The Topeak Prep Station Pro tool box is the centerpiece of what looks to be an all-in-one bike maintenance tool set.
A few years ago, I posted about a Topeak mini bit ratchet set, which is no longer available. (Here’s the updated set on Amazon).
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This Prep Station Pro tool box and tool set is definitely bike maintenance-specific, but I found the tool box design to be interesting and maybe even inspiration for anyone with DIY aspirations.
In other words, it’s a specialty product that is very expensive, but I thought the interesting design to be worth a quick post nonetheless.
The Topeak tool box has 7 tool and part storage areas – 5 for tools, and 2 for small parts and components.
The tool and component trays seem to pivot around a rear post support, and it looks like they can do so completely independently, allowing for easy access of tools and supplies
Its’s like a rolling field supply box, the kind of bike tool box that is wheeled out to races, competitions, and group rides.
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The tool set features 55 tools, a mix of bike-specific tools and some universally-purposed tools.
Here’s a better look at how the Prep Station opens up for tool access.
Everything is neatly organized for you. The bottommost tray serves as a catch-all for tools and larger bike parts.
The handle folds down for easier storage or transport, and there are 5″ ball bearing wheels help with mobility.
Ignoring the price, this looks pretty cool. If you’re into road or mountain bikes, what do you think of the set? If you’re not, what do you think about the tool box, aside from being very pricey?
Price: $900
Buy Now(via Amazon)
RKA
I like the concept and probably would buy something similar for taking tools to the track (though that doesn’t happen anymore), but I would want to fill it with my tools, not some prepacked selection. Often times you have a patch of dirt or if you’re lucky, blacktop, to do whatever needs doing on the car. Tools would often get emptied out of a large plastic toolbox onto the ground. So having a toolbox tree that could neatly organize everything would be nice.
Ryan
I was unaware that Topeak got into the shop tools game. When I was working in a bike shop in 2013 and 2014, the industry standard was Park Tool. The price for this set would be about right for them, but I don’t know how well Topeak tools are regarded in the industry.
I do have experience (firsthand and from working in a bike store) with Topeak gear. Some of it is great (I love the morph line of pumps and my rear rack from them works fine) but other stuff they sell is mediocre to bad (their floor pumps got returned more than any other brand and the bike multitools are underwhelming.)
fred
I agree with RKA – the concept is nice – but you are probably better served buying your own tools as you need them. I was “Mr. Bike Fix-It” for the neighborhood when the kids were growing up. I ended up buying a lot of bike tools. A few of them were Topeak – but more from Park Tool, Var, Shimano and Hozan, with specialty tools from folks like Bicycle Research, Campagnolo, Phil Wood. J.A. Stein, Jim Langley, Lezyne, Efficient Velo, United Bicycle, Lifu, Pedro’s, Cyclus, Rohloff, Morningstar, White Industries, and others.
Park Tool (the big US bike tool manufacturer) also sells kits starting with a suitcase packaged travel kit :
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Professional-Travel-Event/dp/B015G069Y4/ref=sr_1_5_sspa?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1525437236&sr=1-5-spons&keywords=park+ek2&psc=1
They also sell a master tool kit (MK-268) for a whopping $8019 (on Amazon anyway) .
Var (France) also sells several different kits – like this travelling one:
https://www.vartools.com/en/team-replica-racing-service-tool-case-var-p1247.php
Scar
I like the look of the tool box for shade tree mechanic work. It would be nice if the top bin just had a small work top or shallow lined tray for whichever tools you are actively using at the time.
I have the Stanley 4-1 workstation which is pretty good for this type of thing.
https://www.stanleytools.com/en-us/products/fatmax-tools/fatmax-storage/fatmax-4in1-mobile-work-station/020800r
I need more “table” space though. I really am looking for a poor man’s version of a Hazet or Beta tool trolley. Maybe I’ll make some sort of bench top to fit into the top part of the Stanley.
Nathan
my concern is that those top trays aren’t held on very well so they aren’t able to take much weight. Granted they are thin also so it’s not like you’d put a impact wrench in there. But overall I sort of like the idea. I assume there is some method for disconnecting the trays from the post in the back also. IE a quick unlatch or something.
Looks like you could put say a 1/4 drive socket set in one – 3/8’s in another – pliers, screw drivers, and bit inserts in another – then a few other tools in the others – heavy stuff in the bottom and have a decent kit for car track days too. Curious – how tall is it? If that would have fit in the trunk of my race car I would have thought about it. Instead I used a pelican case.
ktash
The swiveling racks look neat. I’m not a biker, but it would be great to have something similar for frequently used tools. Using your own tools, though. Just wheel it to where you’re working in the garage, shop, on-site, etc.
