B'Twin Hollowtech BB Remover

The B'Twin Hollowtech II BB Remover is designed the same way as the B'Twin 15mm Pedal Spanner. It's made from 4mm hardened steel, with the same broad, plastic-encased handle. And it's just as good.

I normally use a Shimano TL-FC32 to remove and install the Hollowtech bottom brackets on my various bikes. This B'Twin tool is cheaper and it's better in every respect. The handle is longer so there's more leverage, which comes in handy when getting out stubborn bottom bracket cups. It's also broader: 10mm thick at the edges and about 40mm wide. So when you do push down hard on the handle, it doesn't press painfully into your hand.

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There's less extraneous metal around the jaws of the spanner. That makes it easier to install or remove bottom bracket cups without rotating the spanner head into the paintwork, which can happen when the chainstays get in the way. They do on a couple of my bikes: a full-suspension mountain bike with a chainstay pivot just behind the bottom bracket, and a Genesis Longitude whose stays flare widely.

There's a hole in the handle so you can hang up the spanner. The only small negative is the plastic coating, which could be softer and grippier in the hand. I couldn't fit my leverage-extending aluminium tube over the handle, but then I didn't need to.

Verdict

No-nonsense external BB remover with a long, comfortable handle and compact head