Gear that brought me joy this past year
In no particular order, 3 pieces of gear that made my life a little better this past year.
Wipperman Connex link: I’m a big fan of wax immersing my chains, mostly for the cleanliness. However, removing a chain is annoying as it requires a tool to pinch the chain quick link and also each removal of the quick link wears it out a bit more until it no longer feels safe to ride with. The Wipperman Connex link, on the other hand, is designed to be removable without tools and is reusable without wearing out on each removal! It’s compatible with Shimano 11 speed chains (I’m unsure about SRAM) and is easy to pop on and off. You want to be sure it’s orientated in the right direction so that it doesn’t make horrific noise but the link comes with plenty of diagrams and warnings demonstrating correct usage. The Connex link makes it so easy to remove chains I find myself waxing even more frequently than I used to. It’s even easier than drip lube at this point.
Radar Laboratories Loobtoob: A great product with a terrible name. Applying grease and various lubes is regular part of bike maintenance. Sadly, I detest how messy and imprecise the process can be. It’s often put some grease on your finger, wipe it on the bolt, then wipe off the excess. Enter the Loobtoob, a syringe with applicators intended to apply grease!
Few things I like about it:
Keeps grease contained.
Easy to squeeze out just the amount needed.
Can apply with the brush applicator for things like bolts, or a more precise needle applicator for things like filling bearings.
Has a locking collar that prevents the syringe plunger from moving when in storage.
Comes in various sizes.
Easy to fill.
Things I don’t like: The name. Rubs me the wrong way but so it goes.
Flush Cutters: I’m not a fan of the plastic stabby pointy bits that are often at the ends of zip ties. They catch on clothing, can cut your fingers and are generally ugly. There is a tool that is perfect for handling this called a flush cutter that I’m now a big fan of. Like the name describes, the point of a flush cutters is to cut something flush. This allows you to cut a zip tie completely flush with the locking bit without any sharp edges poking through! Unlike traditional side cutters and scissors that often have divots along the cutting blade that will always leave a bit of plastic, flush cutters are flush cutting right at the surface!
Being a single purpose device, one may be tempted to get the cheapest one possible, however I’d caution against that as the cheap ones have blades that don’t quite meet and don’t cut as well. Knipex branded ones are beautiful but also cost $$$ so I settled on a Japanese made Tsunoda. It’s small enough (4 inches) to get into tight spaces but the blades are sharp and there’s enough leverage to easily cut through zip ties. It also has a grippy bit below the blade that you can use to grab the zip tie and tighten it. You can get bigger ones with even more leverage but I only plan to use this with plastic so that I don’t damage the blades and wanted to smaller size for better handling.
