XD-15 is an excellent system. One thing worth noting on the XD-15 range, however, is they are a serviceable component: to maintain that lifetime warranty, you do need to be servicing the bearings. You can't just install them and ride them for 10 years: every so often, usually when the bearings feel like they're a bit crunchy, you do need to clean them out and regrease them. But yes: lifetime warranty. Swap them between as many bikes as you like, and they'll keep the ongoing warranty!
Regarding thermoplastic inner tubes: I read mixed reviews, and they are (way) more expensive. I am ofcourse triggered by their compact volume and very low weight (I admit, I would actually use them as I'm not riding tubeless, and not only as a spare). Any feedback with regards to mixed reviews (some had them easily punctured and said they weren't durable)? Red shift makes some really smart stuff. Not very cheap but worth a look at it. Those Enduro Jockey wheels... too expensive at around 200 euro for a pair. They will outlast your RD, but by that time there will be something else (like 13 speed, or a gearbox or ...), and any good 3rd party ceramic derailleur wheels set you back around 20 euro and last for at least 15-20K, so you'd have to ride 150.000-200.000K with the same RD to get the money out of the jockey wheels. That's, for most amateur riders, easily >10 years.
@@Carftymk I carry a valve core remover with me, just the pump deflates the tyre if you dont remove it extremely carefully, and that is annoying as hell
Basically every product review from Nic can be summarised as "I bought the most expensive version of this thing on the market, and it's amazing". Would love to see a video where he specs a gravel bike/bike packing setup to a budget that doesn't rival the GDP of a small country.
I'm from Germany and I gladly admit that we are shitty at a plethora of things. But we know how to make quality tools. I'm actually from the town where Wera and Knipex are located (Wuppertal).
On the contrary, the home-brew bike industry aftermarket parts available from Germany are some of the best. Once of the few countries I could probably build up almost an entirely "all-German" bike.
As a German bike mechanic, we rely heavily on foreign manufacturers (Park Tool, Unior, VAR) for bike specific tools, but German tool manufacturers (Hazet, Wera, Knipex and to some extent Würth) are simply exceptional and I'm glad that they're appreciated elsewhere.
I have (as a learning home grown bike maintainer) one set of Wera keys and working with them gives me so much joy... Converted me to buying quality tools in the future
FYI - Wera warranty does not apply to the Allen keys (note: Wera calls them L-keys). From Wera's warranty "Bits, bitholders and L-keys are also not covered under this warranty policy as they are considered consumable"
It kind of depends. My small allen key (the white one) snapped cleanly off. Wera replaced it without any hesitation. At this point, the set was already like 3 or 4 years old.
@@mopedvieh What Wera means is that it's normal that those get stripped at some point as they are designed to be softer than the screws you are screwing so you don't strip the screws as easily. If it out right breaks they will have no problem replacing them as that is not "normal wear and tear".
@MustYouHaveAUsername That's not correct. The tools (practically all tools) are way harder than the screws or bolts. This is actually what makes them last and avoids rounding the heads. For reference: Wera allen keys exhibit a hardness of around 54 HRC while typical 8.8 bolts (used pretty much everywhere on a bike) are just at around 34 HRC max.
I use Bondhus Allen keys, they do make colored ones but I just have the regular black ones. They have a lifetime warranty. (many of the park tool allen/torx are actually made by bondhus).
I love my unbranded chinese carbon bottle cages - they cost nothing, they weigh nothing AND they scratch up my bottles so badly, I can constantly justify the latest bottle designs 😋
Totally agree with Nick on the Wera keys & TPU inners 👍. The knipex pliers the best ever..... cue Francis's 500 item Park Tool wall resplendent with no knipex pliers ! 😅. Good stuff to consider, nice video gents 👍
Just spenT $20 on set of derailleur pulleys (which I had already planned on returning) and now I’m ALMOST ready to buy a set of the Enduro XD 15s for $289 USD. 😭
Absolutely love my Wera allen set They feel so secure when you put them in the allen head, nothing compares. No chance they will round anything. Hard to explain unless you use a set yourself, they're just pure quality. They're only like £30 too and so worth the slight splurge on an allen set that'll last a lifetime.
