Derailleur alignment tool- what's in your tool box?

[Eric Estlund]

I've been running a Cyclus tool for a bit, and while it works fine it's never been "a pleasure" to use.

I've used a few Park, Campy (and clone), DA, etc and have been generally find them all ok. I'm hoping for a more emotional reaction (in the positive direction).

What's hot right now? VAR? EVT?

[Whipsmart]

The EVT tool at work is pretty flex free, although I don't find it terribly exciting to use (not that one should find aligning derailleur hangers exciting...)

I think a person could EASILY build something similar to the EVT tool for little cost.

[Bssc]

Old Shimano DA it is by far my most fave

Park good for a deep sea fishing sinker weight

Campy ok for 1980's and earlier

[sam]

Im not sure why people knock the park it does its job. I use the VAR its really solid, but it hangs up on some hangers, the evt is nice but not sure if it is nicer then it needs to be hence getting expensive.

[Eric Estlund]

Which EVT tool are you guys referring to?

The DAG-2 is fine, but not an upgrade from the farm equipment tough Cyclus one I have (their stuff has a very industrial feel). I've not been bowled over by the shimano ones I've used (the older DA type). Nice enough.

Maybe getting excited over a thread in feeler gauge is to much to ask?

I feel like this is something Jim Stein would be making...

[Whipsmart]

I've used the Park tool, the Shimano DA tool, and The EVT works better than both. The Park and Shimano tools both develop play, and the Shimano tool flexes when aligning hangers (not just checking them). This is an irritation to me, because the flex in the tool ends up causing one to overshoot the amount of movement desired in the hanger (even after cycling it a few hundred times). I will say that the "Truearc" EVT (standard one - not the fancy RC car wheel one) is more robust in this capacity. Again, a person could easily make one similar to the EVT, and it would be stiffer than the Park or Shimano.

And for a total machinery dork whose eyes roll back in his head and starts drooling over toolholders, collets, levels, heck, even stupid screwdrivers, not to mention the machines that they go in, no, its not too much to ask to have a derailleur alignment tool that makes me excited. If we want people to get excited about our bikes, I want to be excited by every damn tool I use to make them! ;)

BREEEEEATTTTHE buddy, breathe!

[drietz]

$300 for a derailleur hanger alignment tool? Holy smokes that's ridiculous.

...in the most awesome of ways! Now I have total tool lust.


Now I literally want all of their tools.

[Too Tall]

Old old Park tool. It has zero flex what are you guys talking about? It is made from a piece of CrMo that doubles as a tire kicker. Love it.

[Eric Estlund]

To answer my own question, I am now sporting one of these. Better then anything else I've used to date: