I am NOT a working bike mechanic, although I have changed a lot of chains in the last 35 years. I bought my first Cyclo Rivoli in 1969 from Gene Portuesi's Cyclo-pedia. I am now on my second, probably bought about 15 years ago.
So, as always, your mileage may vary. I would still be on my first, but it was easier to buy the whole thing (about $6) than try to find a pin.
I have built up a lot of bicycles; never had a workstand (never damaged a frame, either). Built a lot of wheels, never had a truing stand (upside bicycles work fine). Installed a lot of headsets with a threaded rod, wooden blocks and wingnuts. Installed a lot of crown races with pvc pipe. Removed a lot of headsets with steel pipe.
Just like cycling, it's the man, not the machine.
Louis Schulman Tampa, Florida (93 degrees and humid)
-----Original Message----- From: David Feldman <feldmanbike@yahoo.com> Sent: Jul 20, 2005 1:39 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Chain tools--not completely OT
I'm a working bike mechanic; the only chain tools that
I will use anymore are (pardon my language, here)
Shimano. Rivoli? Throwaways. Park? Okay for
occasional use. I have a twelve year old 8-speed era
Shimano HG tool that's on it's second pin and an eight
or nine year old nine-speed tool that's on it's
original pin. I use the nine speed HG tool almost all
of the time on everything from cheap wide 5/6/7 speed
chains to Campag 10 speed chains. If you don't want
to throw any more chain tools away, buy a Shimano.
David Feldman
Vancouver, WA