In addition to the recently revised mini tool range they’re well known for, Lezyne also makes a whole range of workshop tools, including these really lovely wooden-handled ‘classic’ versions. They look and feel lush, the quality is proper pro workshop and they’re well priced too. Just treat them with a bit of respect if you don’t want splinters.
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A Chromoly steel head with two opposed 15mm wrench pockets gives you easy pedal access whatever awkward angle you've ended up with. There’s a bottle opener to celebrate your successful installation/removal or any other workshop win too. It’s also significantly cheaper than Lezyne’s CNC version or Park Tool's rubber-handled wrench.
The double chain design can sometimes take a bit of working out to find the sprocket it works best on, but unlike a lot of similar wrenches, the custom Lezyne chain segments work on 9-12 speed blocks too. There’s a hook for lock rings, though the fat handle made it impossible to get that close to the bottom brackets on suspension bikes or the Centrelock rings on disc wheels so we’re not sure how useful that actually is. That’s a double shame as there’s currently no ‘Classic’ version of Lezyne’s excellent Hex Rod for holding their double-ended BB/Centerlock lockring and cassette lockring tool. Even with the laser-etched wooden handle, the Chain Rod still undercuts the Lezyne CNC and Park Tool equivalents by over a tenner.
Possibly the most indulgent elements of the Classic range are the 6 and 8mm Allen wrenches. Each one costs more than a complete set of good-quality Allen keys, but you get the steel wrench wrapped in a fat wooden handle with a laser-etched logo and a ball end extension at the far end. The warm handle and heft in the hand mean they’ve become our default choice for adding some culture to pedal and through-axle removal. While their bulk can irritate when storing, it makes them easy to spot on a cluttered worktop (allegedly), and we’ve had to be really strict about not chucking them in our ‘go bag’ for trailhead us as we’d be gutted if we lost one. There is some movement if you’re trying to twist the handle too hard using the ball end, but it’s not got worse yet, and TBH if you’re applying torque that’s the wrong end to be using anyway.
The chain drive is a serious bit of chain rivet removal hardware. It'll do a proper job though with loads of leverage from the turned metal driver handle on the fine pitch barrel thread to make accurate pressure application easy. The ‘anvil’ end can be adjusted to support any width of chain from 12-speed to BMX, and there’s a spare hardened steel driver pin in the wooden handle if you eventually damage the original. It’s more expensive than a Park Tool one and over double the price of Lezne’s all-metal Chain Driver, but it’s a quality way to finish your fancy workshop set.
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Verdict
As a naturally feral and unforgiving workshopper, I thought the classics were just decorative gimmicks at first, but now I regularly reach past conventional tools to grab them. The heads are still the same top quality as Lezyne’s other tools, but the wood definitely makes them nicer to handle (particularly in a cold workshop). They add a really classy look to a home or hipster bike shop setup too and generally, they’re more competitively priced than we expected. Just don’t go using them as an ‘emergency’ hammer.