Eric
If the handle doubled as a repair stand and the kit cost half as much I could see it. Otherwise that is a lot of money for quite a few general tools that would need to be supplemented.
I bought what I feel is a slightly more complete kit with more bike specific tools and fewer general ones from Park Tool for $250.
fred
Yes indeed. Topeak also seems to include some tools that seem odd for a field kit.
No hacksaw or vise to hold things steady – but a guide for using a hacksaw to cut a fork tube? I think that I also spied some thread-less star nut setters – so maybe they expect you will need to cut off a section of damaged fork? Its interesting to compare the tool selection to the $700 Park kit that I linked to above.
Frank D
Cool idea. Could be great for electrical and low voltage work.
Somebody make one without tools, and a kick stand so it doesn’t topple over when you swing a few trays away from the base and pulled your drill etc out.
Nathan L
I really like the concept of the rotating trays and love a lot of Topeak innovative stuff, but unfortunately there’s *almost* always one fatal flaw in each otherwise brilliant Topeak product. Three examples:
I had two of the Road Morph pumps, which are a nice trade-off between size and ergonomics, and love that pump… except that it left me stranded on three different occasions with a flat tire and non-working pump, coincidentally all three times in a rain storm. The retention ring for the flippable valve-type washer invariably loosens and falls off, so if you have it mounted on your bike frame you’ll suddenly find it no longer works. It could be simply resolved by putting the retaining ring on a lanyard, but of course Topeak hasn’t ever made that improvement in years of the problem being observed and reported. I finally switched to a Lenzyne (sp?) pump, which has its own tradeoffs but hasn’t as yet left me stranded with a loaded bike on a cloudy hilltop somewhere east of Bangor, Maine.
I had one of their Hexus (i think it was) bike multitools, which had almost all the tools i needed in it, but it self-destructed the first time i used the chain tool in it.
My only gripe about their Explorer DX rear bike cargo rack is that the hardware is too rust-prone; except for that i’ve used and abused that rack like crazy with no complaints, and it’s very inexpensive. It even saved my bike from what would have been complete destruction when a pallet of cinderblocks broke loose in the back of a pickup and slammed against the cab… with the bike in between.
I haven’t yet found a flaw in the Joe Blow Sport floor pump. It’s awesome.
Alas, after the digression i think the former case applies here: a cool innovation for a bike enthusiast but with flaws: too expensive and too strange a selection for the potential market. I’d like to see a scaled-down, cheaper model.
Nathan L
Forgot to include the largest of the MTX trunk bags, which i have used for years now and love, but again–you guessed it– has a fatal flaw: the two webbing handles for carrying the bag off the bike are attached to the zipper-closable top, rather than the structural sides of the bag, meaning that you quickly ruin your zippers carrying the bag around by those handles. Another easily-fixed design flaw that i haven’t seen be fixed.
MtnRanch
Topeak is a great company to do business with. On several occasions I’ve needed a small part for a pump or a bike multitool and they’ve just sent it out – no charge and no jumping through hoops with a warranty claim. As a result I keep buying Topeak products.
John B Brady
Raced road and trail for years, wrenched a few more for a local shop. I have about that much in what I have, which is a Craftsman 3 drawer portable chest with a bunch of Park and Pedro’s tools. That box, a repair stand, and a folding table have been my go to set up for bike rodeos, 24 hour races, and other events. Sorry, this product really doesn’t tickle my fancy and the price is too high. Just my thoughts.
Ron
Nowhere near your experience, but I do have some from 8 years as a volunteer at a bike coop and Bike to Work day events. “Ditto”
Even the stamped appearance of the wrench I could see is too much like Performance stamped “Spin Dr.” junk. Park and Pedro.
No tools with the Topeak dovetail bracket on the bottom would have made it interesting. Would be fun to take it to an event on the bike. $900???????
Joe
Damn interesting…..
JoeM
If I had over a grand to spare ($900 converted to Canadian) I would buy this for my Brother. He practically LIVES on his mountain bike. Buying him a Bike-Maintenance Kit like this would save him TONS when he has to make repairs. Plus, it would be peace of mind for me, knowing he would be operational more than normal.
I do hear some comments about the brand quality. Well, get your butts in gear, and get one of those companies to copy this set, and not go over that price. Then I’d say the same about their versions.
fred
@JoeM
If your brother only rides one bike, than a much more focused kit might be assembled for a lot less. A pair of cone wrenches, a chain whip, a bottom bracket tool. a head wrench, a pedal wrench, some hex keys or T-handles , a chain breaker. a “third hand” , a crankset remover and a cable cutter – plus some hand tools he may already have (adjustable wrench, screwdrivers and hammer) – would give him a decent start. Some of the road or event kits – add on items so that you can service multiple bikes with different components.
