Bicycle Mechanics - Accumulating tools...name one that you can't be without.

I've got a good selection of handtools but I've recently started to pick up bike specific items and I'm wondering what exactly I should be looking for. I have a stand and I'm shopping around for a wheel truing stand. If you had no tools what would be the first thing you would pick up?

Thanks,
Mike

A chain tool.

park P handles are awesome. they blow the pedros ones away. the ball head is actually useful. on the pedros its just worthless. in fact, skip all pedros stuff. whatever it is, park makes it better, they make it in america, and they make it cheaper. one exception, kinda: the park home mechanic truing stand is next to worthless. pony up for the shop one.

A chain tool.

The first thing that I ever had was a good set of allen wrenches that included two of every size I needed for everything on the bike. But a chain tool is a really good one too. Man, that's a really good question. I just can't think of any ONE tool that can be be placed at the top of the basics!!!!!

I don't know if you would exactly consider it a "tool", but sure makes things easier for me: a good BOOK, such as Zinn and the Art of (insert MTN. or ROAD here) Bike Maintenance, Barnetts, or any of the better books on repair and maintenance. I'd rather look something up that I'm not absolutely positive about, than goof it up by thinking I know it and finding out that I was wrong (and fouling up a repair).

What do you want to do?

In no specific order bicycle specific tools are a freewheel tool, chain whip, Bottom bracket tool, crank puller, chain tool, cone spanners, pedal spanner, special cable cutters, spoke wrench and then even more esoteric tools such as those for fitting and removing headset cups.

There's also convenience tools such as third and fourth hand tools to help with adjusting brakes and gears.

If you want to be able to completely disassemble and reassemble a bike then you probably need all of them but that may not be cost effective if you only use them once in a blue moon.

A freewheel tool, chain-whip, crank puller and chain tool are really handy so that you can completely remove the chain and drive-train for thorough cleaning.

Regards, Anthony

Bottle opener.

Lessee... first one I got was a chain tool, then I got the "Team Tool Kit" for $100 from performance, which has: a good set of allen wrenches, cassette lockring tool, crank extractor tool, bottom bracket tool, set of cone wrenches, spoke wrenches, cable cutter, pedal wrench, chainring nut tool.

Later I bought a truing stand, a notched lockring combo wrench, and a chain washer (cheap and really handy!). Oh yeah, I also got a nice metal vernier caliper: very very handy for measuring tube diameter and ball bearing size and such.

Metric multi -allen (with the bottle opener).

What do you want to do?

In no specific order bicycle specific tools are a freewheel tool, chain whip, Bottom bracket tool, crank puller, chain tool, cone spanners, pedal spanner, special cable cutters, spoke wrench and then even more esoteric tools such as those for fitting and removing headset cups.

There's also convenience tools such as third and fourth hand tools to help with adjusting brakes and gears.

If you want to be able to completely disassemble and reassemble a bike then you probably need all of them but that may not be cost effective if you only use them once in a blue moon.

A freewheel tool, chain-whip, crank puller and chain tool are really handy so that you can completely remove the chain and drive-train for thorough cleaning.

Regards, Anthony

even if it is used ounce then it is worth its weight in gold. Because you cant substitute something else in there for that tool say a pipe wrench. Even if I did it "right" the first time it always seems like I have to go back at least ounce to tweak it to make it perfect

What do you want to do?

In no specific order bicycle specific tools are a freewheel tool, chain whip, Bottom bracket tool, crank puller, chain tool, cone spanners, pedal spanner, special cable cutters, spoke wrench and then even more esoteric tools such as those for fitting and removing headset cups.


Tha's a good starting list. I would suggest my favorite tool of convenience: a multiple-allen-wrench-tool. When I can't find the needed size in my tool box, I just reach for this pocket-knife looking thing with 8 different sizes. It saves me the 5 min torture of frantically searching for that Xmm hex wrench that is hiding very effectively.

The tool I reach for first when I walk into the shop is a Park three way hex wrench 4mm, 5mm, 6mm. The best purchase you can make. A nice set of cone wrenches (with 2 - 15mm wrenches) and a variety of large headset wrenches. Park tools rock!

Curved forceps. Doubles as a bottle opener!

Good spoke wrench(s) that holds the nipples snugly and won't slip at all. I use Spokey brand. They are color coded for various sizes.
Oh yeah, and a church key, and a metric crescent wrench.

Al

It's a tie between an allen wrench set and a spoke wrench. They're the two I use most often, anyway.

If you are heavy you must have a spoke tensiometer. A small bench vise makes adjustment of wheel bearings much easier for people who only have two hands.

A hammer...

Besides the obvious, spoke wrenches/allen wrenches/chain tools...

