Perfect small torque: Topeak Torq Stick Pro 4-20Nm review

Doing up the bolts on your bike to the proper tightness is essential not just for the longevity of the fastener but the thing you're clamping down on too – particularly if it's made of carbon fibre. However, if you’re using a basic cycling multitool, there’s no real way of knowing how hard you're twisting. The Topeak Torq Stick Pro 4-20Nm has entered the conversation.

You might already have a torque wrench in your garage, but the chances of it being sensitive enough to measure, let’s say, the 6Nm you need for your stem bolts are slim. Cheaper low-torque tools exist for these delicate jobs but few are very accurate and if they’re not accurate, then what’s the point?

Topeak has dabbled with small gadgets that measure bolt torque before (we reviewed the brilliant Topeak Ratchet Rocket, for example) and now you can get a conventional wrench in the form of the Torq Stick Pro. But is it any good?

Verdict: Not a cheap option by any means but viewed as a complete one-size-fits-tool for bike maintenance and the Torq Stick Pro starts to make sense. Beautifully machined and fearsomely accurate, the only thing it can’t do on my bike is tighten down the main crank bolt. Lots to like here.

What’s good?

I’ve been over every bolt on my bike and there’s a bit in this Topeak toolbox for every one of them. That’s impressive coverage, and the 20Nm maximum output on the wrench itself is fine for all but the most substantial fasteners.

I am pretty fussy when it comes to torquing things up properly and there’s every chance you’re not, but the Torq Stick Pro offers much more than just the smug satisfaction that everything is done up right. You even get a certificate to show it's been calibrated - in this case to within 1-2% accuracy across the board.

For a start, you get two other tools in the box, a mini-ratchet (just like my other favourite bike tool, the Ratchet Rocket), which is perfect for getting into small spaces. It’s great to see this included because it means you’ve got another wrench for tightening the bolt to 80%, before dialling in the final torque with the Torq Stick itself.

Likewise, there’s a round bit holder the size of a 50p coin for doing things up finger-tight in even more awkward spots. You can combine this with a spinning sleeve attachment for even greater ease of use.

All of these things click together magnetically (the bits themselves are held in the case with magnets too) and the finishing on them is fantastic. The finger-bit tool honestly looks like it could be the air conditioning knob from a Bentley.

This features on the handle of the Torq Stick too, which is 30cm long and substantially weighty in your hand. Different torque values are locked in by pulling down and twisting the bottom section – not an easy combination, but it does at least mean you won’t accidentally adjust it in use.

When you hit the requested torque value while tightening a bolt there’s a really definite click from the top of the tool so there’s no chance you’ll mistake a creak from the fastener or tool itself as a false positive.

Finally, the case it comes in features flip-out holders for the bits so they can stand vertically, and hinges so the whole thing sits flat when open. It’s made of a tough, thick plastic that feels like it will keep the contents safe.

Any negatives?

A few times when tightening a bolt I’ve accidentally caught the directional dial at the top of the Torq Stick and accidentally set it to the left-hand thread mode but honestly there’s not a lot to dislike here, it’s a brilliant tool.

The catches that hold the case shut are hinged on a flexible piece of plastic that may potentially weaken or even snap after a while. This is odd given the hinges themselves are proper jobs, with a metal core.

It’s got a pretty punchy price tag I suppose and doesn’t appear to be available for a huge range of retailers. The two things are potentially linked and when it’s been out for a bit longer we’ll revisit this review and update the pricing information.

How the Topeak Torq Stick Pro 4-20Nm was tested

I used this tool to undo and re-torque all of the bolts on my bike (except the crank bolt as I said earlier), which is quite impressive given it’s a full suspension mountain bike with a complicated swing arm full of pivots and bearings.

Adam Binnie is the Commercial Content Editor and reviewer for WhatsTheBest, specialising in bikes, fitness, cars, parenting and cooking.

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