Sector Guide: Workshop, Tools and Cleaners

CSG UK / Muc Off
Having recently linked with neighbouring Muc-Off, Cycling Sports Group UK can now offer retail what is often hailed as the market leader in bike cleaning.

With a comprehensive catalogue spanning cleaning and lubrication fluids, greases and a number of cleaning tools and brushes, it’s no surprise that the firm has several bundled packages perfect for retail.

One such item is the £24.99 Bike Care Essentials box, containing a litre of biodegradable cleaner, 500ml bike spray, large microcell sponge and a set of brushes for cleaning wheels and fiddly components.

For a spotless chain prior to lubrication, the £21.99 Chain Doc works by clipping over the chain and combining heavy-duty rotating brushes with the power of the brand’s Chain Cleaner. It makes short work of grime, claiming to deliver a good as new finish in under 20 seconds. The kit comes with a can of Muc-Off Chain Cleaner to use with the Chain Doc device, making it ready for polishing chains straight out of the box.

The firm’s 400ml Chain Lube can also be attached to the Chain Doc for mess-free lubrication.

Muc Off’s Workshop 5x brush set (£23.99) features all five Muc Off brushes, including the Soft Washing Brush for bike frame and components, with care for delicate finishes. The Detailing Brush is ideal for hard-to-shift dirt on sprockets, hubs and other tight areas, while the Claw Brush for mud de-clogs the chain and cassette. The Wheel and component brush is shaped and contorted to clean rims and spokes, while the Two Prong Bush cleans shocks, cranks and more.
01202 732288

2pure
Suppliers of widely used tool brand Pedros and Feedback Sports products, 2pure has plenty to offer the retailer in need of both professional standard product and product for resale.

Pedros are not just limited to tooling, however, and can also offer products such as the Green Fizz. This solution is an environmentally friendly bike wash to work on the entire bike. The surfactants of Green Fizz coat the bike and help wash away grime from the toughest of rides and it can be used with or without water. A one-litre bottle costs £7.99 at retail.

A highlight of this year’s tool catalogue and perhaps an industry first – Pedros have introduced the Tulio multi tool qucik release skewer. With the QR lever hosting two spoke wrenches, a chain tool a 4, 5 and 6mm allen key, flathead screwdriver and an emergency 8mm allen key, this is ideal for the gadget freaks among us.

2pure also supplies Feedback Sports product. The firm is a repair stand specialist and can offer what it calls the ‘Recreational Repair Stand for just £99.99 at retail, making it ideal for home mechanics seeking a more maintenance friendly garage or shed.

0844 811 2001

Chicken Cyclekit
Following strong demand from the market, KMC has now introduced Chain Lube Pro. This solution is the original grease used by KMC for the lubrication of the X-Series Chains. The lube is available in two sizes; 120ml, which includes a Dual head application/cleaning brush for £9.99, or 3ml (enough for one chain), which is perfect to take with you on muddy winter rides for just 99p.

Meanwhile, Chicken Cyclekit also handles the Sapim tool range, from which the new Nipple Grip is a must for all wheel builders. The grip speeds up wheel building and prevents the spoke nipple dropping inside the wheel rim. The wire loop grips the nipple so you can thread it onto the spoke easily, which is vital if you’re building wheels with deep section rims.

01525 381347

Madison

As the main UK supplier for perhaps the most famous workshop brand in the cycling business, Madison carries an extensive catalogue of Park Tool bits for the professional mechanic and home mechanic alike.

The professional tool range has developed significantly over the past few years and dealers are invited to talk to the experts behind the brand at February’s iceBike*. Until then, Madison has flagged up the firm’s crown race cutter and adaptor for 1.5-inch tapered steerers as a hot product for the workshop. Designed for perfect facing every time, the tool is designed for use with tapered steerer forks and tiny grub screws lock the adaptor in place while in use for a precision finish. The package also includes a precision ground crown race cutter.

Finish Line cleaners, lubricants and much more are also available from Madison, including the £11.99 One-Step aerosol that is both a cleaner and lubricant in one 360ml can.

0208 385 3385

Windwave

One stop shop for cycling bits and bobs BBB has a range of goods for the workshop mechanic, a highlight from which is the Profimount work stand.

Highly adjustable to a height of your choice and preferred clamp set up, the Profimount has a rotating head clamp that allows for the top tube or seatpost to be securely fastened.

Mounted to the stem of the highly supported stand is a detachable tool tray. Once a job’s finished the workstand packs down in a few folds and can be stored in a supplied carry bag. At just 5.4KG, it’s a highly portable solution for the mechanic on the move, or the in-store workshop. At retail, the Profimount will cost £149.95, should your customers become envious.
Windwave are also able to supply a dedicated tool range targeted at the consumer from IceToolz, as well as plenty more from the BBB range.

02392 505320

Upgrade

The big news from Upgrade’s stable this year has to be Lezyne’s expanding line of workshop tools for the professional. In typical Lezyne fashion, each is aesthetically pleasing, with polished finishes and wooden handles featuring on many tools.

New for 2012 are the home ‘shop tools’ – a concise range of professional quality tools for use at home that includes CNC alloy or Classic (wood handle) pedal and chain whip tools and the innovative Two-Way Tech tools for BB and cassette lock ring removal.

There’s also a new three-Way Wrench tool that offers durable Steel bodies and replaceable bits, a new CNC three-way spoke wrench and for the ‘must have it all’ customers out there, a reassuringly large Shock Pump that retails for £69.99, but is built for life.