CABLE CUTTERS!!
The bike specific ones for cutting stuborn housing...I struggled for a couple years using standard wire cutters...and mangled many a cable. I have the shimano ones, they were $35 or so..but worth every penny when I pull them out and make a nice clean snip through some cable housing-

Also crank pullers are great, got alot of use out of mine.

+1 on the park stuff, never had a problem

I saved 5 bucks by going to the lbs to buy the Park HCW-15 headset wrench I had to buy it out of the mechanics tool box

Hammer, dykes, pliers, and a cresent wrench...... :D


Seriously though, I buy wrecked/neglected old school bikes, overhaul them, and sell them off. The tools I use most often are the nipple wrench, a hex head set, small phillips/flat head, chain tool, a 9/10mm box wrench, freewheel removal tools, and once in a while a crank puller.

Old wheesets almost always need some truing, and the small screwdrivers, hex set, and the 9/10mm box wrench take care of almost all brake/shifter adjustments, so those are my most frequently used tools.

I also have BB tools, a pedal wrench, and cone wrenches, but they aren't used as much as the others.

OH - I almost forgot.... A STAND!! that's the one that's most valuable to me!!!

Hammer, dykes, pliers, and a cresent wrench...... :D


Seriously though, I buy wrecked/neglected old school bikes, overhaul them, and sell them off. The tools I use most often are the nipple wrench, a hex head set, small phillips/flat head, chain tool, a 9/10mm box wrench, freewheel removal tools, and once in a while a crank puller.

Old wheesets almost always need some truing, and the small screwdrivers, hex set, and the 9/10mm box wrench take care of almost all brake/shifter adjustments, so those are my most frequently used tools.

I also have BB tools, a pedal wrench, and cone wrenches, but they aren't used as much as the others.

OH - I almost forgot.... A STAND!! that's the one that's most valuable to me!!!

Heh I got almost everything except a stand. I've assembled two bikes so far, and going for a third.

Gotta have a hemostat for handling ball bearings. My SunTour cable cutter does its job nicely.

I think I use my 1/4" drive mertric hex drivers more than any of my other tools. I use the ratchet to do the initial loosening and final tightening only. The rest of the time I spin them with my fingers. I have other types of allen wrenches, but I like these the best.

I don't own a chain whip and I've never felt like I needed one. I hold the cassette with my hand when I loosen a lock ring. I don't disassemble freewheels. What else are they good for?

I just bought some cable cutters to replace the Wiss compound action shears that I've always used. The cable cutters don't work any better for me that my old Wiss shears. I screwed up and won two auctions, so I have both Park and Wrench Force (Snap-on) cutters. They're both going back on eBay.

If you're buying a cable cutter, I recommend the Felco C7 if you can afford one.

Especially valuable tools include the ones needed to remove your cassette from your rear wheel (typically a chain whip and a lockring tool, plus a medium-sized adjustable wrench), the tools needed to remove your crankarms and bottom bracket (crank extractor and BB tools), plus tools to overhaul your hubs (axle vise, cone wrenches, adjustable wrench), and tools to true your wheels (at least a spoke wrench). A bench vise, lots of lighting, a washtub, cardboard and a good floor pump are also great :)

Whatever tool, make sure it is the right tool for the job.

Crank puller. Just try to remove a crank without one.

Crank puller. Just try to remove a crank without one.
There was recently a thread from a BMX guy trying to figure out how to remove a 3-piece MTB crank... I eventually talked him out of trying to improvise a method to remove the cranks!!! :D He had apparently be successful at removing a freewheel without a freewheel puller, so he must have had some McGyvering skills :rolleyes:

The TWO tools i wind up using the most are preventative tools..... piton valved Presta tire gauge, this is the bike tool i use most frequently. Also Park's swingarm chain checker- its much quicker than a ruler.

These get used much more frequently than any other tools i have around for my bikes.

park P handles are awesome. they blow the pedros ones away. the ball head is actually useful. on the pedros its just worthless. in fact, skip all pedros stuff. whatever it is, park makes it better, they make it in america, and they make it cheaper. one exception, kinda: the park home mechanic truing stand is next to worthless. pony up for the shop one.

My worn cassette tool says otherwise. Because it is designed to be used solely with a box wrench (a very LARGE one) it had to be disposed of after a year because the splines were stripped after a year of light use because it slips. Sure a more practiced/finessed hand could make it last longer. But that's not the point of "great tools". You're not supposed to be a McGuyver that can make crappy tools work good. Great tools JUST WORK despite any ham-fistedness of those who wield them.

