Hi,

I'm working for a large tool company in Europe. We have recently decided to go into bike tools, and being a weight-weenie (albeit a bit retired now), I'm asking you: what tools do you use most often, and what kind of tools would you like to see on the market? Where do you see too little competition, resulting in poor availability and excessive prices - or poor quality?

We are much bigger, than (for example) Park Tool or Pedros, and our sourcing capabilities are much higher - what that means for you, is that we can supply better tools for lower price, than Park Tool - or similar quality for much lower price. Which option would you chooose?

Cheers,
Adam

I'll pick A. better quality lower price.

Take a look at some of the tools that are costly yet are only used a few times such as

Headset removal,
Headset install,
Thread chasing tools,
Thread cutting tools,
Wheel Bearing removal
Wheel Bearing install

Then tools that are used often:

Chain tool
13,14,15,17 mm wrenches
Bottom bracket tool
Crank tool
Cassette tool

Make those affordable but still make then reliable and you will have customers.

Of course you would need to keep up with all the manufactures of components to revamp the tools set each year as new
versions of the same components come out.

Check this thread out as well

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=109056&start=15

_________________
I never took drugs to improve my performance at any time. I will be willing to stick my finger into a polygraph test if anyone with big media pull wants to take issue. If you buy a signed poster now it will not be tarnished later. --Graeme Obree

I don't have quality problems with Park tool, so can't see the need for higher quality.
Lower price, indeed, I'd interested.

A decent chain tool is something I miss the most. There're too expensive ones, and bad ones.

Please, please, please actually get your products to market.

As much as I love Park Tool for their supply of tools for the bicycle industry, they've got the market in a choke-hold with their dominance and charge exorbitant prices for unjustifiable reasons.

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Exp001

You have to be lighter than 80g for a 10 tool multi tools and under $100 use. I think lezyne is the lightest one!!

> A very stiff and precise truing stand, stiff and precise enough that wheel dish can be accurately set from the truing stand alone.

> A BB30 bearing installation/removal tool similar to the Enduro (Sonny's) except with a method of pulling the BB30 bearing without damaging it. i.e by putting pressure only on the outer races.

split copper pipe? for the BB30 removal
threaded rod, bolts and washers for the install

_________________
I never took drugs to improve my performance at any time. I will be willing to stick my finger into a polygraph test if anyone with big media pull wants to take issue. If you buy a signed poster now it will not be tarnished later. --Graeme Obree

I'd love to have a BB wrench with plastic covered teeth, so the bearing cups aren't scratched. Probably exists though, I didn't search.

_________________
Bikes: Raceur, Beateur

Try one turn of electrical tape to reduce scratches.

But you had to ask

http://www.enduroforkseals.com/id122.html

_________________
I never took drugs to improve my performance at any time. I will be willing to stick my finger into a polygraph test if anyone with big media pull wants to take issue. If you buy a signed poster now it will not be tarnished later. --Graeme Obree

Adam ... please may I have your job?

If that is not possible, I would like a Far East-sourced range of what I like to call 'chiavi generali', or general tools. They need to be high quality because there's lots of cheap stuff available, and in this respect Beta Tools Italy have got it right. Things like:-

big Bowden cutter for cables
P handle hex and star/Torx wrenches
range of combination wrenches
couple of small screwdrivers - slot and crosshead
hacksaw
bench vice
combination/Linesmans and long nose pliers
half round file
soft/hard faced hammer
adjustable wrench
aprrox 1-20Nm 1/4" drive digital torque wrench (like the Topeak D-Torq)
approx 4-80Nm 3/8" drive digital torque wrench (like the Topeak DX torque wrench)
set of long and short hex socket bits - small ones 1/4 drive, large ones 3/8
set of long and short star/Torx socket bits - small ones 1/4 drive, large ones 3/8
Bott Perfo toolboard and hanging kit for all above items

That's the general tools, but I have got better things to do with my life than tell you what cycle-specific tools you should be marketing. That's the type of thing that I would like paying for.

I already have most often needed tools in my garage, but still need these:

- BB facing / threading tool at good price point, with BSA / ITA compatibility
- Headset facing and and reaming tool, with compatibility for different head tube standards, at a good price point

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Slammed. Campy. Tubulars.

Creating new bike tools at a low cost and in some cases better or improved on designs are one thing. The tougher part of the puzzle is the route to market. Getting your distrubution system set up is a tough part along with marketing to drive your business is also a costly part of doing business. I am sure that Park Tools COGS are quite low, however the additional cost of doing business drives up the cost to the point you see on the shelf.

There is always a good idea on how to improve things, but there are more parts to the puzzle that need to be looked at.

And yes I know how it all works

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Let's finish the ride with a 20% grade.
2011 Scott Addict R1 Matt black
2012 Cannondale EVO "Storm Trooper" white and black

A tool to remove bb30 bearings from press fit cups.

A tool(s) to clean the chain and cassette which does not splatter oily cleaning solution over everything within a 2ft radius.

oreoboreo, the good thing is that we've already got a great machine doing that in the company - we are much bigger, than any of the existing bike tool companies, so that is not a problem for us, and all costs are well known and accounted for in my plan.

Valbrona, I think I'll make you happy - we've already got all those tools, but they were not sold through bike-specific channels yet, nor marketed as "bike-tools". So those tools (including many more) will be introduced first. Just a small hint: ATM I already have a list of 150 tools we already have, but as said: they must be "repurposed" by getting them to bike-specific market and advertising. And now the bad part: sorry, I'm keeping my job to myself. But after it gets rolling, I might be needing a successor to move on

Keep it coming guys, I might not be replying to all of you, but I surely read it all carefully and take your opinions into account.

Cheers,
Adam