It’s fair to say that Park Tool is the biggest name in bike tools, and its products are ubiquitous in workshops throughout the world – including ours. The brand’s Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit aims to be one of the best tool kits available.

The Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit comes in a traditional tool box, rather than a more modern briefcase. The benefit of this is that there’s plenty of room to expand the kit with tools you already own, or end up buying later. On the flipside, everything ends up getting chucked in on top of each other, making it more difficult to find specific tools than the well-organised briefcase options, and there’s more chance of items getting damaged. Park claims there are 40 tools in the box, but because several are multi-purpose, there are actually only 29 individual items. And of those, several feel a bit like stocking fillers – the chain cleaner, washing brush and bottle opener, for example.

However, there are some really useful tools as well. The chain pliers work well and the chain tool is a favourite with pro mechanics and you’ll see in used in bike shops everywhere.

The cable cutters didn’t leave as crisp a finish on cable housing as the Feedback Sports, but they didn’t fray the inner wire.

With basic plastic coatings on the handles, some of the Park tools didn’t look or feel as high quality as the Topeak or Feedback Sports, but it was nice to have the adjustable spanner and the tape measure.

Park Tool AK-3 Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit