be unable to help since said tool was in my rucksack (rather than the B-bag).

I've since looked into getting another CT-5 tool for the little bstard's bawbag - from the same retailers as those listing at £10.99 in 2018, they're now £23.99 - that's an increase of nearly 120% over five years, or around 17% increase per annum...

Sh*t the bed

 

[mustang1]

I wonder if it's all due to inflation or is it partly due to the fashion and popularity of bikes and related items, in this case, the CT5 tool.

 

[Joffey]

Here you go - £13.45 (no idea how legit website is btw) - https://www.urbancycology.com/product-page/park-tool-ct-5-mini-chain-tool

 

[sleuthey]

I thought this was going to be a thread about pumps when I read thr title 🤣

 

[wafter]

I wonder if it's all due to inflation or is it partly due to the fashion and popularity of bikes and related items, in this case, the CT5 tool.

Dunno.. not sure exactly when I purchased said item in 2018, however broadly-speaking the dollar/pound exchange rate was broadly similar in 2018 to 2023.

Post-covid it seems that if anything bikes have taken a hammering, while we can't blame Brexit for this one since the land of freedom fries are convincingly outside the Eu...

Maybe if I'm feeling especially OCD I'd trawl through some other historic purchases for comparison; perhaps this is an outlier - although I don't think that anyone can deny the impending / ongoing collapse of the globalised consumptive economy at this point in time..

Here you go - £13.45 (no idea how legit website is btw) - https://www.urbancycology.com/product-page/park-tool-ct-5-mini-chain-tool

Thanks - four and a bit quid postage brings it to the fat end of £20 however; so not too far short of the shocking headline figure in the OP..

I thought this was going to be a thread about pumps when I read thr title 🤣

Sadly I have not purchased a pump in 2018 for comparison!

 

[Cycleops]

According to a inflation calculator it was 3.78% over that period so maybe Calvin Jones thought he was now a rockstar and demanded a salary on a level with Ed Sheeran? But he had to sign undertaking that he would never smile.

 

[Kingfisher101]

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-tools/topeak-chain-tool-universal-278494.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLACycling>Bike+Maintenance>Bike+ToolsCycling>Bike+Maintenance>Bike+Tools278494&_$ja=tsid:|cid:17632965067|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:14298782317714092905|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9046301&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu4KbtuLQgQMV_wkGAB1GKQfIEAQYByABEgLHL_D_BwE.
Get one of these instead?

 

[Paulus]

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-tools/topeak-chain-tool-universal-278494.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLACycling>Bike+Maintenance>Bike+ToolsCycling>Bike+Maintenance>Bike+Tools278494&_$ja=tsid:|cid:17632965067|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:14298782317714092905|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9046301&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu4KbtuLQgQMV_wkGAB1GKQfIEAQYByABEgLHL_D_BwE.
Get one of these instead?

I've had one of those for years, does what it says on the tin.

 

[wafter]

According to a inflation calculator it was 3.78% over that period so maybe Calvin Jones thought he was now a rockstar and demanded a salary on a level with Ed Sheeran? But he had to sign undertaking that he would never smile.

lol - I quite like Calvin's videos

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-tools/topeak-chain-tool-universal-278494.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLACycling>Bike+Maintenance>Bike+ToolsCycling>Bike+Maintenance>Bike+Tools278494&_$ja=tsid:|cid:17632965067|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:14298782317714092905|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9046301&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu4KbtuLQgQMV_wkGAB1GKQfIEAQYByABEgLHL_D_BwE.
Get one of these instead?

Thanks for the thought; although I'm a tart and have been impressed with the Park item so would rather get another of the same.. plus it would mean some parts interchangeability with wear-parts like the pokey-pin..


Sooooo.... much research later and I found them for £14.99 at a couple of places - bikeparts.co.uk and SDJ Sports. This was courtesy of Google shopping results, however finding the cheapest wasn't immediately straightforward with initial suggestions being £20+. Eventually I got there by looking at all options and sorting by price..

Neither price included delivery, but bikeparts did free postage on orders over £20 (didn't check SDJ). I spent a bit of time looking for something small that I actually wanted to make up the shortfall (half of which would have been swallowed by postage anyway).

Didn't have much luck until I stumbled across a Park PCS-10.3 workstand for £199. Some might recall my thread a while ago about these; having found one of these - RRP £370 - items for £190. I deliberated, the offer ended and I regretted not moving sooner.

A nice cherry on the cake was that the site offers a 5% discount code if you linger for a bit, so I got the whole lot for a shade over £200 - the stand actually being a quid cheaper than the one I'd found last time.

Happy to have dealt with this retailer as they trade as woolyhatshop on ebay with whom I've always had positive experiences on well-priced products.

While not quite what I had in mind to get the free delivery, I've needed / been keeping an eye on these stands for ages, so it's great to finally get one sorted.. while I'm looking forward to having prospective chain failure covered on the Brompton

 

[presta]

My chain tool's not particularly compact, but I made it more packable by cutting the handle off then refitting it with a screw thread. The handle also doubles as a reel for a bit of Sellotape and insulation tape. I also took the tommy bar out, and use one of the Allen keys instead.

This one:

 

[wafter]

My chain tool's not particularly compact, but I made it more packable by cutting the handle off then refitting it with a screw thread. The handle also doubles as a reel for a bit of Sellotape and insulation tape. I also took the tommy bar out, and use one of the Allen keys instead.

This one:
View attachment 708179

Cheers - very innovative; although the Allen key tommy bar makes me wince slightly!

 

[Cycleops]

Let's face it you're always going to pay a premium for Park stuff.
Plus they've got to pay for their admittedly very good videos and Calvin's new found elevated status.
I'm sure many like his rather dour delivery

 

[wafter]

Let's face it you're always going to pay a premium for Park stuff.
Plus they've got to pay for their admittedly very good videos and Calvin's new found elevated status.
I'm sure many like his rather dour delivery

Indeed; I've always been on the fence about them as their products are usually good quality, but IMO often poor value - arguably much like the Snap On of the bike world.

I think the workstand is a great case in point - it seems like decent quality, well-thought-out with good after-sales and spares availability and for what I paid IMO represents - at best - reasonable value for money. Conversely at the RRP of £370 (which many retailers attempt to sell them for, or at least within a few percent of) it's an absolute p*ss-take.

Has Calvin had an additional bump in status since the last videos I watched? Does he now broadcast from a chaise-lounge, surrounded by a nubile hareem providing him grapes and wine while he diligently guides us through the finer points of gearing adjustment or different chain standards..?

 

[Cycleops]

Park are very lucky as they are now recognised as a company selling a top quality product so trade on that asking for top money for their products. Good luck to them if they can achieve those prices. What's the old saying? ' Nobody ever regretted buying quality, ask a Rolls Royce owner'.
Oh no, I can't imagine Calvin going in for nubile cycling virgins.

 

[Big John]

The bike charity where I work is a good test for any bike tool. If our tactless gorillas can't break it then the tool has to be good. However, most of us CC'ers aren't ham fisted and won't use a tool all day, every day, so your bog standard Halfords jobby will serve us well. Saying that, I have a park tool cable cutter, used regularly and has even been used for cutting blank spokes to length and it's as good now as when I bought it donkeys years ago. The ones I have I think can be bought for about £32 now and I paid about £20 I think maybe 12 years ago.