Always looking for ways to make bicycle service a little easier, Park Tool just released three interesting new service items. All three will most likely be appreciated by the professional mechanic, but even well equipped home service areas could benefit from at least one of the three.
You know all of those times where you’re working on a bike and you have to remove the fork – which leaves the handlebar and stem, front brake, and headset pieces dangling from the bike, or falling to the shop floor? While most pros have a way to secure the bars so they’re not left flailing under the bike, the new DF-1 Dummy Fork looks like an interesting product. Essentially a mock 1 1/8″ steerer tube with a 2″ tapered cone to work with most headset styles, the DF-1 will take the place of your fork and hold everything in place until you’re ready to put things back together.
The Dummy Fork will work with most type of bikes, but it’s only compatible with threadless stems for 1 1/8″ steerers (will not work with 1″, 1 1/4″, or 1.5″ threadless stems, or threaded stems). The DF-1 also includes M5, M6, and pass through holes so that you can attach disc brake calipers and most rim brakes. This will keep them from dangling as well, plus the positioning might be useful when bleeding disc brakes. In order to keep those hydraulic brakes from accidentally closing, the DF-1 includes a pad spacer attached by a chain.
The DF-1 is nickel plated and powder coated for durability, and will sell for $43.95.
If you’re removing the fork completely, then you may be preparing to do some fork service. For me, that has usually meant laying out a blue, absorbent pad to lay the suspension components on top of while you’re working on them. I look at it as a way of keeping the parts clean and protected from the dirty bench top, and the blue background provides helpful contrast when organizing small parts.
The Park OM-2 Benchtop Overhaul Mat is made for that exact purpose, but it’s washable and reusable and could be a good addition to your work space. Made from TPR (thermoplastic rubber), the mat is tear, shock, and abrasion resistant and measures 15″ x 24.5″. Interlocking edges allow you to connect multiple mats if you need a bigger work space, and the textured work surface with raised trays will help you organize small parts. The OM-2 will sell for $30.95.
Finally, if you do a lot of Shimano Di2 and SRAM eTap service, the Park EWS-1 Electronic Shift tool puts all the needed tools in one place.
The three-way style tool is made from a composite material to prevent damage to pricey components, and it’s meant to install/remove Shimano Di2 E-Tube wires. The third arm is a universal coin cell slot tool which will help install and remove the battery covers on SRAM eTap shifter, or anything else that runs on coin cell batteries for that matter.
The EWS-1 will sell for $11.95.
