Lightweight cassette lock ring tool

[chris-s]

I wanted something small and lightweight to take on tour and I kept coming up with references to 'hypercracker' and 'the next best thing', both of which seem tricky to get hold off.

Then I came across another idea, not one I had seen mentioned here so thought I'd post it up.

Taking a regular lock ring removal tool, use a hacksaw to cut it down leaving a lug to engage in the drop out, like so...

I loosened the lock ring first and did it up hand tight so it won't take too much leverage to loosen if the need arises out on the road.

Chris

 

[HLaB]

I admire your dedication but has anyone actually needed a lock ring tool on tour ?

 

[HLaB]

Broken rear spoke on drivetrain side you will need one.

Cheers

 

[Soltydog]

Next best thing is available from Spa. I bought one a while ago after twice having drive side spokes break whilst out, but not had to use it yet.
A friend has a hyper cracker which is a great little tool & even though he does very little cycling nowadays he wouldn't part with it

 

[Red Light]

Broken rear spoke on drivetrain side you will need one.

Kevlar spokes are a much lighter solution if you want to repair on the road. But to be honest, a bike with a broken spoke will be fine till the next bike shop where you can get it changed so no need really to do repairs on the road.

 

[mcshroom]

Kevlar spokes are a much lighter solution if you want to repair on the road. But to be honest, a bike with a broken spoke will be fine till the next bike shop where you can get it changed so no need really to do repairs on the road.

That depends where you are touring. Most of the UK would be fine but you are a long way from a bike shop in many parts of the highlands.

 

[Herzog]

I admire your dedication but has anyone actually needed a lock ring tool on tour ?

Rear drive side broken spoke (as they usually always are when touring) in a Belgian forest (miles from anywhere), it would have been a long, long walk if I didn't have a lockring tool.

 

[Red Light]

Rear drive side broken spoke (as they usually always are when touring) in a Belgian forest (miles from anywhere), it would have been a long, long walk if I didn't have a lockring tool.

Why? A wheel with a broken drive side spoke is easily made rideable with a few tweaks of a spoke key or at worst, opening up the rear brakes to give the rim room to wobble. No need to walk at all and it will get you at least 100 miles to where you can get it repaired without trouble.

 

[mickle]

Why? A wheel with a broken drive side spoke is easily made rideable with a few tweaks of a spoke key or at worst, opening up the rear brakes to give the rim room to wobble. No need to walk at all and it will get you at least 100 miles to where you can get it repaired without trouble.

100 miles without a rear brake? No thanks.

 

[Red Light]

100 miles without a rear brake? No thanks.

Why not? The rear brake is largely redundant for stopping as at maximum braking there is no weight on the rear wheel and therefore no braking from it.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Why not? The rear brake is largely redundant for stopping as at maximum braking there is no weight on the rear wheel and therefore no braking from it.

Have you done an emergency stop with just a front brake? You see the world from a whole new perspective!

 

[Herzog]

Why? A wheel with a broken drive side spoke is easily made rideable with a few tweaks of a spoke key or at worst, opening up the rear brakes to give the rim room to wobble. No need to walk at all and it will get you at least 100 miles to where you can get it repaired without trouble.

True on a bike which isn't carrying all of your luggage for a two month tour. To ride on it with that weight, using fewer spokes, now of uneven tension (after re-truing as you suggest) would have further damaged the wheel. As I had a cassette tool, I changed the spoke and retrued the wheel in 30 mins (inc. swearing rant).

 

[HLaB]

Rear drive side broken spoke (as they usually always are when touring) in a Belgian forest (miles from anywhere), it would have been a long, long walk if I didn't have a lockring tool.

You can probably tell I've never toured before, when TheMadCyclist pointed it out yesterday it became pretty obvious

 

[Red Light]

True on a bike which isn't carrying all of your luggage for a two month tour. To ride on it with that weight, using fewer spokes, now of uneven tension (after re-truing as you suggest) would have further damaged the wheel. As I had a cassette tool, I changed the spoke and retrued the wheel in 30 mins (inc. swearing rant).

Added weight decreases the loading on the spokes so only makes things better, not worse. But how is the wheel damaged by running with uneven tension and some spokes missing? I am not aware of anything in those circumstances that is not fully reversible when the broken spoke is finally replaced.

You may have changed the spoke but I sincerely doubt it was necessary that you did it there and then.

 

[Red Light]

Have you done an emergency stop with just a front brake? You see the world from a whole new perspective!

Yes, and more than that and something I would thoroughly recommend, I went out in an empty car park and practised until I got it right. I've since done two emergency stops on the Brommie where I stopped with the rear wheel folded under (that was before I installed the rear triangle catch) so the practice more than paid off as I was clearly able to brake as hard as possible without braking too hard and up-ending the bike.

But there is no difference between an emergency stop with just the front brake or with both brakes, because if you are truly braking as hard as you can, the back brake is doing nothing as there is no weight on the rear tyre. The only situation where that is not true is in very slippery conditions where the limit of adhesion of the front tyre is reached before there is significant weight transfer from the back wheel.