The only real alternative to a chain wrench, Pedro's Cassette Wrench is a better choice.
Written: Jan 14 '06 (Updated Jan 14 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Much easier to use than a chain wrench, no moving parts, soft-grip handle.
Cons: May not fit a few unique cassettes, is a bit pricey for a single-purpose tool.
The Bottom Line: A pro-quality tool at a pro-level price, Pedro's Pro Cog will be around for a lifetime. It's also the natural next step in better bike maintenance.
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| openroad's Full Review: Pedro's Pro Cog Cassette Wrench |
Pedro's Pro Cog Wrench
MSRP: $32.00
Features: Heat treated pins, center hole guides lockring tools, compatible with both 11 & 12-tooth gears.
Technical Level: 5.0 (scale of 1-10)
----- What's a Cog/Cassette Wrench do? -----
For moderatly advanced bike maintenance and cleaning above and beyond degreasing your chain it's usually necessary to remove the cassette. For those not sure where their bike's cassette is (Wait, my bike doesn't have a cassette player!), it's located at the center of your rear wheel. The rear gears that make up your cassette are where most of your shifting will take place. Anything debris which attach or stick to your chain will end up making its way back into the cassette and gumming up the works. Depending on your bike it can be quite hard to clean the gears in your cassette with it still attached to your wheel. Here's where removing the cassette comes into play and why you need specific tools to accomplish this. Most tools designed to hold your cassette while removing are called chain wrenches for a very obvious reason. These wrenches have a small (4-5") length of bike chain built into the wrench head. With a chain wrench you wrap the chain around your gear and pull backwards on the handle. This puts tension on your cassette and allows you to use a lockring tool to remove your cassette locking ring. Pedro's Cog Wrench does the same thing only instead of a chain it uses hardened pins that mate with your gear's teeth and hold your cassette in place. Same result, no moving parts to lube or break.
----- What do I need to take my cassette off? -----
Cassettes are mounted securely to the hub of your rear wheel with a unique locking ring that can only be removed with a specific lockring tool. The two best tools I’ve found are the Park Tool FR-5G Lockring Tool and the Shimano Cassette Lockring Tool TL-HG16. Before you can loosen that lockring you’ve got to stop the cassette from spinning and that’s where Pedro’s Cog Wrench comes in handy. Remove your rear wheel and find a stable place to work for a few minutes. First you’ll find out which side of the Cog Wrench fits your cassette since it’s both 11 and 12 tooth compatible. Now set the Cog Wrench on the cassette and rock it slightly until the cogs are engaged with the gear’s teeth. Now insert your Lockring Tool of choice through the hole in the Cog Wrench and into the cassette. Using an crescent wrench (or other appropriate tool) turn the Lockring Tool to the left until the lockring is loose. Pull out the lockring, remove the Cog Wrench, and pull your cassette off carefully. Make sure to pay attention to what order the gears are stacked so you can reassemble them in the correct order. To reassemble your cassette you don’t really need the Cog Wrench since when tightening you’re pushing against the rear hub mechanism. I personally still use the wrench since it puts less stress on the hub internals than trying to tighten against the hub.
NOTE: When you reinstall your cassette you’ll notice it doesn’t just slide on as easy as it came off. When you look at your rear hub you’ll see several splines (raised ribs running lengthwise down the hub body) around the entire hub body. One of these splines is known as a locating spline and is noticeably thinner than the rest. Once you find the thinner hole on each gear you just need to line it up and orient it correctly on the hub body. Knowing this ahead of time can save you countless minutes of frustration later.
----- Bottom Line -----
Once you start taking your mountain biking more seriously and venturing off-road in all types of weather and conditions, you’ll start to see your chain and cassette suffering the consequences. When used with a Lockring Tool and a good cleaner, Pedro’s Cog Wrench is a vital tool for maintenance and cleaning. Keeping your cassette clean and mud-free will extend its life and also keep your chain and rear derailleur in better condition.
I’ve used several Chain Whips by Park Tool and Shimano only to find them more complicated and no better at the job of cassette removal. Pedro’s Cog Wrench gets the job done fast and doesn’t have any parts that will wear out. The bright Pedro’s-yellow rubber-dipped handle is a comfortable size and makes it easy to find the wrench in a crowded toolbox. I’ve had a good 3 years using my Cog Wrench, I’ve also helped quite a few friends remove and clean their cassettes. If you’re ready to keep your bike in the best condition you can, this wrench (and a good lockring tool) are the first step.
P.S. I've rated this tool at 5-stars only because of its simplicity and functionality. Among other cassette tools this wrench is superior and will last forever. It's cost and infrequency of use make it only a 3-4 star purchase for casual bikers, just make sure you will use it enough to justify the price.
Related Links:
Pedro’s Syn Lube
Pedro's Extra Dry Lube
Pedro's Bio Cleaner
Pedro's Bike Lust Polish
SRAM PC-69 Chain
Park Tool FR-5G Lockring Tool
Park Tool CM-5 Cyclone Chain Scrubber
Park Tool AWS-1 Allen Head Tri Wrench
Park Tool PRS-5 Folding Race Stand
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!
openroad
Recommended:
Yes
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