So nice of you guys to fix Francis's tire 3 times while he's out!

Now that you've got hundreds of tire plugs, it's time to answer the question: how many tires plugs can you put on one tire 😂

For the wheel truing device. Nick should have shown the zip tie trick. Works fine for a quick wheel fix and the price is right.

That was a surprisingly down-to-earth take. Found myself largely in agreement.

It's actually refreshing to see a channel like this not 100% bashing perfectly working tools in favour of some incredibly expensive pliers from some name brand. Nice down to earth video, subscribed.

that Risk brand sells a lot of bike stuff, like coloured titanium bolts and stuff

You are 100% right about the crank pulling tool. I spent 3 hours cutting off the cranks after the threads in the crank stripped and I had to hacksaw it off! Love the content!

Seriously those split link pliers look great for keeping in a saddle bag in case of an emergency.

I've got some "Risk" Titanium/Carbon QR skewers on my rim brake bike, the eBay seller was smart enough not display the brand name in the listing🤣. They have been going strong for about 4 years now.

05:17 I have been using that multi-tool for my bike in humid Thailand since 2017. No rust, works great, and still use it today. What I love about it is that it has all the tools you'd ever need. In contrast, the over priced Park Tool multi-tools come VERY limited. They might have 3-5 hex on them, but that's it. This cheap Chinese one has withstood the test of time for me and it has everything you'd ever need. Good video though!

You will laugh, but I used the "truing stand" and I it worked well. My wheel was around 3mm or so untrue and I got it down to the 0.5 mm range. I followed the excellent park tool guide and found the process to be a bit time consuming, but overall not difficult. It's a cheap plastic tool, and if you plan on truing wheels often, it is useless. But if you just want to get your wheel trued that isn't totally out of shape, it's worth a shot.

I had the pleasure of meeting Nick on a gravel ride earlier this year , I would not hesitate to use his shop for my next stead : genuinely nice chap . Thanks

I bought those same black plugs, and you can actually pull them apart into 6 strands each that are the same size as the brown ones that came with the plug tool

This is why there are dedicated channels on KZfaq that just review Chinese parts. Many of us rely on those sites to let us know what deals are great, and which are not. This goes for frames, wheels, group sets, tools, and everything else. It's abundantly clear that anything bike related is completely overpriced, because on a whole, cyclists are like golfers. Elitist athletes who will spend their children's inheritence if they think they can buy some gadget that will make them even slightly better. I made my own chain whip out of a flat piece of metal and some old chain. I made my own bearing press. And I would definitely buy the chinese version of most of those tools before I gave Park Tools one dime of my money. I'm not a pro mechanic, so I won't be overcharging anyone to work on their bike. It's just me, my garage, a bike stand, and the tools I have. For over a decade now, that's worked a charm and I have to say it makes me even more proud knowing that the machine underneath me is something I maintain myself.

Love Risk items! I have those pliers, internal cable routing tool, pedal spacers, headset cap bolts, …. Fairly high quality and wicked cheap!

Regards the split link pliers, I had some flat metal strips lying around, so, following one of my ride buddies saying that he couldn't split the chain whilst out on a ride, I decided to make a scaled down version of the Park Tools pliers that I have on my workshop board. They work a treat, and I've now made four or five similar pliers for some of my cycling friends, all freebies of course. And on the plus side, it gets rid of the lengths of flat bar that i have lying around, and not wanting to throw away just in case I could find a use for it.Old spokes make the ideal material for holding the chain together to prevent it being under tension.

do more with this guy, love him

I've ordered a lot of products from the brand Risk, and mo problem so far, including ultra light quick release skewers. The internal cable routing is a Godsend and 10 times less the cost of park tool. But yeah the name makes it very funny considering the cost

yes good tools are pricey but that said my topeak alien 2 tool is still goes on every ride for the last 15 years maybe 20 cant remember when i got it

The tire seating tool. I had a cheap one and it broke, cheaper plastic. The more expensive one I have works great.

