Price: £74.99 RRP
Weight: Total 147 grams / TorqBar: 32 grams
Bits included: 3, 4, 5mm, T20, T25
TorqBits included: 4, 5, 6 Nm
Calibration: +/- 6% tolerance is guaranteed for 5000 cycles
There is a huge amount of choice when it comes to tools you can carry with you out on the bike. I’ll be looking at the Nano TorqBar DX torque tool from Topeak here which is a compact pre-set torque tool kit. It’s a useful tool that’s small enough to carry with you on rides, travel with or use at home. It also features in our best bike torque wrenches buyers guide.
The complete tool itself comprises a small plastic case housing tool bits and three of Topeak’s pre-set torque TorqBits. The TorqBar itself can then be loaded with these bits and used as a regular tool to work on your bike, or with the TorqBits to create a pre-set torque wrench so you can work to the correct specs for your bike.
The tool retails for £74.99 with all three pre-set TorqBits but you can pick it up with just the specific bit you need for less money. It can also be found at cheaper prices online generally.
Design and Aesthetics
The Nano TorqBar is a tidy piece of kit, and the plastic case is particularly neat and tidy when fully stocked with bits.
The design can be split into two halves. The TorqBar itself and the bit holder case as mentioned. The Torqbar itself is a smooth aluminium cylinder with a circular cutout drilled into one end. A smaller diameter plastic insert then slides into this cylinder (pictures below). The plastic insert has space to house two of the supplied steel tool bits which are held in place by magnets so they can't fall out. A spring-loaded button locks into the drilled cutout on the TorqBar body to lock the insert in place and finally there is a six-sided magnetic slot to load your chosen pre-set TorqBit. The Torqbar on its own weighs a scant 32 grams and is 11cm in length.
The plastic case housing the tool bits themselves is sturdy and its two hinged plastic 'doors' both open up for easy access. Neatly slotted inside are 3, 4, 5mm Hex bits and T20 and T25 Torx bits. You could of course replace these with bits of your choice, but they are pretty much the main contenders for working on bikes these days.
There are then three pre-set TorqBits next to the bits that can tackle 4, 5 and 6Nm torque ratings. So this is a set designed to tackle jobs like seatposts and handlebar and stem adjustments given its size and torque ratings. These TorqBits fit into the end of the Torqbar and then then accept whatever bit you need to use to work on your bike.
Topeak does stress you undo bolts and fasteners with a bit only and not with a Torqbit fitted, and that the tool is good to undo bolts with up to a 20Nm rating. It isn't a big, burly tool so a bit of common sense is needed here. It's not the tool to undo something really tight or big with.
Performance
The Nano TorqBar DX proves to be a useful tool that's pretty versatile. It works well on its own when I've been just generally working on bikes. I swapped handlebars on my cyclocross bike recently using the Torqbar and insert with the four and five-mm hex bits. Its length makes it easy to work with and I really like the way you can load a bit at the end of the bar too which is useful when initially threading things like headset topcap bolts or disc rotor bolts home, this means you can use it like a screwdriver to get things going.
When you are ready to torque a bolt to spec, just load the TorqBit and bit you need and you're ready to torque. There isn't a loud 'click' to hear from the tool but it does make a faint click as the preset torque is hit and the tactile feedback is provided. It isn't super loud so you do need to pay attention, especially on more delicate components.
The compact nature of the Torqbar means fitting it into a saddlebag or your jersey pockets is easily done. You can load and carry a maximum of four bits and one pre-set TorqBit into the TorqBar, though carrying two inside the tool does make things neater again, again have a look at the pictures for reference here. You can of course carry the case too, but it's one more thing to worry about.
On the subject of the case, I would like a way to attach the bar to the case to keep them together. You could do this by finding a rubber band or strap to fit, but it would be nice to get one from the off and this is probably my only gripe.
One point to remember regarding pre-set torque wrenches and units is that they do have something of a lifespan and often can't be calibrated. In simple terms, they may reach a point when they are no longer accurate. Topeak cites the accuracy for the tool of +/- 6% tolerance is guaranteed for 5000 cycles, which is a lot of use.
For comparison, premium adjustable torque wrenches calibrated to an ISO rating should offer around +/- 1% to 2% across the entire range (typically around 2Nm to 14Nm).
High-end pre-set tools might get as accurate as 2% or 3% and have a longer lifespan, but for an item of this size, price and portability around 5000 uses within 6% accuracy is certainly not a complaint.
In terms of bit quality, I tested the supplied hex and torx bits against the best ones in my possession, some high-quality PB Swiss bits. The Topeak bits were a slightly slacker fit in T25 and 4mm fasteners, but overall not bad.
The condition of the bolt you're tightening and your own technique can also affect things here. I also compared the TorqBits to a Wera A5 torque wrench which is calibrated to a stringent 2017 ISO standard and they were pretty much the same, so I feel pretty confident they are in spec and hopefully will be for a good length of time.
Verdict
If you're working away all day every day or doing lots of spannering then this tool isn't as relevant, it's probably more of an addition to your toolbox or ride kit rather than a mainstay workhorse.
You can, however, do a lot with the TorqBar, my recent bar swap using it was a breeze. Its length is a strength here I think. It's about the length of my palm which means it's easy to work with when you just have a bit loaded for a range of jobs. Then when you're ready to torque something you can - an advantage over a regular multi-tool.
It's probably best suited to travelling or carrying with you on rides to get you out of trouble. If you arrive somewhere and need to get your bike together it will be really useful and it's just a nice thing to use, which is also a motivation with purchases like this.
It's a clever design, but I wonder if it's a little on the pricey side. There are cheaper ways to do the same jobs. We're spoilt for choice these days, and this tool is another nice option.
