Interview with Abbey Bike Tools' Owner and Founder, Jason Quade
We sat down with Abbey Bike Tools founder, Jason Quade, to ask him how he got started making some of the highest quality bicycle tools on the market.
Hey Jason, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. So first, how did you get into tool making?
Completely on accident. Jeff Crombie asked me to make our signature tool as a favor. I thought it was a great idea so I made a few more. When we made that tool available to the public a lot of people asked “What else do you make?” I hadn’t gotten that far but it didn’t take long to realize there was a need for professional quality bike tools.
What would you say is your favourite/most prized tool in your line-up and why?
The HAG is a cornerstone tool for us. It really embodies our tag line “Precision is our Religion”. It’s so much more accurate than anything else on the market and just a pleasure to use. The Titanium Hammers are my favorite tool to make.
Precision is his religion.
How does your design process differ from others in the cycling industry?
We put quality above everything else. There’s plenty of companies that engineer tools to hit a price point, we build the best tools we can and they wind up being expensive but they aren’t full of compromises.
We build the best tools we can and they wind up being expensive but they aren’t full of compromises.
Hard at work.
Crombie Tool heads.
What's a shop without a tap?
Do you incorporate feedback from pro mechanics and other customers in your product development?
I travelled as a road race mechanic for a decade and have a lot of friends in those circles. The Crombie, BBQ Pedal Wrench, Stu Stick, HAG and suspension top cap sockets are all the result of our relationships with factory techs and team mechanics across all facets of cycling.
We always listen to customers as well, everybody uses tools differently and sometimes we get the best feedback from the home mechanic that’s just getting started.
The shaft of the HAG Hanger Alignment Guage.
Would you say keeping everything US made has been difficult?
It’s not difficult, just expensive. There’s a lot of pride in domestic manufacturing and making the products we put our name on.
There’s a lot of pride in domestic manufacturing.
What does the future of Abbey Bike Tools look like?
We are finished moving into our new facility. We doubled our footprint and are adding a few new machines as well. The list of new products we want to make never stops growing. There’s a couple of things we’ve got cooking that will be pretty innovative.
Thanks for the interview Jason! Good luck with all the new developments.
Welding for the Crombie tools.
Using the Fit Kit.
Shop dog for the win!
Jason Quade in all his glory.
