Earlier this year, Feedback Sports sent over a care package consisting of their four newest tools: the Thru Axle Chain Keeper, the Chain Tool 3.0, their Rotor Truing Fork 2.0, and their Reflex Fixed Torque Ratchet Kit. I’ll share some of my experiences with the rest of the new tools, but boy, do I love using this torque ratchet kit.
Yes, it is a multi-tool. How fun are multitools traditionally? Not particularly. Yes, I’m aware there are plenty of multitools that you can stash in your handlebars, or inside of your bike, or that double as a chain tool.
But I gotta tell you all, I take this Reflex tool with me just about everywhere I’m taking my bike.
Meet the Feedback Sports Reflex Fixed Torque Ratchet Kit
The whole idea behind a portable torque wrench isn’t new, and it has only grown in popularity as more components on the bicycle require precise torque measurements and even more precise fittings to prevent stripping bolts. Most of these portable torque wrenches are more for individual and home use rather than at a shop level, a design prompt that makes them easier to carry around.
The Feedback Sports Reflex Fixed Torque ratchet kit is based around a ratcheting handle with 6 degrees of engagement. Further, the handle itself has three points of attachment: two on the horizontal and one on the perpendicular attached to the two-way ratchet mechanism.
Besides the main handle, there’s one 25 mm extension piece, a piece for torque measurement, and a range of 10 bits. The tool’s modularity means bits can be attached any which way, from an in-line handle to a more likely ‘T’ handle.
I love a good, mechanical feel, and this one has it. The ratchet itself clicks with purpose, while the 5 Nm torque bit is extremely positive, almost to the point of feeling like you’ve broken something. Each bit secures in place with strong magnets that require some effort to remove.
Testing accuracy of the Feedback torque wrench showed the tool was about bang on 5 Nm, or as close as one would need in a pocketable torque wrench. Further, a majority of the bits were about bang on for bolt sizes, though a few bits – the 4 mm and 3 mm – seemed just a touch small. Neither is a big issue in my eyes, but the small difference is noticeable compared to how well the other bits fit.
The bits themselves are of the ¼-inch variety. As such, bits should be easily swappable between the Reflex kit and other bits one might find at the hardware store. They’re made from S2 steel and will hold up better than the chrome vanadium you’ll see in lesser tools.
There are a few other portable torque wrench options out there. The Silca Ti-Torque Kit + T-Ratchet is often discussed as the gold standard, and the Reflex kit shares a number of similarities in regard to its modularity to make a T-handle or an extended arm for the bit or handle. There is also the outgoing Feedback Sports Range torque wrench, which, while compact, isn’t quite small enough to carry with you on the bike.
But while the Silca tool can indicate a range of up to 2 to 8 Nm and the Range wrench, the Feedback Reflex uses just one indexed 5 Nm adjustment that clicks once you reach the number, a far simpler proposition for most people. Besides it being an easy-to-understand measurement, the click means the tool doesn’t torque the bolt any further.
The Feedback Sports Reflex torque wrench has quickly become the tool I take with me on long, unsupported rides. It’s the tool I take with me when I travel with my bike, and I need to assemble and disassemble it on the go. And honestly, it is the tool I often reach for around the house as well.
I wish there were a way to measure torque values other than 5 Nm, but I suspect the kit becomes too big to carry on the bike like this one is. Otherwise, the Reflex is an excellent option. Nice work, Feedback.
Price, Reflex Fixed Torque Ratchet: $70 / € 85
Feedback drops a new chain tool
I don’t have to use a chain tool too often, but a low-quality chain tool can make cutting a chain down more of a chore than it has to be. Enter the new Feedback Sports Chain Tool 3.0, which Feedback says is designed to work with 1 through 13-speed chains on the market from Sram, Shimano, and Campagnolo.
The new Chain Tool 3.0 feels sturdy in the hand, even though it is light compared to other chain tools. This is largely due to a hollow inside that holds a replacement chain pin, but there’s plenty of storage for quick links or other bits inside.
Further, the tool’s driver has a wide, flat knob that makes pushing pins in and out of chains a smooth process. The other side of the chain has an adjustable backside plate that does a good job of keeping chains in place.
Price, Chain Tool 3.0: $40 / € 48
Like rotors, not all dreams come true
Not much to say here about the new Feedback Rotor Truing Fork 2.0. It uses two 2.0 mm truing slots: one deep and one shallow, as well as one 2.3 mm rotor slot too. The tool has a nylon finish compared to tools from Park or Abbey Tool, which should make it less likely to mark whatever rotor you’re working on.
Feedback already makes a chain keeper, but that one was made is made of aluminum and made to work both with quick release and thru-axle dropouts, which makes it more expensive. Now, Feedback offers the much less expensive Thru-Axle Chain Keeper that works with a 12 mm thru axle. It makes a whole lot of sense when traveling with a bike to keep the chain in place, but it also allows you to shift gears without needing a cassette installed.
Price, Rotor Truing Fork: $15 / € 18
Price, Thru-Axle Chain Keeper: $10 / € 12
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