Review: Off-Road.cc - Brizman Chainwhip

Road.cc has reviewed the Birzman Chain Whip. Here is what they had to say:

The Birzman Chain Whip is a simple and effective tool that offers more than enough leverage to remove stubborn lockrings. The added fixed sprocket wrench is a nice bonus, too.

There's not a huge amount to say about a chain whip – after all, there are effectively two small lengths of chain attached to a handle. In short, this Birzman model works very well and I was able to easily remove every sprocket lockring I tried it on without any issues.

If you've never used a chain whip, they work by having a short length of chain attached to the handle at both ends, then a longer piece of chain attached at only one end, with the other swinging free. You wrap the longer length around the cassette under tension and hold it in place by pressing the shorter length into the cassette, which allows you to hold it still with one hand while you loosen the locknut. It sounds complicated, but in reality is perhaps the simplest tool you can find for a bike.

You can certainly find cheaper chain whips, although if you shop around you can find this for around £20. Ice Toolz' Freewheel Turner Chain Whip(link is external), for example, is £13.95.

But it's not the most expensive out there – Park Tool's SR-12.2 Chain Whip(link is external) is £45, and if you have money to burn there's Silca's titanium 3D printed chain whip(link is external) for £240.

Overall, this is a very good tool – it's sturdy, effective and easy to use, even if it isn't the cheapest.

Verdict

Sturdy and effective, if a little on the pricey side.