Bicycle Mechanics - Bicycle tools: Need to have vs. Nice to have?

My New Years' resolution is to be able to perform an overhaul on my bike by myself. (I just paid $180 to have the LBS do it. Included a new chain and new 105 cassette.) I have a pretty good assortment of basic tools (i.e. wrenches, allen wrenches, screwdrivers) as well as a spoke wrench and a multi-tool that came with my bike. I want to know what bicycle-specific tools I will need. I'm thinking a set of good cone wrenches, a chain tool, a bottom bracket tool, a chain whip, and a cable and housing cutter. Are there any other tools that I must have? (A crank puller, headset tools, etc.) Can I get by with the stuff I already have?

Definitely the crank puller (Park ones are great).
Park cable cutters are a luxury to own and use.
Adjustable wrench for cassette lockring tools and BB tools.
Cassette lockring remover, pretty cheap but essential.
BB remover, ditto above.
Park's 'shop' cone wrenchs are pretty cool to own and use.
Chain tool is not essential if you have a SRAM or similar special link - tool free!

For $180 you could buy all you need easily :).

If you do need to pull the crank at some point definitely get a crank puller. You can get a perfectly usable one for about $10 or a Park for not much more. While I have read people's techniques for pulling a crank without one I wouldn't try it.

If you have an older cup and cone headset you should get a headset lockring tool. If you have a large enough open end or adjustable wrench that will work for the headset nut. If not get one of the Park headset/pedal wrench. Big open end for the headset (get the size you need 32 or 36 mm) and a 15 mm on the other end for pedals. Not too expensive.

If you have a cassette hub you will probably want to get an appropriate lockring remover. Shimano cassettes generally use the Park FR-5. About $5

One of the most important tools is a good book. "Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair" is my favorite though may like Zinn and the Art of Road (or Mountain) Bike Maintenance. The book will cost more than the tools, but will make things a LOT easier and avoid potential damage.

I'm thinking that you should get a chain tool. Even with the special links, you have to size it initially so the tool is needed. You can get a *cheap* one ($10-15) so it's not likely to break the bank.

A chain tool is needed in case the chain breaks.

A torque wrench (since you did ask the question). However, last I looked, that was not a very popular tool in these forums.

A repair stand high enough so you can work standing up straight.

Yes, definitely a repair stand.... makes tinkering and cleaning your bike a lot more enjoyable...

A torque wrench (since you did ask the question). However, last I looked, that was not a very popular tool in these forums.


For which jobs?

Calibrated in inch-pounds or foot-pounds?

A repair stand high enough so you can work standing up straight.

Whoops. Forgot to mention that I have the Park PCS-1 stand. I'm thinking about getting the truing stand that attaches to it. $25 at Nashbar.

A lot of people on here seem to not like tool kits, but I have found that they are a good deal on a tight budget. I have a performance tool kit (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16571&subcategory_ID=4218) and it works well. The cartridge BB tool is kind of a pain to get a good grip on with a wrench, but everything else has worked very well for me. All the tools seem to be of a good enough quality to stand up to a lot of impatience and occasional abuse. I also need to get a BB lockring tool and freewheel tool, which weren't included, but that isn't needed for newer bikes.

There isnt A freewheel tool - every make requires a different tool so only buy them as you need them.

A lot of people on here seem to not like tool kits, but I have found that they are a good deal on a tight budget. I have a performance tool kit (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16571&subcategory_ID=4218) and it works well. The cartridge BB tool is kind of a pain to get a good grip on with a wrench, but everything else has worked very well for me. All the tools seem to be of a good enough quality to stand up to a lot of impatience and occasional abuse. I also need to get a BB lockring tool and freewheel tool, which weren't included, but that isn't needed for newer bikes.

Looks like a decent set of tools for the price. You say the quality is 'good enough', eh? Can anyone compare the Performance tools to, say Pedro's? Or Park for that matter? If one clicks the above link, then compares the above kit to other kits on sale at performance there's a similar Pedro's kit on sale also. But the Performance kit has a lot more tools. Is this due to a quality difference? I'm looking particularly at the variety of cone wrenches, plus the T handle hex wrenches. Last point: there's also a performance cone-wrench kit for $23; at 1/4 the price of the full kit, looks like the kit is a better deal...

For what it's worth, the cone wrenches have worked fine for me, and this includes cranking on headsets, fixed BB cups, hub cones, etc. All of the hex wrenches work for me, haven't rounded or bent any of them, and I use them quite heavily.

(I know there are multiple freewheel tools. It drives me nuts :))

EDIT: Now that I think of it, I did slightly round one section of one edge of the 36 mm cone wrench while trying to remove a fixed cup rusted into an old frame. I had a terrible grip on the cup and was literally hurling my body weight into it. The wrench still works fine.



Looks like a decent set of tools for the price. You say the quality is 'good enough', eh? Can anyone compare the Performance tools to, say Pedro's? Or Park for that matter? If one clicks the above link, then compares the above kit to other kits on sale at performance there's a similar Pedro's kit on sale also. But the Performance kit has a lot more tools. Is this due to a quality difference? I'm looking particularly at the variety of cone wrenches, plus the T handle hex wrenches. Last point: there's also a performance cone-wrench kit for $23; at 1/4 the price of the full kit, looks like the kit is a better deal...

For what it's worth, the cone wrenches have worked fine for me, and this includes cranking on headsets, fixed BB cups, hub cones, etc. Cone wrenches don't fit HS and BB cups.

