Tag Archive for "Abbey Bike Tools"

New Abbey Shop Tools For Your Shop, or Home.

Posted on Friday, May 1st, 2020 at 11:58 am.

Abbey Bike Tools started when founder Jason Quade made a lightweight, one-piece cassette locking tool for a race mechanic friend in 2010. Ten years later, the Bend, Oregon firm has expanded quite a bit since the introduction of what is now better known as the Crombie tool. This tool has been copied and produced by others since then.

While there was a focus on making tools for traveling mechanics, Abbey has been adding more shop tools such as the Harbor dishing gauge that’s machined from a giant aluminum billet. Two additional shop-focused tools are now being added: The $120 Shop Pedal Wrench and the $100 Shop Hammer.

At 18 inches long, the Shop Pedal Wrench is six inches longer than the Team Issue and seven inches longer than their original BBQ pedal wrench for better leverage against stubborn pedals. It is made with chromoly steel (versus stainless) coated in black Cerakote, and there is a cutout on the wrench side that can be used to hang the tool on the tool board. We’re certain the cutout also saves a few grams too, though probably not as much as the more dramatically lightened Team Issue. The swivel six and eight mm hex bit, 15mm wrench flat and white oak handle remain the same, however.

The new stainless Shop Hammer retains the same 12 inch overall length of the titanium-bodied Team Issue brethren. It even shares the same custom ESI grip on its handle, but the shop hammer is about 300 grams heavier, with most of its mass concentrated on its strike head which is about a half inch larger than the one inch head found on the Team Issue. The shop hammer comes standard with a green soft face, but a brass tip is also available.

Both the Shop Pedal Wrenches and the Shop Hammer are scheduled to be available on May 15th.

www.abbeybiketools.com

Abbey Bike Tools Updates The Wash Buddy

Posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2018 at 11:22 pm.

Written by Stephen Lam

We loved Abbey Bike Tools’ Team Issued Wash Buddy in our review last year: It’s compatible with both regular and thru axles, it rolled on a really nice custom skewer from Paul Component, and the thick DuPont Delrin pulley has since proved its worth wash after wash. Yet at $75 a pop, the limited-edition Wash Buddy definitely gave some pauses.

For those that have been holding out, Abbey Bike Tools has just introduced the standard Wash Buddy. While the core design remains the same, the new version features a house-made skewer and is now $55 ($20 cheaper than the previous iteration). The new Wash Buddy is available online now.

A Hammer For Deep-Pocketed, Heavy-Hitting Weight Weenies

Posted on Monday, November 6th, 2017 at 9:00 am.

Written by Jim Merithew

Abbey Bike Tools Team Issue Titanium Hammer — Photo: Jim Merithew/ element.ly

Who in their right mind would lust after a $200 titanium bike hammer? Me. That’s who.

For certain repair or build tasks, especially on a pricey carbon whip, there’s nothing better. Titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal and yet can be up to 45 percent lighter. Thus you can have this featherweight, 235 gram, Abbey Tools hammer in your toolbox for those tasks where you need to deliver a blow, without having to carry the heft of a regular hammer. The lower weight also allows faster speeds with less effort when, say, trying to remove some pesky press fit bearings.

The backstory is a good one. Orica GreenEDGE professional mechanic Craig Geeter first dreamed up the hammer while wrenching on pro bikes and then reached out to Jason Quade, owner of Abbey Tools. Quade luckily had some extra titanium laying around from his days building heat exchanges for the nuclear industry and built a quick prototype.

“At first I thought it was the dumbest thing anybody had ever requested,” Quade said. “But then, once I started to use it, I realized Craig’s idea wasn’t dumb at all and was actually pretty awesome for the light tapping you do on modern bicycles.”

Quade ended up making an initial batch of 50, with each one numbered and then engraved with the owner’s name. That batch sold so quickly that the hammer has since become a regular item in Abbey Tools’ catalog.

Most people still buy them for their bikes, but the hammers have also found a following with gun owners who like them for adjusting sites and tapping pins out. Because they’re non-magnetic, the hammers sometimes get used in data centers were magnetic signatures can be a problem.

If you asked me whether I absolutely need my $200 hammer the answer would be a stiff no. But if you asked me if I regularly enjoy the fine craftsmanship and precise mechanics, my answer would be a pounding, er…, resounding yes.

Cleaning the Steed gets friendlier with the Wash Buddy

Posted on Thursday, April 27th, 2017 at 9:00 am.

Written by Stephen Lam

I love washing bikes.

For me, there’s something to be said about getting your hands dirty only to get the bike looking new, all lubed up and ready to rock.

I would never win a timed bike washing contest but I really don’t mind taking my time scrubbing and tweaking, granted made more enjoyable with some wine and music thrown in. Maybe it’s my personal woosah from the never-ending daddy/husband duty, including the realization I washed my bikes far more often than I washed my car last year.

We can talk about this love for bike washing all day, but you’re not here for that. And honestly, I am not going to write it either since what I’m supposed to tell you about is this Team Issue Washer Buddy from Abbey Bike Tools.

Amongst the unsung heroes in my cleaning kit has been the Morgan Blue Chain Keeper that I reviewed a few years ago. In fact, I loved it so much I bought a second one for traveling and washing multiple bikes. It is a bargain for $7. But as much as it was stupidly affordable and extremely durable, it had its limits, namely the inabilty to shift the rear derailleur, and lately, its incompatibility with thru axles.

There are products from other brands made specifically for thru axles, but I wanted a chain keeper that could do it all.

It seems I’ve finally found the perfect buddy.

Designed by Jason Quade who bought us the ingenious Crombie tool, the Team Issue Wash Buddy is hands down one of the most well-made chain keeper I’ve ever had my hands on. So good it should be on everyone’s holiday stuffers list this year.

At its core is a pulley made with DuPont Delrin for low friction and chemical resistance to solvents. Coupled with the stainless steel spindle where the pulley spins on, the Wash Buddy is made to last. And instead of a set stationary location where the pulley stays during use, the Pulley on the Wash Buddy is designed to glide along the spindle to allow shifting of the rear derailleur.

Plenty of room for the delrin pulley to move as you shift. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

On my 11-speed bike, I was able to shift to all but the 2 smallest cogs without the chain popping out of the pulley’s deep channels. It’s a small but welcoming design detail I found to be super helpful whenever I need to rid the gunk trapped between the derailleur body.

To top it off, Abbey uses a gorgeous custom skewer from Chico’s Paul Component for its quick release. It’s the same proven design off Paul’s wheel/seatpost skewer, and the lever action has stayed buttery smooth even after repetitive pressure washer treatment.

Smooth curves and small details. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

So what about bikes with thru-axles? Well, the easiest way, as Quade personally showed yours truly at Sea Otter, is to insert only the pulley onto your bike’s axle. While it is entirely possible to use the entire Wash Buddy with the included Paul Skewer by unscrewing and reconnecting the quick release as I did on my very first try, I wouldn’t recommend doing just that though since the whole installation felt rather awkward.

The Team Issue Wash Buddy retails for $75 with the Paul skewer. But Abbey will also sell you just the pulley for $15 should you wash your bike so much you manage to FUBAR yours, or are already all-in with 142×12 thru-axles.