First-look review: PRO Toolbox

One thing that most cyclists will benefit from at one point or another is a decent set of tools. They let you perform maintenance at home (often at the last minute!) and save you money in the long run by not needing to take your bike to your LBS for every little thing. Having decent tools also helps you learn more about the way your bike works.

The difference between a good tool kit and an average one is what tools you get and the quality of the tools inside; which can be the difference between causing damage to your components and having a stress-free maintenance experience.

The first thing that struck me was the sturdy case the kit came in. Not only does this act as an excellent storage solution for your tools but it also protects them from any damage. The case isn’t particularly heavy and does have a nice handle making transport super easy.

Upon opening the easy-to-use but still-secure latches I was greeted by quite a broad selection of tools themed in PRO’s standard blue and black colour scheme and their familiar logo.

The kit covers most things that a cyclist would need: a full allen key set and, surprisingly, a full torx key set which is becoming a more widely used standard of bolt. I was very happy to see this included. The basics were covered with a pedal spanner, a set of tyre levers, cable cutters and both a flathead and Phillips-head screwdriver.

The kit also includes tools for those inclined to get a bit more involved. A set of cone spanners, a chain whip, 11-speed-compatible chain tool, chainring bolt tool and socket spanner (with bottom bracket, freewheel and cassette sockets included) were also provided. There was also a handful of spoke keys included as well.

The tools lived up to their visual expectations and performed quite well. The tools felt comfortable and safe in hand thanks to the grip surface on most of them. The socket attachments fitted securely onto the socket spanner and didn’t fall off in use which can sometimes happen with cheaper socket tools.

The chain tool broke chains of multiple speeds with no issues. The cable cutter cut inners and outers cleanly. The allen/torx keys and screwdrivers performed as you’d expect most simple tools to perform; not once did they chew out any bolt heads.

The spoke tools were probably the least impressive item in the kit. Initially they worked well, with a familiar shape and feel to the Park Tool spoke keys, but the sizes offered were a bit too large and started slipping on nipples at higher tensions. Some tools also had a tendency to fall out of their slots in the case when closed but this was infrequent enough to not be that annoying.

All in all this is quite a good tool kit. It covers most scenarios that the majority of cyclists would encounter and the specific gaps it leaves can easily be filled by taking a visit to your LBS. Most of the tools performed very well with only a few lacking in minor areas. The case is a great storage and transport solution. This tool kit would be great as a selection of tools to keep at home and even take with you when you take a cycling holiday or drive to a race, just in case any last-minute adjustments are required.

Click here to read more at the PRO Bike Gear website.

Chrie

I’ve always been a bit cynical of full tool kits. Certainly my home mechanic venture began with buying a few tools and slowy adding more as my needs and confidence grew. After a reasonably short period of time I owned half the contents of most tool kits so purchasing a kit seemed to be a bit of a waste of time. Getting someone to buy a box of tools that they may never need of already have some/most of seems a hard bit of marketing
- Sam
  
  I’ll give the opposite perspective: I bought a kit from Park Tool about 7 years ago, because I knew that I wanted to do as much of my own wrenching as possible but wasn’t sure what tools I’d end up needing. It was a big investment up front, but I’ve used every item in there by now. Cheaper than buying individual tools? I actually don’t know. Empowering, because it helped me feel like I could tackle any mechanical without the help of a shop? Definitely. Kits like this one might not be useful for long-time cyclists, but for beginners or aspiring home mechanics I think they’re great.
Melbrider

What’s the cost of this tool kit? Where can I find one?
Melbrider

What’s the cost of this tool kit? Where can I find one?
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Hi Melbrider, you can find the dealer list here (Australia): http://www.shimano.com.au/publish/content/global_cycle/en/au/index/dealer_locator/0.html
  
  The suggested retail price is $299 AUD.
james

Cycling tips!? Shame on you! Give us a picture of the bottom half of the box, instead of repeating a pic of the top half. Also BIG item missing, is a chain opening plier..
echidna_sg

how was the long handled 8mm look pedal allan key?
or the campagnolo compatible cassette lock ring tool?
or the torque wrench for tightening everything carbon?

Pretty important tools if you aren’t riding shimano or SRAM, or don’t want to crush your carbon seatpost or bars… aka, its not a “full” tool kit, but enough to get beginners into trouble ;-)
Winky

Not really impressed, specially for the price. But then again, I already have all these things, and quite a few more specialist tools for carbon and Campag.