Green Oil has been part of the stable for some time too and offers the Cycling Plus ‘Best Buy’ rated bike cleaner. The use of concentrates with the re-useable bottle system typifies Green Oil’s commitment to less waste, reduced landfill and minimised carbon footprint.

Meanwhile, Effetto has a fancy torque wrench that may end up top of your shop’s wish list in the near future. The Calibrated torque wrench is designed with a range of torque 2-16NM and has a loud ‘click’ to three-degree movement when torque is achieved with a ratchet head and magnetic head that takes the 16 tool bits. A complete boxed set retails for £189.99 with a more affordable tool, without bits, starting at £114.99.

01403 711 611

Hotlines

Super environmentally friendly brand Orantas is now under the Hotlines distribution umbrella with stock of waterproof greases, lubricants and cleaning goods all available.

Largely made from natural sources, such as plants, the Canadian firm’s product is biodegradable and non toxic. The staple lubricant product, dubbed the Plant-Based Lube, is a biodegradable and non-toxic all-purpose lubricant and anti-corrosive spray made from over 70 per cent sustainable material – including the propellant.

For tougher jobs involving bearings, the grease is again a synthetic biodegradable solution with extreme pressure additives made from plant-based material.

Hotlines is also the exclusive distributor for X-tools, another brand with both professional workshop tools and amateur mechanic friendly tools. For just £59.99 at retail, X-Tools offers an 18-piece tool kit containing everything the mechanic on the mood will typically need – from chain whips, through allen keys, cassette tools, crank extractors and much more. It’s Well worth a look for the freelance mechanic on a budget.
0131 319 1444

Oxford Products
Supplying a series of tools and multitools, largely under the £25 mark, Oxford Products can supply plenty for the amateur mechanic, from cone spanners and cabel cutters, through more advanced items like cotterless crank extractors.

Staple goods such as multitools are also available, with a ten-tool unit costing just £15.99 and coming equipped with chrome vanadium steel allen keys spanning 2mm to 8mm and holding screwdrivers and a Torx 25 key. A carry pouch is also included.
A series of cleaning brushes are also available in a handy pack of four, each with ergonomically designed handles and tough bristles.

01993 862 300

Moore Large

As well as stocking Weldtite goods, Moore Large carries plenty of other brands spanning tools, cleaning and lubrication goods, among other items.

Pro Clean has been a leading name in motorcycle cleaning and maintenance products for over 15 years and is now beginning to make inroads into the cycling business.

The range consists of cleaners, hand scrub, kit wash, degreaser, protection, lubrication, polish and grip lock retailing
from £5.29. The Pro Clean chemists are working constantly to evolve the products, all while maintaining the long-running eco-credentials of the biodegradable product line.

New to One23 is a sleek range of tools offering strong value for money. The range consists of a comprehensive selection of multi tools from 4-in-1 to 20-in-1 units, as well as hex keys and chain tools.
Retail prices range from £4.99 to £22.99.

01332 274200

Zyro
For 2012, Fenwick’s steps forwards with a major facelift and several new products.

Some lines have received name changes to improve clarity and understanding in the eyes of the consumer – for example, the £8.99 Frame and Shock Finishing Spray becomes Showroom Finish Spray, FS Foaming Degreaser becomes Foaming Chain Cleaner and all new labels include QR codes, which directs to video, showing the product being used.

New products include lower-priced sizes of aerosols, the simple Chain Cleaning Sponge (£1.99), the non-latex Airtight Tubeless Tyre Sealant (£19.99) and the Stealth Road and Stealth Mountain Bike lubes (£9.99). These new performance-oriented lubes are created by a combination of specialist synthetic components; handpicked by a master lubricant formulator, a surfactant specialist and a material scientist.

Minoura has some workshop standard workstands and truing jigs available through Zyro, including the £109.99 True Pro wheel jig, which is now compatible with 29er and carbon rims. A spoke key is included in the package.

Finally, Zefal (aside from producing a new series of pumps) also offers brush kits for the customer with a taste for keeping their bike looking fresh. These start at just £5.99 and various brushes are available for different tasks. A brush set retails for £15.99.

01845 521700

Weldtite

Weldtite has plenty going on at present, as demonstrated recently on their stand at Eurobike. Log onto BikeBiz.com and search Weldtite for more on the brand’s latest highly adaptable workshop stand head, which is capable of latching onto car tow balls, among other things.

A highlight from the latest additions to the tool line is the 07701 universal bottom bracket removal tool set. Bottom brackets come under more pressure during the winter because of the bad weather, and it is the time when many fail, so having the tool for a workshop service is essential. Weldtite also offers a DVD free-of-charge showing demonstrations of how all its workshop tools are used – just call the firm for a copy.

For cleaners, Weldtite has an offer launching before Christmas. During 2012, a one-litre Dirtwash bike cleaner will be on ‘three for two promotion’.

The 2012 trade price for a 12 pack of Dirtwash one litre cleaner is £47.00 per pack making the cost of an individual bottle £3.92. By taking advantage of the three- for-two promotion retailers will pay £94.00 for three packs of Dirtwash making the cost of an individual bottle £2.61 trade which is a discount of 59 per cent and gives your store an opportunity to offer the product to your customers at a substantially better price than any other bike cleaner currently in the market, says Weldtite.
01652 660000