Compendium of Naff Bicycle Tools

[thirdcrank]

Slowster got in before me. I think the MAFAC tool kit was my introduction to useless cycle tool kits as a youngster. I drooled over one in the window of Horton and Hollender's in Wetherby before I decided I could thoyle the 7/6d. Probably as good an example of cognitive dissonance as you might find although a cog remover wasn't included. The only item included of any use was the little box spanner needed to fit MAFAC brake levers.

[Brucey]

The Mafac Tool Kit.

a major incentive to making sure your bike was in first-class shape before you left home.

"Les clés du fromage sont magnifique!"

no they're not

cheers

[Audax67]

BBB torque wrench. The gradations are set so far below the cursor* that there's an error of something like ±1 Nm depending on how you look at it. Also, they don't supply compatible sockets.

* which isn't a cursor because it's static but what the hell.

[hoogerbooger]

Sorry, but I can't let the Mafac tool kit get slagged off on this forum, without saying it was only mostly rubbish. I still use the ring-spanners quite happily....... and I don't recall much alternative for touring cyclists back in those days.

I somehow got by on tours with the funny jaggy cone spanner ! ...repurposed it as a SA cone spanner with the help of a file recently)

(One more dumbbell spanner injury & it looks like a class action in the offing - mine has been fine and occasionally has trip out on the Brompton)

[Brucey]

This brings us back to the whole purpose of carry-along toolkits; they are not meant to be workshop quality tools, for freeing off stuff that has lain undisturbed for years. Arguably their main purpose is to tighten loose stuff, and in that respect a MAFAC toolkit is arguably (just about) fit for purpose.

FWIW if a MAFAC cone spanner will shift a cone, that cone was almost certainly so loose it would have been in danger of moving around under its own steam. If you are lucky, the additional load from the QR /track nuts will hold a LH cone once the wheel is in, but if a RH cone is that loose, you are basically playing with fire.

cheers

[tatanab]

This brings us back to the whole purpose of carry-along toolkits; they are not meant to be workshop quality tools, for freeing off stuff that has lain undisturbed for years. Arguably their main purpose is to tighten loose stuff, and in that respect a MAFAC toolkit is arguably (just about) fit for purpose.

Exactly. Just like modern day multitools, except the mulitool gets away with it because modern kit uses allen keys versus the hex nuts and spanners of old. I will not use a multitool. I've tried several but all are too awkward for real repairs, so I carry individual tools which oddly enough take up little more space than a frustrating multitool.

[hoogerbooger]

Most multi tools I've looked at are not ideal in some respects or others RE functionality. I've used a Park MTB 3 for many years and changed the odd bolt or two on my main tourer to minimise other tools needed. It's done me well...but the chain pin tool isn't great. HOWEVER, its main advantage over a set of loose tools is, I found, that I've never left it on the ground and cycled off by mistake......I simply couldn't afford to. less bits to pick up & rigourous post repair routine of checking the ground.......as there's no bloody way I'm going to cycle back over a pass to look.

( with the Mafac I think I was just lucky and never had to cycle back that far to refind that useful cone spanner...or whatever one had snuk away)

[Jupestar]

This thing could not make 4 notches in butter.

**Edit

I remember buying this as i couldn't find my park tool one at the time. Just checked the dates on my Amazon purchase history.

18th October 2018 buys said item.
21st October 2018 buys Park tool version.