off-road.cc

The Pro Starter toolkit is aimed as the first tool kit for the home mechanic, comprising a range of key tools for bike repairs and maintenance. While it represents a good quality set of tools in a compact carry case it does lack a couple of essential items. Read on for the verdict.

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Pro Starter Toolkit - Technical Details

The Pro Starter Toolkit has 13 different functions which’ll cover a wide range of bike fixes. Removing a cassette is taken care of with the chain whip tool and cassette lock-ring tool. New brake and gear cable outers can be cut using the cable cutters. Chains are covered with the chain breaker and quick (master) link pliers. A range of hex keys (2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6mm) will sort most jobs from derailleur limit screws up to stems and axles. A 15mm pedal wrench will remove pedals, however, plenty of pedals use an 8mm hex key – something this tool set lacks.

The kit is nicely packaged in an organised manner and is small enough to leave in the car tucked away for riding emergencies. 

Pro_Toolkit_6, by Ty Rutherford

Ergonomics have been considered with all the tools having rubberised handles which aid comfort during use.

Pro Starter Toolkit - Performance 

For a starter kit, the quality of the tools is high. The rubber touch points make the tools nice to use, particularly the cassette tool, which is used in high-torque applications. The pedal spanner receives the same rubber handle for comfort although I don’t own any pedals that use a spanner, it's all 6mm or 8mm hex keys.

Pro_Toolkit_5, by Ty Rutherford

The chain whip comfortably fits onto 12-speed cassettes (and therefore other speed gearing won’t be a problem) with enough chain to get a good wrap around a mid-block gear. The cassette tool is reassuringly sturdy and comes with a self-centring spindle to stop slippages – a handy touch.

Pro_Toolkit_4, by Ty Rutherford

The chain breaker is a solid piece of kit with plenty of leverage to split a chain. The same can be said for the quick (master) link pliers which are compact but with plenty of leverage to split a tough link. 

The 3 way hex keys are easy to use with the 4, 5 and 6mm being on one tool which is handy for most jobs. There are occasions where the Y-shaped hex tools become a problem, for example, a difficult-to-reach shock bolt where access is limited. Although these Y-tools are good for most jobs I’d recommend having a set of regular hex keys for the tricky-to-reach bolts.

Pro_Toolkit_3, by Ty Rutherford

The cable cutters are sturdy enough to cut through outer gear or brake cables - a key tool which should be in any home mechanic’s box. A trio of tyre levers round off the kit, these are plastic and are well-shaped to help hook under a tyre bead. 

A couple of omissions include an 8mm hex key, a T25 Torx key and a cross-head screwdriver. This means crank bolts, a wide range of pedals, most SRAM controls (brake levers and shifters), rotor bolts and some gearing index screws won’t be covered by this kit. Luckily these tools aren’t expensive and could be bought separately to be kept in the carry case. 

Pro Starter Toolkit - Verdict 

With a retail price of £140, this isn’t a cheap toolkit, but I feel it represents good value based on the quality of the tools. These are the kind of tools that the average home mechanic working on their own bikes won’t need to replace, they’ll last for years and reliably cover the basics of bike fixing.

Other options that could be considered are the LifeLine Bike Tool Kit (37 Piece) which is worth a look with an RRP of £70. It has a good range of tools including an 8mm and T25 but does miss out on the master link pliers although I can’t comment on the quality/durability of the tools. For a top-quality and very comprehensive tool kit, the Topeak Prepbox could be an option but at £400 it certainly represents a significant investment. 

The Pro Starter Toolkit is a reasonably comprehensive, compact and good-quality tool kit to cover most jobs on a bike. It has nice touch points on all the tools and there are no concerns on quality or durability. There are some omissions to the kit which I’d recommend buying separately such as an 8mm hex key and a T25 Torx but that aside it's an ideal tool kit to have stashed in the car for most eventualities. 

• pro-bikegear.com
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