Your bike has a lot of different fasteners that help keep its parts and construction in place. However, in order for it to be in optimal condition and to be properly working at all times, regularly checking its parts is important. If you like to repair bikes yourself, you probably know how it feels when you are torquing a bolt and you hear it snap off or when you can feel it threaded over.
I bet that every time you were in this situation you wish you would have used a torque wrench to tighten it better. Bike torque wrenches are one of the most commonly used tools for maintaining rides in good condition. Due to their great demand, today you can find these products in various sizes, types, and materials – all of which can make it hard to know which one to choose. For that very reason, here’s a bit of help on the matter.
Torque Levels
The range of a torque wrench is important if you want to be able to tighten all the fasteners, and depending on your bike, you will need to look for both the minimum and maximum torque levels. The torque levels on a standard bike torque wrench range from around 2 or 4 NM to 24 or 25 NM but there are others that start at 28 or 42 NM and go up to 210 NM. Some heavy-duty torque wrenches go up to 250NM.
Accuracy
Cheaping out on torque wrenches is not a good idea. People often times skimp when it comes to the accuracy of a bike torque wrench, running the risk of damaging the fasteners. If you go for a torque wrench with poor accuracy, you’ll be better off with a regular wrench instead or you should just get all the different sized screwdrivers you need.
Materials
The stronger the materials a torque wrench is made of, the more durable and better-performing it will be. Materials such as forged steel are the ideal choice for a bike torque wrench, however, if you choose one that has plastic, make sure the number of parts is minimal.
Ratchet
For the ultimate ease of use, choose a bike torque wrench that has a ratcheting system. This means that you will be able to tighten a fastener without changing the position, making it ideal for both screwing and unscrewing at the same time. This way you will save a lot of time instead of having to turn the torque wrench in the right direction every time.
Legibility
This may not be the most important feature but it is a very useful one, especially when it comes to digital torque wrenches. Most models will click when you’ve reached the desired level and others will beep. You can also have an LCD display showing you the exact torque level in real time – just make sure it is readable enough under direct sunlight.