I replaced it with a socket based model with pin that came out of a Lifu kit. After two years it is still going strong and WAY EASIER to use on a swivel socket Craftsmen socket wrench. Pedros also realizes the usefulness of standard socket wrenches that have lots of leverage and thick comfortable handles as opposed to buying the park "one piece" tools that often have to be augmented with a pipe.

Ohh, and how about the spoke wrenches? They are only three sided as opposed to four which makes rounding nipples easier. Plus they have a narrow turning surface so that they did into your fingers after prolonged usage. Those spoke wrenches were built to be cheap and functional ... certainly not the best. My current favorite is a Wrench Force four sided with wide plastic flanges that provide comfort as well as extra leverage.

How about the chain tools??? The cheapo Lifu tool in my kit with the adjustable backstop (hollow screw) setting up the chain and actually pushing the pin out without bending guard planes a snap. Perhaps I simply did not have enough skill to set the chain correctly and hold it right when pushing a pin. But this is one of the reason we design tools. BTW, I do like the Park mini chain brute for the size.

The Park Tools are not junk. They are almost all the top of the line from say ... 15 years ago. It is possible to refine tool design and Park probably needs to jump on that with respect to some of their wares. They seem to be resting on their reputation and their "Big Blue" advertising campaigns.

I got news for Park. When we can all buy Lifu/Spin Doctor/Sette kits (probably all made by Lifu) for $40 that contain pretty much every tool you will need to work a bike that are EASIER to use than the Park Tool, consumers will not buy Park Tools. And if Pedro's keeps innovating while Big Blue sits on their Laurels, the shops will go to Pedros.

Besides the obvious, spoke wrenches/allen wrenches/chain tools...

CABLE CUTTERS!!
The bike specific ones for cutting stuborn housing...I struggled for a couple years using standard wire cutters...and mangled many a cable. I have the shimano ones, they were $35 or so..but worth every penny when I pull them out and make a nice clean snip through some cable housing-

Also crank pullers are great, got alot of use out of mine.

+1 on the park stuff, never had a problem

Hardware stores sell cable cutters for $10-$15. If you want it REALLY clean use a dremel tool.

I've got a good selection of handtools but I've recently started to pick up bike specific items and I'm wondering what exactly I should be looking for. I have a stand and I'm shopping around for a wheel truing stand. If you had no tools what would be the first thing you would pick up?

Thanks,
Mike
General tools hammer,
Bicycle specific tools chain tool.

The tool I reach for first when I walk into the shop is a Park three way hex wrench 4mm, 5mm, 6mm. The best purchase you can make. A nice set of cone wrenches (with 2 - 15mm wrenches) and a variety of large headset wrenches. Park tools rock!

+1

All jokes about the bottle opener aside, mine is on my Swiss army knife, the above mentioned tools are the first thing you need to get. The chain tool should come later. You will use these tools 100-1 over a chain tool. Problem is none of the wrenches mentioned can take a chain off. The up side is, how often do you plan on taking your chain off? Good luck on whatever you choose.

Tim

This Little Guy (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=12406&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) costs $5 and is probably the most useful tool I've ever encountered. Brake rubbing? Pull it out of the seatpack and adjust the centering screw (without getting off the bike, mind you). Cleat slip? Stop, repeat same. Can't find that fscking allen? Chances are it has the right size. I <3 mine.

So, I've got a stand, I'm shopping for a wheel truing stand (TS-2), I've got Park's Big Book of Bicycle Repair, and it sounds like I should get a chain tool, freewheel tool, BB tools, pedal wrench, crank puller, cable cutter (found that out the hard way), spoke wrenches, T-handle hex wrenches, and then the standard generic hand tools. I figure on picking one or two a month until I have a respectable shop for maintaining my road and mountain bikes.

If you can think of others fire away.

Mike

So, I've got a stand, I'm shopping for a wheel truing stand (TS-2), I've got Park's Big Book of Bicycle Repair, and it sounds like I should get a chain tool, freewheel tool, BB tools, pedal wrench, crank puller, cable cutter (found that out the hard way), spoke wrenches, T-handle hex wrenches, and then the standard generic hand tools. I figure on picking one or two a month until I have a respectable shop for maintaining my road and mountain bikes.

If you can think of others fire away.

Mike
Wow, you're getting your tools in the opposite order of most of us :) For most, a workstand and truing stand would be among the last purchases (maybe headset reamer would come later :p).

Also, don't forget chain whip, which is necessary to use the cassette tool. And skip the freewheel tool unless you actually have a bike with a freewheel hub that you plan on working on a lot. Freewheels are a pain in the ass to remove, and there are about 10 different freewheel tools, each costing $8-$15. The closest thing to a standard is the Shimano splined freewheel tool, which is used on nearly all recent freewheels... but most recent bikes don't use freewheels anyway.

