It was bound to happen sooner or later. As I was riding Miss Pinarello on one of my training jaunts I heard the sound......PSSSSSSSST! My rear tire had flatted. This is usually not the best time in a cyclist's life, but today my flat had a silver lining: it was time to test my new Park Tools SS-15 fixed gear tool. I had been using a dumbell wrench to take off the 15mm track nuts on my 1984 fixed gear Pinarello, but it was not a good match. The wrench was too short to provide adequate leverage, and the metal was too soft and was beginning to strip, so a new solution was needed. Even though it is bigger and heavier than my dumbell wrench, I decided to trust the folks at Park and give it a try.
The SS-15 is well finished and includes a 15mm pedal wrench,a bottle opener,a tire lever, and the 15mm hex wrench, the size of all track nuts. It fit in the side pocket of my Carradice Barley, and felt smooth to the hand.
In use, the wrench has a raised lip which grasps the track nut securely, and has enough length and heft that the loosening and tightening of the track nuts a routine job.
All in all. I am pleased with my purchase. This wrench will be a permanent part of my seatpack kit. I now consider it an essential tool for the fixed gear cyclist, Thank you Park Tool for engineering and producing this terrific item.
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