DIY Chainring Bolt Tool
By Brad Quartuccio
The real deal tool to fit the back of a chainring bolt is only a few dollars yet somehow is left missing from many tool kits. Ad-hoc methods using flat blade screwdrivers and pliers can work, and can end in bloody knuckles when one or the other slips. With either a bench or handheld grinder one can easily fashion two teeth of a worn out small cassette cog a bit shorter and squared up, making a near perfect fit for the back of a chainring bolt. Common in the throw-away parts bin at shops, if you don’t already have a worn cog it shouldn’t be hard to find.