It’s not a visit to the Sea Otter Traditional with out catching up with the Friar, AKA Abbey Bike Instruments founder Jason Quade. Not solely does he normally have new product to indicate us, nevertheless it’s at all times an interesting dialog overlaying all features of the trade.
On the product aspect, Abbey has at all times centered on making skilled instruments for skilled mechanics on the go. Now, these skilled mechanics who maintain down the native retailers are getting some love with some new shop-specific instruments. Jason calls these “the appropriate software for the appropriate software. These aren’t the Staff Concern instruments made with unique supplies.” As an alternative, these are for stationary mechanics who want final sturdiness over light-weight portability.
Consequently, Abbey has launched the Store Whip-It and the Store Crombie software. Each are absolutely heat-treated, in comparison with the usual Crombie and Whip, which used a heat-treated head on the Crombie software.
The Store Whip-It has a strengthened head with extra materials across the chain connection factors, solely machined down the place it must be. It additionally makes use of a stronger KMC e10 chain, which continues to be suitable with 7-13 velocity drivetrains.
Moreover, it features a new 3D printed magnet to assist hold the chain anchored when storing the software, and support in chain wrap when utilizing it on a cassette. These magnets may even match legacy chain whips, if you wish to add one to your present instruments.
The Store Crombie software encompasses a Shimano lockring software on either side, with one aspect for QR (which can work over many skewers with out removing) and the opposite for via axles. Each the Store Whip-It and Store Crombie promote for $65 every.
Abbey Spoke Wrench
At Sea Otter final yr, Abbey confirmed us a prototype of their first spoke wrench. That spoke wrench is now out there in a three-sided model, with a four-sided model coming quickly. Initially, Abbey made the prototype out of stable aluminum simply to hurry the prototyping course of, figuring out that the ultimate product would have a metal reinforcement for the nipple slot. Whereas the aluminum fashions held up surprisingly effectively, the manufacturing variations have the metal reinforcement as promised, and are supplied within the 3.23mm measurement, which is the equal of the black spoke wrench from Park Software.
The Spoke Wrench is designed to play effectively with the DT Swiss bladed spoke holder, and the Abbey Spoke Wrench is priced at $53.