Couple improved suggestions on Nic. - The Veccnum Frequence is a better execution of a suspension stem vs. The Redshift. Redshift is single pivot, so it rotates your hands forward on bumps. It also means it's dependant on where you're applying leverage (will flex a lot more in the hoods and almost 0 in the tops). The Veccnum is a translational system so it only moves vertically and travel is usable at all bar positions, not rotating forward and down like the Redshift and only in the hoods or forward drop position. The Vecnum is also adjustable on the fly and procvides bottom and top out damping. - 90 GBP+ on a Silca handpump is unnecessary. You're better off buying a set of hiflow Filmore Valves which make any HV pump much more usable. The problem with airflow isn't additional leverage on the pump, it's the outdated crappy presta valve. Filmore valves allow 3x the air = 3x less force = any old pump doesn't have to be forced to add air. I use the OneUp pump as it also stores a tool. - Those Enduro jockey wheels are 250 AUD! That's 4-5 X01/XX1 or 5-6 Shimano XT/XTR replacement pair of jockey wheels which work perfectly. Ceramic bearings alone (measured by Silca) in the jockey wheels is in the 0.1W saving realm (below even marginal). I think I go through a pair every 20,000-30,000kms? Just a poor suggestion from a value for money perspectice. It's not like jockey wheels are a difficult item to swap (unlike say... fork suspension bushings)
@@gezakopter1153 For sure the Frequence is about $100 USD more (at least for me here in Aus) which is a downside. Though I'd say comfort/fit and the function of maintaining geometry it provides will make way more of a performance difference than say an expensive cassette which makes little to no difference (and many people buying a $170 USD Redshift stem aren't riding entry level bikes). In this same video he recommended $160 USD jockey wheels which cost 5-6x more than OEM and a Silca handpump for 120 USD which is about 4-5x more than my 10yr old well functioning Topeak Race Rocket - both of which make 0 difference to your riding experience. The Vecnum at least provides a tangible (and from an engineering standpoint) a better functioning suspension product. Easier cleaning can be solved with a $1 nylon brush from the supermarket.
@@JensEskildsen I doubt Nic is actively trying to please sponsors, but unfortunately as bike shop owners/employees get staff discounts with local distributors (so they don't shop online as much as the general consumer does), it means Nic likely only really looks to buy from what UK stockists and isn't aware of the broader products available on the market.
Redshift stem, wera hex and TPU spare tubes get a second vote from me! Really good to hear Francis mention his buddy has been able to use his spare tube multiple times without issue - I've never had to install it and was worried it would be really delicate. Nice job! Going to go get some knipex's!
I have these WERA keys for over a year, and recently these colorful sleeves have started to slip off, so I have to glue them from time to time. The inscriptions with the size wore off after about 8 months. I use them quite often, but certainly not as much as in a bicycle service. The quality of the steel itself is very good, and shows no signs of wear.
I have those Weras as well an don't like them much. They are a lot more expensive than Bondhus but not as good IMO. There is a MAJOR flaw with the Weras in that the colored sleeve is thicker than the dia of the key, so you can't reach the key down into deep bores. That alone should make them a no-go...I think most people will find they have to buy another set of keys when encountering that issue, dunno how that even got past the design phase. ....Bondhus has color anodized sets now so there is no sheath over the tool. Also (gonna be that guy)....Knipex is pronounced "Keh neh pecks" 🤓
Wera allen keys are the best! I was a field engineer and used them more in a day than most people would use in a year. Even if they didn't have a lifetime warranty, I'd still prefer them.
Knipex? Yeah different level. Greatest pliers on the planet. Wera allen/hex keys? Meh. Yeah they are good, but so are Unior and Bondhus and Swiss Tool. Park Tools? Best we don't go there...
Prefer my Zefal HPX frame pump to any pump you can buy in the modern market. Classy, attractive, dead reliable and pumps a 29er 2.25 tubed tire in about 30 strokes, less than a minute.
i got a set of allen keys for 2€ at the hardware store when i had to assemble my first bike. i tried "upgrading" them twice with much more expensive sets but the hardware store set is still my go-to. they are plain but they have never stripped a bolt
Wera Allen keys aren't that expensive and having used dozens of different sets of Allen keys, the Wera ones are my favourite. I personally prefer their stainless version without the colour coding. If you do want to colour code your tools I recommend nail varnish. You'll get a few funny looks at the chemist when your asking for neon green nail varnish but that's about the worst of it
Same. I got a cheap-ish set of T-shaped Allen keys from Planet X when I first started wrenching. I still have them and use them on everything with no issues.
Cheap allen keys still work fine as long as you don't need much torque. Applications with high torque typically show the difference between a good steel and a less good one. Bikes typically don't need that much torque on the bolts
@@simonm1447 Precisely. 6 or so Nm max on the smaller bolts and of those with higher torques (e.g. cranks on square tapers) the bolt head are nice and strong and so are the larger hex heads on the cheaper tools.
that lil bit for the gopro. I am going to buy forsure. would make my life easier because i only have 1 gopro and hate dealing with the chest mount to head mount
Wera Tools are awesome. Not just because they sponsor an entire stage at Summer Breeze Open Air, one of the greatest and loveliest metal festivals in the world. :)
Silca Gravelero.. confirmed! Great pump. I use mine for both wide gravel tires and skinny road tires. Comes with a handy bottle bolt mount that keeps it tucked out of the wind. Works on Schrader and Presta. Expensive? Not really.. buy quality once or buy cheap twice.
