These just came. A Park crown race puller and a Park steer tube saw guide. I'm going to be shortening my steer tube a little and remove a spacer and I'm replacing the King crown race on my Easton EC90SL with the titanium version to reduce a little weight. I hated the ideal of scraping up the top of the carbon crown by using a screw driver so I bought the tools to do the job correctly. Plus I don't think its a good idea to possibly scoring the crown.

Why is it I always get almost as excited about tools as I do riding my bike. I know I'm not alone here. Confess!

I get pretty rev'd up about getting new tools. However, I get a pretty good feeling when I reach for a tool that I know is shop quality piece too. The Park stuff is the best. When I win the Lottery, I'm gonna have it all from top to bottom.

Yeah, when I get a new tool I want to pull it out play with it right away...

...eh, that sounded pretty bad. I got my steerer tube guide two weeks before I got my new fork. I had to stop myself from digging out an old fork and trimming a few mm off the top just to see how well it worked.

depends on the tool... those are no doubt nice, but I would rarely use them. I'd be more excited about a new tool that I would use frequently, rather than one used infrequently and just sitting in the box or on the bench most of the time

now, not long ago I snagged a gear wrench 15mm ratcheting stubby for a steal... that was cool!

Funny. If I get a tool I know I'm going to use all the time, it's just a routine tool purchace. After all, if I'm going to use it all the time, how could I not own it. But a tool used rarely--like those above--feels like a real treat and moves me that much closer to never setting foot in a shop again. I'll even admit to feeling a little more pro... and those are all fun feelings.

So now I'm picturing you bugging all of your riding buddies to pull their crown races.


BTW, live near Memphis? I'll PM you next time I do headset work and need to borrow some tools.

I just picked up the miter jig for cutting steerer tubes. Hardly any stress-sweat cutting my Colnago Star fork, clean and straight to boot. I'd love to have of those crown race pullers too, but haven't dropped for one. Little screwdriver marks on the bearing race aren't so purdy.

I'm a confirmed tool freak also. I got the crown race puller a few years ago. Very sweet! Only problem is you want to start pulling all your forks off just to play with the thing!!

I bought a Park crown race puller when I lived in London. Cost a bloody fortune but had the same issue you did and the old-style fork shaped tool for removing races from steel forks didn't work due to the size of the carbon fork crowns being larger than the race. The tool works pretty well although the little screw handle is just that, little. I also got excited when I bought a Cyclus headset press and headset remover tools. Forget the screwdriver, forget the bolt and washers crap. Proper tools make it so much easier and neater.

this thread feels very familiar...

I get pretty rev'd up about getting new tools. However, I get a pretty good feeling when I reach for a tool that I know is shop quality piece too. The Park stuff is the best. When I win the Lottery, I'm gonna have it all from top to bottom.

The Park stuff is nice enough, and is great for the home mechanic, but it's certainly not the best. Go ask a real shop how long their Park stuff lasts, and you'll be surprised to learn that in most cases, it's considered disposable. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of better options. Pedro's, believe it or not, is making pretty good stuff (small tools - like cable cutters, chain tools, etc.), and Campy is the old standby, but not everyone (or every shop) can spring for that...