Park Tool – ambition and tradition
The origins of Park Tool go back to a time when bicycles were not quite the sophisticated high-performance machines they are today. This had its advantages. Apart from flat tyres and broken spokes, there was hardly anything to repair, and maintenance was usually limited to the mechanically not too demanding braking system. However, the need for special tools was already remarkable and increased immensely as rim brakes, advanced shifting systems and lightweight components became widespread in the 1960s.
Howard Hawkins and his business partner, Art Engstrom, made a virtue out of necessity and developed the tools they needed in the workshop themselves. The breakthrough came in 1963 with a bicycle stand which was so practical that it caused a sensation at trade fairs and fascinated big bicycle manufacturers like Schwinn: Park Tool Company was born.
The range was quickly expanded to include further repair stands, wrenches, gauges, fixtures and consumer tools. This practical approach to developing and selling high-quality solutions to problems faced by professionals and amateurs in their everyday repair and maintenance work is still present at Park Tool and characterizes every single product that the US company adds to its range. The claim could not be higher: Park Tool is about building the best bicycle tools in the world.