I made the mistake of buying a cheap chain breaker and crank puller. The chain breaker lasted 3 uses and was horrible to use. Then the it decided to strip out it's threads. The crank puller was too tight and stripped some threads in a crank then it decided to strip its own threads out with barely any tension. I learned that lesson. I do old tools in my tool box that I use as sacrificial tools. Old beaten up screwdrivers and things that are past they're actual usefulness that I don't care if I destroy.

I have that chain cleaner, serves me well for a few years now.. Definitely gets the job done.

The tyre lever...best invention in the World for putting modern tyres on 30-50 year old rims! I don't do classic bike rides without one!

For tools I use really often, are safety related and/or need tight tolerances, I prefer buying nice tools. For everything else it's ok to cheap out.

Double coffee noser when I saw you take the drill to Francis' tyre. I'm sure Nic would agree there are some tool ranges that fall between the most expensive and ultra cheap versions. Years ago I needed a toolkit in a hurry and bought one by Bike Nashbar. They worked well for the limited amount of repairs/replacements I was doing. Over time I replaced 99% of them with better quality. Also added tools as my skill set increased. IMHO the one place not to skimp is a quality set of Allen/torx wrenches. Add to that a decent quality torque wrench kit. I'm with Jimmi, wheel truing is a dark art. Two years ago a buddy was moving house and gave me a Park TS-2 pro version. I ended up giving it to a bike mechanic friend as long as he did my wheels as needed. I never got the hang of it. The best part of that mini stand was the elastic band, which might work to fasten something to handlebars. Thanks as always. 😂

Truing wheels: I’ve done this a couple of times using the trusted cable ties method. Works well, it is not easy, it needs a lot of time and patience!

The pliers for seating the tire has another use which you didn't mention. If you are using an inner tube, using a lever to install a tire is dangerous, with a high chance of pinching the tube causing a puncture. This pair of pliers makes the job easy and does not pinch the tube. When I ride tight tires, I carry this tool.

But... there were 3 punctures, but not 3 segments of Pump Action Francis! I feel so disappointed, lads. 😂

Thanks Jimmi and Nic....yeah. Dude , drilled the hole , then spun the tire ? Old adage works , Nic knows .you get what you pay for . Poor Francis's bike , holes in the rim now .

I have a few Risk tools and they work great. Their headsets are excellent for the small amount they cost.

What sealant is Francis using so we can avoid it? That was a pretty small hole not to seal instantly

I've got one of those chain tools for a saddle bag & it's fine 👍 - also I got some Vera Allen keys on the mechanics recommendation 😉

Re the extreme tire lever : I bought one because I was working on a vintage wheelset with wire-beaded tires. Before I bought them I delaminated the skin on both my thumbs trying to get the tire seated, with them it took like 2 tries to get them back on. That was 100% the worst tire combo I've ever experienced, equaled by GP5000 TLR for impossibility with just hand strength. At least with the GP5000s though it was impossible enough that I wasn't convinced for an hour that I could do it if I just pushed hard enough...

That tyre leaver tool would actually probably be good for installing tyres on mountain bikes with Cushcore because that is a fkn pain in the ass install, I actually snapped 3 tyre leavers trying to get the tyre on with Cushcore and that tyre leaver tool may have made it easier

For truing wheels on rim brake bikes you could also just put a zip tie around your brake lever and pull the brake closer as you true the wheel.

GP5000’s and hookless tires are notorious for being stupid tight!

Wheel truing is actually not very difficult once you figure it out. I just practiced on an old set of wheels. Disassemble and reassemble until I felt comfortable truing my “good” wheels. The wheel truing gauge thingy would be very nice had it not used that silicone strap.

I use the chane mashine! At least I used it 10 times. Still only one rubber is missing, but it still works. And the brush is a bad idea if your chain is covered with send salt and snow, particles of sand will make sure that your hand holding a brush is dirty beneath the elbow as well as all your clothes.