A torque wrench, a derailleur hanger alignment tool (Especially if you're maintaining a mountain bike), a small container of anti-seize compound, a large adjustable wrench (At least 12"), a wheel dishing tool, a spoke length measurement gauge, and a bench grinder to square off cable housing ends.

You might be able to pick up a complete set of bicycle tools more cheaply than purchasing the individual components separately. Also, the internet is a great resource if you want to hold off buying the book until later.

Many bike repairs can be done with a set of allen keys, and perhaps a pair of vice grips or some wrenches.

A hammer...
a BIGGER hammer(for those really finicky jobs!)

Gotta be the multi-tool (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=99&subcategory=1233&brand=&sku=10380&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) I carry with me when I bike.

Park Multi-Tool. . .

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=18246&subcategory_ID=4217

Begin with this tool doing all your maintenance with it and add tools to accomodate the things the Multi can't do. If you do all the maintenance with it, you'll have a better "feel" for it when you really need it out there in the "mud n' the blood n' the beer" **.

** - Johnny Cash, "A Boy Named Sue"

i can open a bottle with a lighter. a handy trick, my friend.

If I had no tools, the first thing I'd buy is a good floor pump.

I bought a roll-up tool set from Performance on clearance for $35 (original price was $100). Definantely one of the better investments I have made. It has the basics: a cassette tool, spoke wrenches, chain whip, pedal wrench, cone wrenches, cable cutters, crank puller, tire levers, chain tool, and a multi-tool (the latter three and a spoke wrench are in my saddle bag).

To my toolset I've added a chain wear indicator, a set of allen wrenches, a few adustable wrenches, locking needle nose pliers, channel lock pliers, various screwdrivers, measuring calipers, and a pipe cutter. I've used all the tools in the roll-up set except for the cone wrenches, but by far the most used tools are the allen wrenches. I have yet to buy a "real" workstand, but for now I'm getting by with my homemade one (a saw horse with some big ol' pieces of lumber attached with one of those wall mounted bike holders attached to the lumber and a bungee cord to hold down the handlebars).

If I had no tools, the first thing I'd buy is a good floor pump.


+1. I love my better floor pump, and I use it all the time.

The one I find I'm always wishing for is a good table/bench vise. Unfortunately, I don't have anything good to attach it to. But I work on a lot of older bikes and fixed gears/ss, and as someone pointed out, getting freewheels off really requires good torque.

My big rec. if you're working on older, sidepull caliper brakes is the Parktools brake wrench (8mm/10mm). The thing is perfect for some awkwardly placed nuts and bolts.

BTW, my Pedro's spoke wrench is great, and my Pedro's allen key set is waaaay nicer than the Parktools one I have. They're tools are also far less expensive for the quality you get.

Oh, and my last favorite: Phil's Tenacious Oil. Sheldon Brown sold me on the stuff, and it really does "hit the spot". The perfect medium grade, oozy lubricant for moving parts.

Metric multi -allen (with the bottle opener).
You guys think you have a cool bottle opener? Hah! I'll show you *my* bottle opener:
http://uncommongoods.com/images/product/10144_lg.jpg

+1. I love my better floor pump, and I use it all the time.


A good floor pump with a gauge will save you lots of wheel/tire grief. Mine (a Silca Pista) gets used almost daily.

I actually use my pedal wrench a lot more than I ever thought I would. Same with cable cutters.

I have an older version of the Topeak Alien multitool, which has a chain tool (the new one didn't look like it had one, strangely enough), and is always in the seat bag.

I had to buy a pedal wrench, as it seemed basically impossible to find a store with individual metric wrenches that were thin enough to deal with the pedals. If you plan on travelling with the bike much, and have to bag/box it up, you will probably find that little item infinitely useful.

Am going to have to make/buy a chain whip at some point, and a floor pump with a gauge is useful.

The rider

You guys think you have a cool bottle opener? Hah! I'll show you *my* bottle opener:
http://uncommongoods.com/images/product/10144_lg.jpg

You win.

My most used, most useful tools are definitely my 4, 5 and 6mm Allen wrenches. The 5mm in particular is useful on almost every part of a modern bicycle. As for my more specialized tools, I'm really fond of my Shimano cable cutters. They represent an immeasurable improvement over the tin snips (housing) and wire cutters (inner cables) I was using before. Good thing I didn't have indexed shifting at the time!

I've also just upgraded to two adjustable wrenches: a 6" for everything 3/4" and smaller that I don't have the right size wrench for, and now a 12" for everything bigger :D.

Crank puller. Just try to remove a crank without one.

I forgot about the crank puller! That's one of my coolest tools. Absurdly easy to use - Sugino made a good crank puller!