JoeM
I’ve thought about doing that, yeah. Only problem is, every time I try to do that kind of thing, he yells at me because I don’t know the tools HIS bike needs. Which is true. Because he will neither tell me, nor allow me within five feet of his bike.
We are brothers, so we obviously have our boundary issues and fight the way Brothers do. But I think he doesn’t want me to spend any money on him, because he doesn’t want to “Owe Me”… no matter how much I tell him he doesn’t “Owe Me” on anything, he’s pretty stubborn about him and I doing “Gifts” of any sort. We’re Brothers, so we’re alike in that way. We both have issues with the other worrying themselves over us.
But, Thanks for that list, Fred! If I knew more about his particular bike, I’d at least have somewhere to start there.
Ron
If the time ever gets right, get him a pair of 4-in-1 Cone Wrenches from Lee Valley Chestnut tools. I’ve been very happy with them.
JoeM
Bookmarked for later… Thanks Ron!
fred
The Lee Valley cone wrenches handle the common sizes (13, 14, 15, 17mm) – but if your brother has a bike that uses different hubs (cone wrenches range up to 28mm) these won’t work for him. Sorry to throw water on your fire – but you might need to get a look at that bike.
JoeM
Oh, no apologies necessary. I know I still have to check out my Brother’s bike at some point. The key is going to be finding the right moment.
I’m not buying anything until I KNOW what my Brother needs. He only ever asks for gift cards for the grocery store chain he goes to, and I understand that, but a $20 gift card, versus $18 portable tools for his bike… I don’t see how I could lose that argument with him.
The problem is that we’re both stubborn, and have bad tempers. We’re Brothers who genuinely care about eachother, but to the untrained eye, it looks like we’re both trying to kill eachother, or are disowning eachother. Even my Nephew (His Son) can’t tell at this point. It’s just hard to explain that this “Gift” comes with no guilt attached, and that it is merely for my own peace of mind that he can get the most he possibly can out of his bike. If I explain it to him beforehand, he’ll talk me out of it. If he sees me measuring his bike, he’ll go on the defensive. As long as I get the right size, or at least within the ballpark of the tools he can genuinely use, then all should be good. I’d love to be able to have a total kit like the one posted, but paying that much to cover ALL the bases is outside my budget.
We’re a strange family. This probably sounds completely bonkers to everyone. I promise, I have good intentions when it comes to this particular issue.
PB
Stand-alone tool box P/N: TPS-01CS
No reviews (probably too new). I don’t know if these retailers are legitimate, but they look like they are.
Available for $330 here
https://www.todson.com/products/topeak-prepstation-case-only-with-foam-no-tools-tps-01cs
$361 here
https://www.bicyclehero.com/us/topeak-prepstation-case-tps-01cs.html
Not available on Amazon, but there is a page for it,
https://www.amazon.com/TOPEAK-TPS-01CS-Topeak-PrepStation/dp/B00GX83SY8
If you watch the video from Topeak’s website you can get a sense of the scale of the box, actually seems small (a good thing in my opinion). And it illustrates better what is shown in one picture where the wheels can be pulled out and the front lock turns into a stabilizer both should hopefully prevent the thing from tipping over.
I’d like to see it in person to see if it is tough enough to handle being shipped through FedEx or UPS, it looks a little thin for that.
Ron
The dimensions given are:
26.4 x 15 x 14.2 inches.
The Trolley Tote basket is 13.4” x 17.4” x 10.1”.
The wire basket fixer replacement slider is: 11.6 x 3.8 x 1.9 inches, I’ve used one for a battery mount.
So a slider could probably be put on the bottom as it’s open and fasteners shouldn’t be a problem. Might be tough to keep the center of gravity low. But $361 for the box and another $17 for the slider is a bit much for my budget.
and equipped with a rack slide.
MikeIt
Crack pipe. I have about 90% of those tools in a Craftsman 3 drawer toolbox and still have room for chain lubricants, degreaser, a couple of inner tubes and a home made head set installer made up of a couple of blocks and a long threaded bolt. I see this has a little more room for a couple of extras but other than that I don’t see a compelling reason to get it even at half the price. You can probably get yourself a Stanley Workcenter type unit or mobile tool chest and spec your own tools out and come out ahead. However, for the sake of constructive criticism, I say incorporate a portable bike stand and a wheel truing station and throw in a pump and maybe you have something interesting there. That center upright handle is near the height of a bike stand anyway, put a clamp at the end and make it useful. Don’t want to go that route? Fine make room for a fold up stand that fits in the box and make the handle the pump. Then you might have something interesting.