If you’ve ever installed a well-fitting tire, especially one with a stiff casing or steel bead, you already know that this can be a frustrating job that tests both your patience and the strength of your fingers. There are tricks to make things easier, but when you combine that tight tire with an insert, you can feel like you’re trying to push a square peg into a round hole and take at least three hands to get there. CushCore’s new Bead Bro is designed to be that third hand, freeing up the two you have to finish the job.
• Holds the tire bead on the rim
• Free your other hand
• Safe for alloy and carbon rims
• Works with any spoked wheel
• MSRP: $12.95
• More information: wwwcushcore.com
When installing a tight tire, with or without an insert, it often comes down to trying to pry the last few inches of the bead into the rim cavity. Thing is, as you get closer to finishing, the bead of the tire you already put in the rim bed will want to stick out, which means you have to hold that section down with one hand while using the rim. else to complete the installation. . The US$12.95 Bead Bro is a simple little device that hooks onto a spoke much like most tire levers do, but also locks onto your rim with a dial to act as a stopper that prevents the tire bead from sticking out. CushCore says it’s safe to use on aluminum and carbon rims, and also that the multi-spoke slots mean it should work with just about any normal wheel. Combine it with their US$19.95 Bead Dropper Lever and you should be able to install any tire, whether or not it has an insert inside.
While not a workshop necessity, the Bead Bro probably makes sense if you’re trading in your own rubber and are tired of sore thumbs, especially since it costs about as much as a few beers after the route.
Fix Manufacturing’s website features a bunch of clever products, including a belt you can stash your mini tool in and board-specific tools, but it’s their Dynaplug-equipped wrench that we’re reviewing here. The $49.95 adjustable wrench includes 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, and 6mm hex keys, T25 Torx key, flat blade, tire iron, pedal wrench, and spanners polygonal, but now they have also added a Dynaplug applicator which also carries a single plug.
• Dynaplug applicator
• Includes three outlets
• 2 hexagonal keys of 6 mm, t25
• Flat blade, tire lever, keys
• MSRP: $49.95
• More information: www.fixmfg.com
When not needed, the plug sits in the tool to the rear so nothing gets stuck. When you have an apartment, all you have to do is reverse the socket and you’re ready to save the day. Like their other tools, the Wheelie Wrench fits into interesting belts from Fix Manufacturing.
Getting something stolen sucks, but getting your bike stolen is a whole other level of shit that’s hard to put into words. In addition to doing everything in your power to prevent your bike from getting stolen in the first place, like not leaving it unlocked in front of the dollar store while you run for a bag of Fuego Takis, you can now put a tracking tag on it so at least you can get it back. Muc-Off’s $44.99 Stealth Tubeless Tag Holder does just that by allowing you to hide an Apple AirTag on the inside of one of its tires.
• AirTag housed in a silicone shell
• Backing allows air and sealant to flow
• Knock-free design
• Supplied with 3 pairs of valve bases
• Weight: 7.5 grams (without AirTag)
• AirTag not included (obviously)
• MSRP: $44.99
• More info: www.muc-off.com
Why the hell would you want to put your AirTag inside a tire? Because chances are someone who steals your bike won’t think of a tracking device, let alone the one you’ve safely hidden inside your rear tire. Muc-Off indicates that the AirTag is protected from mastic by the silicone cover, and it will never make noise or noise. What happens when you break that double you didn’t have enough speed for and the valve stem lines up with impact? The internal rubber shank that the tracker sits on inside the tire is designed to be compressed and sacrificial, and Muc-Off includes three pairs with the kit so you can replace them as needed. The Stealth Tubeless Label Holder won’t work if you’re using a tire insert, however, and they recommend that you periodically check and clean the silicone cover when you change the tire or install more sealant.
I reviewed Granite’s new Stash RT Hidden Tool a while ago, the spring kit being stored inside your bike’s steerer tube and appearing as a friendly aid when you open the pivoting top cap. Now Granite has released a smart and relatively inexpensive add-on that lets you hide an Apple AirTag on the bottom of the Stash tool under the crown of your fork.
• Converts Stash, Stash RT tool to carry AirTag
• New alloy bottom cap, plastic cover
• MSRP: $15.99
• More info: www.granite-design.com
The $15.99 Stash Tool Kit Airtag Mount is as simple as a replacement aluminum bottom cap on the bottom of your fork crown with external threads that allow the cover to thread over your AirTag. You’ll also need to have already purchased the $69.99 USD Stash Tool, of course. And while it’s not as low-profile as Muc-Off hiding theirs inside the rear tire, the benefit of Granite’s AirTag mount is much easier access.
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