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review
Lezyne CNC Chain Rod£29.99
VERDICT:
Tough, high-quality chain whip with loads of leverage
Weight:
460g
Contact:
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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Lezyne make some excellent workshop tools and this CNC chain whip is certainly a first-class option.
It's built to be very tough and durable. The handle, which fills your palm so you get a firm grip without it digging in, is made from CNC-machined aluminium while the business end is heat-treated steel plate – precision stamped and CNC machined. Four meaty bolts hold the two ends together firmly. The whole thing is 33cm (13in) long so you get a whole lot more leverage than with most other chain whips.
The chain that comes fitted is 9-speed although the tool works on 8-speed and 10-speed systems. Out-of-control radical that I am, I used it on an 11-speed Campagnolo cassette too without any bother so it should be okay for new 11-speed Shimano Dura-Ace when that arrives.
If you want to swap the chain, it's attached with stainless bolts and it's a simple five-minute job. Lezyne say the Chain Rod is compatible with 8-10-speed chains but I fitted an 11-speed chain with a little persuasion. There's a lockring tool on the back of the tool head that'll allow you to get a fixed cog on and off too.
You can pick up a chain whip for under a tenner if you really want. I usually use a Park Tools one that sells for about £25 and it has lasted years, but this Lezyne option is just a touch more comfortable to use and you get considerably more leverage. If I was in the market for a new one, I'd certainly be tempted by this.
Verdict
Tough, high-quality chain whip with loads of leverage.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Lezyne CNC Chain Rod
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Lezyne say, "Heavy-duty, shop quality chain whip. Custom Lezyne chain is attached with stainless bolts for easy chain replacement (8/9/10 speed compatible). Tool head is made of a precision stamped, CNC-machined heat treated steel plate with integrated lockring tool. 100% CNC-machined aluminum handle for strength and durability. Stainless and high-strength steel fastening hardware makes this an extremely rigid and durable tool."
That's all fair enough although I got an 11-speed chain on there without trouble.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
It's very strong and tough.
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
It does a fairly straightforward job very well. The long handle fills your palm comfortably so you get plenty of leverage and it's comfortable even when you have to apply loads of pressure.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
It's completely metal and will probably last you a lifetime. I guess the shiny aluminium handle will get scratched up in the bottom of your toolbox, but you probably won't care much about that.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
9/10
Comfort is an issue in that the curved sides of the handle allow you to apply more pressure. If you've ever had a really stubborn cassette lockring, you'll know that can occasionally be an issue.
Rate the product for value:
7/10
It's fairly expensive, although there are pricier options out there. Although it's costlier than most other chain whips, it's also much better than most.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Spot on.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Well-shaped handle with loads of leverage.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
More expensive than most, although I'd say the price is justified.
Did you enjoy using the product? Definitely.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 41 Height: 190cm Weight: 75kg
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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