Honestly just Silca pumps in general. I treated myself to a Silca Impero Ultimate fairly recently and it's brilliant. Fits fairly snugly in an 'aero' carbon frame (though not neatly along the top tube, instead from top tube-seat tube corner to head tube-sown tube corner) and being a big pump it makes putting a lot of pressure into skinny road tyres a lot easier. I'm very happy to say the days of pumping like a jackrabbit in spring trying to get 90 psi worth of air into a tube before the driving rain fills the tyre up again are over!
The problem with the Wera keys is that casing is round so you have less grip along the middle of the key. They also don't fit in something like the Ultimate workstand. Wiha makes a beautiful set.
Really enjoyed that; lots of non-standard products covered. I reckon I’ll try one of those suspension stems on the gravel bike. I invested in a set of the Wera keys a few months ago. Only problem I find is that the included holder grips them like a vice - does its job a little too well.
I purchased a set of the Wera Allen keys based on this recommendation. However, they felt a bit loose in the bolt recesses. When I measured them, I found them dimensioned to the lower end of tolerances allowed under ASME B18.3.2.M - still within tolerance, but on the smaller side. For applications like bicycle maintenance, where bolts are repeatedly removed and re-torqued, tighter-fitting keys might lessen bolt wear. I checked my Park Tool Allen keys (Set HXS-1.2) and found they measure to the upper end of allowable tolerances, and the set is about $10 cheaper than the Wera set. I ended up returning the Wera set.
I have park and Wera. Park have been in the tool box for about 5 years. Wera get used at least once a week and stay on the bench. My favourite tool I’ve ever bought.
TPU inner tubes... compact, yes. But blimey, the ones I tried punctured just by looking at them (Schwalbe Aerothans). I should at least try one or two different brands before writing them off, but I'm hesitant. I mean I thought Schwalbe would be a good robust tube.
And two of these are coming from my hometown: Wuppertal. Both Knipex and Wera are located here. And to add to that they are almost neighbors as well. Great stuff!
zipp == sram so yeah there's that and no thanks. I know bike shops love sram due to the extra maintenance and support required and that's why I'd really prefer this series done from a user perspective.
Silca - just ordered one, already got a Tattico. Beautifull, never needed it though. Sadel - Classic Flite for me but good to know. Knipex - check, also got a Felco somewhere. Thermo things - AliExpress? but yes, got a orange one(Dutchy) Suspension Stem - No, don't like the feeling of being disconnected between steerer and frame. Go-pro thingie - I'm not a RU-vidr. Discbrake thingie - I'll leave that to the professionals Wera - Yeah! Jockeywheels - Not a fan of ceramic bearings. Zipp Wheels - I'll skip that and go to our local wheel-builder in Alkmaar. And the one thing I love, these kind of videos.❤
As a bike builder professionally. The park tool cable cutter with crimp is just too good. I cut atleast 10 cables 5 days a week and have had same pair for 5 years now
I’ve been using Topeak Racerocket HP for years. Nice little pump. I have to do lots (a lot!) of strokes to inflate the tires, though. Well, consider it as an arm workout, because you know, cyclists tend to have skinny weak arms. LOL
@@leongjordan5272 Get the RaceRocket HV version and pair it with a HV valve like the Filmore Valve. These valves have 3x the opening = you can use a HV pump which pushes 2x as much air and it'll be easier than a HP pump with a standard valve (especially if you run tubeless which tend to clog slowly over time).
Isn't it utterly exasperating that some frames need to have their calliper mounts faced ? Why can't the builder just do its job properly and not have mechanics buy a 700£ tool ?
@abotanistsghost2311 I went for the Topeak Master Blaster Road Frame Pump in the end. Thinking that a longer unit will also give me fewer pumps till it's rideable if I had to replace the inner-tube... just a theory I had
More important that customer's get the right item for them, not what's easier for the shop... Sorry for u, but exactly why so many cyclists avoid shops these days is that stance
I know I don't, even my previous boss doesn't. For those that are made in the pre-hookless era, he said their rims are good, but the hubs are crap. I've seen a few ZIPP hubs break their flanges.
I don’t know why, but I really enjoy these most loved/ hated videos. I’m guessing they do well for you since there have been so many. I’ll unashamedly watch every one them. Cheers!
Thanks. Quick tipe - put more camera focus on the product than the reviewer so that the audience doesn't have to scratch their eyes off to see what he is talking about.
don't get the wera hex keys with the plastic sleeves, they tend to slide off, crack, etc. the unsleeved ones are better and cheaper, and the holder really sucks.
+1 for the Cane Creek eeSilk suspension stem. I just put it on my gravel bike a few weeks ago, replacing an expensive carbon stem. Don't underestimate the quasi-lockout feature. It's great not having any bobbing when you're climbing or standing. And it really helps my wrists on long choppy descents. Also nice that you can change the elastomers without removing the stem.
#1 CO2, all the way with tubes. #2 Classic 1990 style SI Flite. #3 Park Tool. #4 Michelin aircomp. #5 Ritchey WCS. #6 ??? No camera. #7 Rim Brake. #8 Park Tool. #9 OEM wheels. #10 Hand built wheels laced with GL330 (Old School)
