Vent: I used to swear by the old Shimano freewheel tool for those 80s bikes, but the Park Tool FR-1.2 just gets it done without rounding the flats.

After rounding off three of the old ones on a stubborn Peugeot last week, the Park's thicker wall and better steel made the job feel safe again, so what's your go-to for those crusty old freewheels?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah5311mo agoTop Commenter

Wait, three of them rounded off? That's rough, I feel your pain man. Those old Peugeots are stubborn beasts and nothing beats that sinking feeling when a tool just gives up on you.

reesemoore1mo ago

Three of the old ones? That's brutal. You must have been putting your whole body into that Peugeot. I had one of those old Shimano tools snap clean in half on a Raleigh once, scared me half to death. The Park Tool stuff just feels like it won't betray you in a moment of crisis.

joelwells1mo ago

Park Tool stuff is good, but honestly their old school steel tools had a certain feel to them. That Shimano snap is a classic failure mode, usually right at the thinnest part of the wrench. Modern tools are stronger, but sometimes you miss the heft of the old ones, even if they could kill you.