Cool Tool bicycle tool

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Google is a wonderful thing.

I've had a couple of Cool Tools for a decade or more (one on the wife's bike, the other on one of mine), very useful for some older bikes and I've been looking for another tool for a few years now.  This place is the only one I've found that lists Cool Tools for sale.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Welcome to the forum mate

It it Bikeforums I recognise you from

[I'm Still Bison]

Welcome to the forums! Once people here see that link,that should just about wipe out their inventory. I'd like to see the Cool Tool back in production,it's just dead handy for so many other jobs.

[Craig]

Google is a wonderful thing.

I've had a couple of Cool Tools for a decade or more (one on the wife's bike, the other on one of mine), very useful for some older bikes and I've been looking for another tool for a few years now.  This place is the only one I've found that lists Cool Tools for sale.

Welcome to the forum.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Welcome to the forums! Once people here see that link,that should just about wipe out their inventory. I'd like to see the Cool Tool back in production,it's just dead handy for so many other jobs.

Couldn't agree more mate, there a bloody handy bit of kit, and there's no real alternative too it

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Welcome to the forum mate

It it Bikeforums I recognise you from

Thanks for the welcome from all.

Yes, I show up in a few bicycle forums, not being smart enough to have multiple on-line personalities.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It's far to much grief having multiple personalities. On the plus side it makes it harder for folks to avoid you

[scrappy]

Google is a wonderful thing.

I've had a couple of Cool Tools for a decade or more (one on the wife's bike, the other on one of mine), very useful for some older bikes and I've been looking for another tool for a few years now.  This place is the only one I've found that lists Cool Tools for sale.

I bought from them last week but have not heard anything. I called the number on the web a couple times and sent two emails to make sure they are a legit business but no reply.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I've just received an email from the retailer.  In part, it says:
"Please accept our apologies for not contacting you sooner.

Regretfully the Gerber items you ordered are no longer available.

We have not billed your account and regret the inconvenience we caused you."

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Tough break mate, as I'd quite fancy a second one myself too

[nuphoria]

I've just received an email from the retailer.  In part, it says:
"Please accept our apologies for not contacting you sooner.

Regretfully the Gerber items you ordered are no longer available.

We have not billed your account and regret the inconvenience we caused you."

D'ooooh.... I hate it when that happens

Welcome to the affray

[clydeosaur]

Hi Everybody,

What a great site. I love stuff like this. I found you while googling info on my old cool tool. Very interesting thread.

I bought mine in 90 or 91. I have a variant of what has been posted here so far (at least that I can tell). Mine came with a headset adapter as well. I've attached a pic.

I don't recall mine coming with the 8/10 adapter. Just the 4/5/6 keys with the 6 having the philips head. I can't find mine with the philips head but I'm sure its around somewhere. I remember seeing it in my stuff over the years.

I'm currently carrying mine as I've stared mt. biking again. I am looking at some newer options though. Right now leaning towards the park mtb-3. But I sure like having an adjustable wrench handy - especially one thinned out for bikes.

Anyhow, here's mine with the headset adapter. Oh, and I think mine has the 916 phone number on it. I'll check later on.

[Benner]

Welcome mate.    The Cool tool certainly seems popular.

[J-sews]

Wow, I've never seen that headset adapter gizmo. Is that the black C-shaped thing in the upper left?

 What does it do?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Wow, I've never seen that headset adapter gizmo. Is that the black C-shaped thing in the upper left?

 What does it do?

It loosen/tightens the headset mate

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Welcome aboard Clydeosaur

I agree with you, the adjustable wrench really is handy, but none of the newer bike tool have them fitted

[Grant Lamontagne]

To get an adjustable wrench in a multitool nowadays you need to look at a SpydeRench/ByrdRench or one of the Guppies, although any of those tools would be a decent choice to pair with a more standard type biking tool like Topeak or Park's offerings.

I have numerous bike tools but alas no bike to test them on and judge their competency!   

Still, I find a bike tool to be a handy complement to a more standard multi for EDC as traditional type plier based tools never seem to have allen wrenches.

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

To get an adjustable wrench in a multitool nowadays you need to look at a SpydeRench/ByrdRench or one of the Guppies, although any of those tools would be a decent choice to pair with a more standard type biking tool like Topeak or Park's offerings.

I have numerous bike tools but alas no bike to test them on and judge their competency!   

Still, I find a bike tool to be a handy complement to a more standard multi for EDC as traditional type plier based tools never seem to have allen wrenches.

Def

They just don't open wide enough though

[clydeosaur]

Wow, I've never seen that headset adapter gizmo. Is that the black C-shaped thing in the upper left?

 What does it do?

It loosen/tightens the headset mate

Yup

Thanks for the welcomes everybody.

Well I went ahead and ordered a park mtb-3 multitool yesterday. Best case it will be a valuable addition to my camelbak. Worst case it's another neat hunk of metal & plastic to play around with.

I currently carry:

my cool tool
a swisstool
a cabela's mini multi-tool
a park tool 3 way hex wrench
a quikstik tire lever
a presta valve adapter
a mini-pump with a schrader/presta combo

Overkill? Yup. But I'm a big guy so the extra weight isn't even noticeable.

My plan is to pare down to:

the park mtb-3
the quikstik
the cabela's multi-tool
the presta adapter
the mini-pump
and possibly the cool tool or a small adjustable wrench

we'll see.

