At a glance Well-made torque wrench that offers a bike-friendly 3-15 Newton-Metres and an easy-to-read scale. The break-over action is a bit on the subtle side, but once you’ve adjusted to this, it’s great to use.
Tested by
Jon Adams, tester for The Bike List
Performance
A torque wrench is fast becoming a necessity for cyclists who like to maintain their own bikes. It's increasingly more common to find the recommended Newton-metres (Nm) rating stamped onto alloy and carbon components, and it makes a lot of sense to ensure items like stems and cranks are tightened to the optimum setting. Do them up too slack and the bolts could work loose or cause premature wear of the unit; do them up too tight and you could destroy an expensive piece of kit by stripping the thread.
A torque wrench removes the guesswork when servicing or replacing your bike's bits and bobs, and if you are immediately surprised and how little you have to tighten a bolt to achieved the correct torque, then you've probably already saved yourself some money by investing in a wrench.
The Pro Bike Gear Torque Wrench works by 'breaking over' when you reach the desired torque. The head snaps over from the shaft by a few degrees when you hit the mark. The amount you want is pre-set by pulling out the dial at the bottom of the unit and turning it to the required amount, which is indicated on the scale above. Then simply slip the required hex or torx bit onto the 1/4in ratchet drive, and tighten away. It's possible to overdo it, as the head movement won't stop you tightening, so slow, steady pressure is the best option.
Just under the head, there's a Reverse lever to undo bolts using the wrench, and it's supplied in a slimline case along with a selection of the most useful hex-bits for bikes, all fashioned out of hard-wearing chrome vanadium. You have 3, 4, 5 and 6 hex keys, and also Torx T25 and T30 for disc brakes and some high-end groupsets.
The wrench offers Newton-metre settings from 3 to 15 Nm, and this pretty much covers everything that's going to be critical on a bike. In use, the required torque is easy to set, though big changes from the low to high torques aren't particularly quick, as you have to pull out and turn the adjuster under spring tension. Let it go and it's pulled back in to lock the set torque in place.
Other than the rather slow changes, it's a well-made unit with a nicely finished set of hex bits. The price may appear steep, but unfortunately, this is par for the course for torque wrenches with low, bike-friendly Nm values. Dealer discounting helps out a bit though, and we've seen the Pro Torque wrench for around £80, which makes for a more reasonable proposition. The compact design of the case makes it a good option for weekends away as well as a stalwart of the workshop, and there's much to recommend this nicely thought-through tool. The breaking mechanism isn't as obvious as the unmissable, 20-degree snap-over found on the Sport Torq tool but you soon get used to the more subtle action.
Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com
Pro Bike Gear says:
- ProHigh quality precision tool; A must for the serious dealer/cyclist!
- Adjustability from 3 to 15 Nm; for all stems/handlebars/seatposts, etc.
- Includes M3, M4, M5, M6, T25 & T30 Chrome Vanadium sockets and extension bar.
- Small and easy to use, includes storage-box.
For service instructions click here
Find out more www.pro-bikegear.com
