Your Bike Mechanic's Best Buddy

Park Tool AWS-1 Allen Head Tri Wrench

Park Tool AWS-1

There are some tools cyclists take along on a ride and some they do not. Smart cyclists carry a multitool (the bicycling equivalent of a Swiss Army knife) with standard hex wrench sizes and screwdriver blades, and maybe a chain tool – or maybe not. Multitools, even though they have saved more than person’s bacon on the road, are actually lousy tools for working. They’re designed to be compact and lightweight, not ergonomic and convenient. When it comes time for putting the bike on the shop stand for routine maintenance or repairs, that’s when you break out the tools that are meant for the shop: tools like the Park Tool AWS-1 Y-shaped hex wrench.

The AWS-1 is a beefy little tool your bike mechanic will love. It’s a hex wrench with three heads in the most common sizes – 4, 5 and 6mm – arrayed around a central disk. The tool forms a Y or the points of an equilateral triangle about 5 inches high. Each wrench shaft is 1½ inches long and is socketed into a 1-inch polymer arm; the three arms are arranged around an ergonomically-smoothed 1½-inch polymer disk perhaps half an inch thick.

Unlike conventional L-shaped hex (Allen) wrenches, Park’s version can be comfortably gripped in the palm of the hand. This provides way more torque than the simpler design. The AWS-1 is also more comfortable to hold. The three-prong design gives it excellent balance while making the three most common hex wrenches instantly available instead of hiding under something on the workbench or tool tray. The thick central disk makes it easier to pick up, too, and for you martial artist types, it could be thrown like a suriken in case of invasion by bike-nappers. Park also makes a version with 4 and 5mm wrenches and a T25 Torx head (the AWS-7), a smaller version with 2, 2.5 and 3mm hex wrenches (the AWS-3 wrench) and one with ball tips for easy insertion into hard-to-reach screws (AWS-8). All are made with high-torque industrial steel. All have the Park Tool logo printed on the center and labels for the different sizes. While you could certainly get by with a set of L-shaped wrenches from the BigBox store for your bike maintenance, the AWS-1 is easier to use and more conveniently packaged. I bet the guy who lost mine is kicking himself!

Summary

PLUS: much better torque, more convenient, and more comfortable than an L-shaped hex wrench
MINUS: The AWS-1 lacks the Torx head that's becoming more common (buy the TWS-3 instead)
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Next to a cold, frosty one, a Park Tool Y-design Hex Wrench is a bicycle mechanic's next friend.

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