I'm not doing huge rides these days since I'm just getting back into shape. But I'm trying to get everything together for when I do.

I'll take a look at the sypder/byrd products. Thanks for the tips.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Looks like decent rigs to me mate

I carry a similar load everyday on my commute

[bazman]

I have a cool tool which I purchased at MEC in Vancouver (probably in 1992).  As I recall the 8/10 mm allen key adapter and the headset adapter were sold separately.  I definitely never had them.  I think the headset wrenches came in 32mm and 36mm.  I also recall a bottom bracket tool or tools.  I didn't get any of the optional accessories as I thought I wouldn't really use them.  I later recall seeing the Gerber packaged cool tools (but I already had one). 

I still think the cool tool is the most useful bike multitool.  I once almost lost mine to airport security and had to risk missing the flight to put it somewhere safe.

Years ago I saw a picture of Bob Seals racing a mountain bike in a speedo and superman style cape.  I think it was his normal racing attire.  Perhaps it scared the competition.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Welcome to the forum mate

And yes I'd agree that it is the best bicycle tool ever

[Grant Lamontagne]

Which begs the question, if it was so popular, and has such a great following, why is no one making the durned thing anymore?

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Which begs the question, if it was so popular, and has such a great following, why is no one making the durned thing anymore?

Def

I dunno

But I really, really wish someone would, as I'd happily buy at least another couple

[harvey121]

The hex bit attachments do look pretty poo though.

Does it actually recommend to use an elastic band or is that just what Bob has found to work?

I does come in a sheath, so it's never really worried me

Ahh! That is something new. So what type of sheath did it come with? A belt sheath? Or just a pouch of some sort?

Just a generic cordura Gerber one mate

So it doesn't actually come with a sheath then?

I've had one for years,and still use it,not many tools on it but its quite compact so it fits in a smaller camelbak quite well,much lighter and less bulky than my alien.It did come in a neoprene sheath with and velcro strap for a belt or seat post or what ever and a fold over money bag type of top long since ripped and binned,great tool though seems to just go on and on.

[knucklebuster]

Years ago I saw a picture of Bob Seals racing a mountain bike in a speedo and superman style cape.  I think it was his normal racing attire.  Perhaps it scared the competition.

howdy all!! it has been a while.
I remember back in 1992 while at the nationals seeing a guy ride down the Mammoth Mountain Kamikaze downhill in a red speedo, sure enough it was Bob!
years later when I was working for him I mentioned it, he chuckled and said he was banned from ever coming back to Mammoth Mountain.

[J-sews]

Years ago I saw a picture of Bob Seals racing a mountain bike in a speedo and superman style cape.  I think it was his normal racing attire.  Perhaps it scared the competition.

howdy all!! it has been a while.
I remember back in 1992 while at the nationals seeing a guy ride down the Mammoth Mountain Kamikaze downhill in a red speedo, sure enough it was Bob!
years later when I was working for him I mentioned it, he chuckled and said he was banned from ever coming back to Mammoth Mountain.

I don't think I'd want to be closely following the guy wearing a red speedo

[into the blue]

As someone in this thread remarked, Google is a wonferful thing.
A friend of mine was recently admiring my old Cooltool and I said I'd try and dig one up for him online.
I had no idea that they were so difficult to find these days.
Like many of you, I bought mine in the early nineties and I've never needed another trail tool.
When I bought mine from the LBS I also purchased the official pouch to keep it in which, fair play, has lasted pretty well after being strapped to my downtube for the last twenty years.
I think the pouch is made of some sort of neoprene, or some sort of similar stretchy (but tough) material.
It has a very strong velcro strap on the back.
I found that when I put the tool in the pouch, it was marginally too large, so I took off the black extra part (the crank bolt remover?) to make it shorter, and it juuust about fit after that (bit of a design flaw, that).
I found I never need an elastic band to hold everything together as the pouch did that for me.
No idea where the crank bolt remover is now, but I never needed it anyway.
After giving mountain biking a break and taking up mountain unicycling, I find this tool is still useful.
I run dual-holed cranks on my uni (150mm and 125mm) and often when I'm out on a trail, being able to switch pedal positions gives me another 'gear' so to speak.
The thin head of the adjustable spanner, originall designed as a tyre lever, is perfect for getting in the gap between the pedals and cranks.
I'm disappointed to find they're not made any more, but I get a warm glow from knowing that so many other people hold this great tool in such high regard.
I guess my friend will have to find something else, he's not having mine.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Thanks for the extra info! 

As you have no doubt seen, there's very little information on this tool available anywhere, so it's great to have little bits and pieces added here and there.  If everyone keeps tossing in more pieces of the puzzle, then perhaps we will one day have the whole picture!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I did some searching for Robert Seals.... seems he's gotten himself in a bit of a pickle recently!

http://www.newsreview.com/chico/content?oid=1434035

At first I wasn't certain it was the right guy until I saw this:

Success with his inventions—an all-purpose fix-it tool for bicycles and the hugely popular Klean Kanteen—provided him with the funds to turn his dream into a reality, and about 10 years ago he stepped up his efforts to develop the land.

I wasn't aware he was responsible for the Kleen Kanteen as well- that's two of his items I have and didn't know who had come up with them!

Def