Great video, but I want one of Francis's reaction when he watches you destroy his wheel! 🤣 I've had most of these budget tools over the years and Nic's assessments have been my experience with every one of them. The issue with the multitool coming loose is also not one you can fix unfortunately. As Jimmi found, if you do it up too tight, they can't be used, not tight enough and the end nut falls off constantly rendering it useless! I've since ditched the budget multitool and now use a Topeak Hexus X. It's actually not that expensive anyway but is a cracking little tool. 👌

So happy! I have the same hook featured @1.00 I now know what it’s for 😊

Cracked me up when you drilled Francis' tyres...3 times lol

I have a 32/34mm fork seal "wacker" from Risk, works really nicely to re-seat seals when I rebuild a fork once a year or so. I also bought one of those chain cleaners (another brand, same factory), and it was awful. So, 1/2 for me :)

I had to get one of those tire pullers for my TT wheels. I wanted the fastest tires and I figured I will only be using them in races a handful of times a year so it worth the risk.

A better tip I’ve seen is flip the bike over, and use a pencil braced against a rim-brake pad, or other point on the frame, turn the wheel slowly and move The pencil closer. You’ll get marking of the closer points as well.

0:23 made me laugh out loud on the train! 😂

Chain pliers work great!

I used one of those square taper crank pullers and it worked okay for a few uses but started stripping threads after like the third set of cranks. The bb tool I've only ever had to use once. For that one time it worked fine but you'd be infinitely better off with a quality tool I also own a set of cheap allen keys like the ones featured. It's pretty hard to mess up allen keys and mine have seen heaps of use (especially the 5mm) the past year and been fine. When it comes to chain tools I'd recommend the Cyclo one at Halfords if you're on a budget. Unless you work with single speed chains a lot it'll do everything you need and is absolutely rock solid, all metal.

I got a crank arm removal tool like that. I used it on a seized crank and broke the tool. bought the park tools and never had any problems.

I got the exact chain plyers and chain breaker, I bought it 2 years ago! Great for the price for sporadic use. (the chain breaker handle already got broken ahah)

I had one of those gold 'loose' multi tools. The chain splitter pin bent on first use....🤣

Oooh I’ve made a fixed gear wheelset using that exact mini truing stand. 😁

15:17 I true my own wheels - it’s very easy, it takes less than 2min, you just have to follow the Parktool technique(compressing 2 spokes with your hand and checking if that area would give you the desired result, before increasing tension).

I have been using zip ties with a bit left sticking out to true my wheels in a pinch. Especially road bikes with rim brakes, comes in super handy and I just leave it on the frame/fork and rotate it out of the way when I'm done. Did a 8000km tour with a brand new bike, had to true the wheels after break in and then again multiple times during the trip. Can't beat the price of a few zip tie

I have that exact model chainwhip, bb tool, cassette tool combo. It's not high quality, but it works and hasn't stripped my cranks

I have the gold multi tool, its dirt. The chain breaker's pin bent when used.

Funny that, i have the risk chain splitter and first thing i did was to add aluminium arm, 100% longer and it has worked well for the last 4 years…

The allen keys are PB Swiss Tools knock-offs - the originals are color-coded the same way.

Top info video Nik & Jimmi . Some good buys for the home toolbox, some clearly not worthy of your earth credits. Its the old adage you get what you pay for? Thanks for the honest reviews chaps, Chapeau! 👏

That tyre lever ideal for anyone purchasing Schwalbe Marathon Plus, or run the risk of entering Haka territory sliding those last few inches over the rim !

I can't afford cheap tools!

i got that same plug kit that i used when my stan sealant wont seal my gp5000. i took it off and fix it with maruni patch from the inside.

For the tire seating tool, I just use a couple of spudgers. Convenient because I needed them for other reasons all the time.

Cheap tools have many problems: They wear out faster, and as they wear out they ruin the thing you're working on.

A life hack for when you in a pinch (on the trail) need to true a wheel, is to bring a couple of strips. Simply tie the strip to the seat stay or fork and you can rotate it to make the end touch the rim, You can actually get fairly exact with this method as long as you tie the strip enough for the wheel wobble not to move it out of position 🙂

My reaction was exactly the same when I found the RISK brand for the very first time on AE 😀I wouldn't mind using some of their small parts like cable housing end caps or internal cable housing dampener tubes. But something like (fake?) titanium bolts for your stem or handlebar? Well, that's RISKy 😀

im sure francis wouldnt notice his revamped tyres. haha

Have you guys ever tried using the tyre glider tool? About the same size as a pair of traditional tyre levers but so so much better at the job. Worth every penny I spent on it and makes they job of fixing road tyres so so much easier

Chuckled at the first few minutes as I have tons of these RISK stuff 😂😂

No chain cleaner plastic thing ever works and they always fall apart really quickly. Pure waste of money

16:00 just use zip tied to the frame cut to be little longer so it touches rim with some angle. then you can move to the rim as close you need. with same precision like with this tool..

