Prestacycle TorqRatchet Go

The Prestacycle TorqRatchet Go is a very useful little thing – you can easily use it for general bolt-twiddling without damaging it (not true of 'proper' torque wrenches), the torque readings are accurate, and it's very portable. You don't get many bits, but it's a useful selection for bicycles, and as they're standard 1/4in you can easily add more.

> Buy now: Prestacycle TorqRatchet Go for £56 from Prestacycle

Check out our guide to the best torque wrenches for more options, with or without ratcheting...

Unlike most devices, you don't set this for a particular torque, and it doesn't click when it gets there. Instead you simply hold the round plastic end and push until the white indicator points at your chosen number. The white paint of the indicator is on a bar inside the aluminium body, and you're bending that bar, bringing more and more of it into view in the curved window.

The 12Nm max is a fair amount of force, especially as you can only really get a finger and thumb on the plastic nub, but it's easily manageable. It feels designed to stop you just ramming too much force through and damaging it, and it's a neat and comfy solution.

I tested the TorqRatchet Go against a more traditional X-Tools torque wrench (which it seems is no longer sold) and a larger Draper I have, and all three agreed at all the settings I tried. It's certainly accurate enough for what's it's designed for.

Hold the aluminium body as a handle and this is a regular ratchet, which makes this way more useful than most dedicated torque wrenches. That ratchet is housed in a rugged steel head, is reversible, and takes the 1/4in bits you can find everywhere.

The tool comes with nine bits in a simple plastic holder, but although they're made strong from good steel, the rather deeply bevelled edge around the ends of the hex bits don't help them find the best purchase in shallow bolt heads. I rounded out one cheap bolt quite easily.

You also get a couple of Torx bits and a Phillips screwdriver, but it's easy to swap in or out whatever bits you fancy.

At around 12cm long and 1cm thick, this tool is very easy to slip (along with its bit holder) into a pocket or pack, and while 122g is noticeable it's hardly problematic. Basically this is both very useable and very useful, either on the go (as the name more than suggests) or in the shed.

Value

For me at least, the £56 asking price makes this a very deliberate purchase – I'd have to really want both functions, rather than seeing one just as an occasionally useful extra, to pay the premium. If you just want a torque wrench then something like the VonHaus Bike Torque Wrench Set is £32.99, while a regular ratchet can also be had for less. Prestacycle's own Prestaratchet Go, for instance, is £30 and includes a host of additional bike-centric tools.

Still, if you want a genuinely portable torque wrench then prices do rise; the excellent Lezyne Pocket Torque Drive is £65, for instance.

Oddly, the Prestacycle TorqRatchet Pro Deluxe that Mike reviewed and loved so much is still available and now cheaper than this Go version at £52, despite it including a case and three extra bits. Its range is slightly lower at 2-10Nm, if that's an issue (the Go covers 3-12Nm). It's also 8% larger, because yes, Prestacycle has actually worked that out...

I'd say the price is entirely reasonable for what you're getting, but if you don't really need both a ratchet and a torque wrench in one portable package you can spend less on one or the other.

Overall

This is a neat, effective and strongly built design that's easily accurate enough for bike use. It's a great way to make sure you're not overtightening critical fasteners when you're fettling things out on the road, and the size, weight and shaping mean there's little penalty in carrying it. It's an easy gadget to recommend.

> Buy now: Prestacycle TorqRatchet Go for £56 from Prestacycle

> Six essential tools for cyclists who do their own bike maintenance

> Beginner’s guide to bike tools

Verdict

Strong, effective and simple in a clever way – this is a very useful portable tool