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This was as much fun as the Attic What IZIT used to be back in the early days of the internet. Being an ol' fashioned bike shop since the 70's, we've seen a lot of technology and "standards" come and go. As a result we have a lot of mostly outdated tools around the shop. For this contest we'd dig out an old tool and put it out to our visitors to identify. Much like we are posting reruns of the What IZIT we'll try to dust off one of these gems every week or so for a walk down memory lane.

Originally Published early in this century

Time to name that TOOL. After quizing the newer mechanics in the shop and only getting a couple of close answers this tool has made it into the contest. We are looking for the tool Manufacturer as well as functionality. Creativity always breaks a tie and a story of personal experience with the tool could win you the prize. A $10 Gift Cert to the winner!

A very tough edition of Name That TOOL. We even called our sources at Shimano and got the scoop. Technically this tool was used to check the alignment of the chainline. You would thread the tool onto the freewheel body and rotate it up to the crank. The inside of the inner ring would line up with the guide as shown in the picture below. It also functions as our winner wrote:

WINNER - Rob Riggins

"The tool is part of the Shimano rear derailleur hanger alignment tool. It screwed onto a hub and then the hub was installed in the frame as if it were a wheel. Then, using the other part of the tool (the part with the ruler that installed in the derailleur hanger) the mechanic could check the alignment of the rear derailleur hanger very precisely throughout the entire plane of the wheel by comparing the distance between both arms. If they were off, the mechanic could bend the hanger in the correct direction or put the hanger in the same plane with the wheel. Where I worked, it became a standard tool to use before installing SIS systems as upgrades. We got sloppy though and later just screwed in the derailleur hanger part of the tool and eyeballed the adjustments by comparing the plane of the derailleur hanger with an installed wheel. This was quicker and seemed to work well enough."

RUNNER UP - Scott Main

"The tool pictured is part of the Dura-Ace rear dropout centering and dropout alignment set (TL-RD10). The specific piece pictured threaded onto the rear hub (with freewheel removed) and was used as the rotating alignment reference point for the dropout alignment hanger tool. If memory serves me it was from about 1990."