I bet the smallest sizes on that cheap Allen key set are out of spec. both me and my brother got a cheap set each from different parts of the internet and he rounded his pedal adjustment bolt and I rounded a bleed screw bolt with mine. both using the small keys.

I use wheel truer in the mtb all the time, mine has a washer to stop it moving

This is kinda cool, as delving into the world of bike mechanics from being a car mechanic, there are some tools that I just don't have to carry over from the world of cars and refuse to pay Park Tools INSANE prices for mediocre quality and for having the word 'BIKE' added to a normal tool

Haha I live in Asia and most of these tools are easily accessible to have. I have tried all of these, and the only product that is worth to have is the missing link remover. Longevity and durability wise.

The 180 degree turn-around on the split link pliers made me giggle

The problem is, you’re using a “spit link” and not a “split link” I’ve used one of those cheap chain cleaners. They’re not as bad as they’re making it out to be. It works fine, just think of it as semi-disposable. I also used that same multi tool for about a year when I first started messing about with bikes. I bet it would still work today. That one is fine too.

Glad to see a fellow south african 🔥

As someone who rarely needs a chain breaker, I've already broken 3 of the cheap ones I got. Next one I'll get is definitely a park tool.

Thats the best chain breaker i got the same one and when i lost mine and had to buy another it was out of stock everywhere so effortless and comfy

Francis Cade: When the Cat's away, the Shop Rats will Play!

Union chain break makes the park tool look like a dept store chain break for far less

good video guys ...as a bike mechanic ....i true wheels with ziptids on the trail .... in factory standards :))))) ...not perfect but get you down the mountain , and as tools if you need to fix something now and there use cheep ......if you are in to bikes ....put some money on the aside and upgrade .... do not go for most expensive coz they dont do more that a " medium " price ,but a good tool make like 5 bad bad bad tools ....if you have a work shop .....get good tools ....when you need to use that tool 8-10 times a day a goooood tool is precious .....and on the cassettee wip ...am assuming that chain is on is max for 8 speed if you need on a 11-12 speed cassette is shit and who knows what am talking about know

Have trued wheels when a spoke has broken quite happily just using the brake pads.

Have ruimed a crankset (well the threads at least) with partly the tool to blame, so much agreement there. The trueing tool isn't as useless as you can work around it moving.

What was the issue with the crank puller? I didn't get that. Was it threaded improperly, or what?

The tyre 'seating' lever tool should be helpful for Schwalbe Marathon Pluses....

I bought all cheap tools like this to start working on my bike. As they break I replace with park tool. Some cheap ones that get almost no use, I dont see myself replacing...

I’ve been grabbing risk titanium bolts for a bit of weight saving . Plenty colours plenty sizes . And I have the exact chain whip / set .am I a cheapskate 😅😅😅

17:13 shame you didn’t go for “we’re going to need a bigger plug” 😅

I’m waiting for the Zwift hub to be available for sale in Japan!

My road bike has a built-in truing stand, it’s called the rim brake pad 😜

Yup, 100% agree with Nick's ratings! But please don't damage Francis' bike!

bad multitools are allways horrible. just get a good one, gonna make one much much happier

Do you have a link to the colorful hex tools, please?

Re: 'truing stand': a zip tie with the tail cut to a usable length is cheaper, and you always have a few zip ties with you on a ride, right?

Meanwhile me who used the bb tool in the video to upgrade my bb to a hollowtech external bearing bb

Nice video 📹 👍

What watch is Nick wearing? Very cool ... is it a Suunto?

Can I ask where you got your shirt from?

"We didnt even make that much mess" 🤣