Must Have - need for day-to-day maintenance
Metric allen wrenches
Cable & housing cutter
Cassette lockring tool
Chain whip
Spoke Wrench
Tire levers
floor pump

Good to Have - need for overhaul
Bottom bracket tool
Come wrenches
Crank remover
Pedal wrench

Nice to Have - you can live without these, but life is better when you have them.
Work stand
Wheel trueing stand
Headset press
3/8 and 1/4 inch drive torque wrenches

I may have forgotten something, but that list will carry you a long way. I'm not a believer in the packaged tool kits. They will probably include headset wrenches, for example, which you probably don't need. Figure out which size cone wrenches you need for your wheels and just buy those. I have had bad luck with Park cable cutters so I use a Shimano one. I prefer the Shimano cassette lockring tool and Shimano bottom bracket tool over Park too. Don't expect your allen wrenches to last forever. When your 5mm allen starts to show wear, get a whole new set. Don't save the old ones to use as spares either, throw them away! Worn allen wrenches will round out your fasteners and cause you more trouble than a set of allen wrenches is worth.

The Performance kit I mentioned includes everything in your first two lists (except for a floor pump). Obviously you'll get a couple sized wrenches that you don't need, but it's cheaper than buying everything separately (I priced it out before buying).

I'd rather buy nice tools as I need them then have to replace crappy ones.

The Performance kit I mentioned includes everything in your first two lists (except for a floor pump). Obviously you'll get a couple sized wrenches that you don't need, but it's cheaper than buying everything separately (I priced it out before buying).

Well, I guess that's why the ice cream people make both chocolate and vanilla.

For which jobs?

Calibrated in inch-pounds or foot-pounds?

re the first: almost every part on the bike has a torque specified, so that is the simple answer. In reality, with the more fragile frames today, anything attached to one is probably a good candidate. On alloy parts like brakes, derailleurs, etc., it is also a good idea.

re the second: yes. ;) Calibrations can be converted, and there are tables around anywhere. And what about Newton Meters?

But the answer to the question you meant to ask (as opposed to the one you asked), is that the Park large one goes about as low as you need for the lighter jobs, but you could get picky and get both.

In my youth - receding ever faster these days - I was a racing car mechanic. I was lucky enough to work on Lotus, Ferrari, Elva, Jaguar, Alfa, etc. sports and Formula Junior cars. A lot of engine and tranny parts were made of Al, and some of more exotic alloys. I learned very quickly that no matter how calibrated I thought my limbs were (and they were not too bad, except after a night out or such), making a mistake could be very costly. I have used torque wrenches ever since - they are second nature. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, but seldom the same one twice.

I think it is also useful to know that if something does break when I am torquing it, I have a better chance at warranty replacement when I tell them I used their specs to the letter when working on their bits.


I'd rather buy nice tools as I need them then have to replace crappy ones.



Another one of the things I learned early. That also goes for fishing tackle, cars, boats, golf clubs, cameras, machine tools, stereo sound equipment, etc. Hmmm ... and bikes, for that matter. :D

Cheers...Gary

For which jobs?

Calibrated in inch-pounds or foot-pounds?

I only use torque wrenches regularly for two jobs.

For crankarms and bottom brackets I use a 3/8 drive torque wrench. My personal experience has been that, left to their own devices, most bike guys will undertorque these. How often have you heard of somebody having a left crankarm fall off? I believe that is due to consistently undertorqueing the arm that is on the opposite side of the assembly line in the bike factories.

Fot higher end stems, I use a 1/4 drive torque wrench. I was surprised at how low the torque specs for stems can be. If left to my own devices, I definitely would have overtorqued those fasteners.

You need to have a torque wrench that has the torque values you need in about the middle of it's range. Cranks and bottom brackets need around 30 to 40 lb/ft of torque and my Thompson stem only needs around 10 lb/ft. That's why I use different wrenches for the two different jobs.

If you're not in a hurry, I'd say wait until the steal of the century comes along at Supergo/Perf/Nashbar. About a month ago, Nashbar was blowing out some Aireon branded stuff, which is Supergo's house brand. Well I picked up their Big Tool Kit for something like $40-45. It's still listed on Supergo's site for $70. I would think they will eventually blow it out because they also list it's replacement, the T1 Big Kit:

http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?LPROD_ID=24252&lsubcat_id=7573&lcat_id=7604&referpage=#

The tools are pretty substantial and work nicely. The only junk tool looks like the chain cleaner. Haven't used it yet though, so it might work alright. I really only needed about 5 of those tools in the box, but buying them separately would have easily cost more than this entire set.

I only use torque wrenches regularly for two jobs.

For crankarms and bottom brackets I use a 3/8 drive torque wrench. My personal experience has been that, left to their own devices, most bike guys will undertorque these. How often have you heard of somebody having a left crankarm fall off? I believe that is due to consistently undertorqueing the arm that is on the opposite side of the assembly line in the bike factories, .... Cranks and bottom brackets need around 30 to 40 lb/ft of torque.

Perhaps this is because many reputable manuals recommend far less? It is not unusual to see figures as low as 18-20 ft-lbs. The manual with my 2003 Campagnolo Chorus crankset specifies 23.6 to 28 ft-lbs.

Conversely, I have have seen many melt forged carnkarms that have cracked at the spindle hole because they were installed with too much torque. Regardless, under and over torquing can both have disasterous and costly consequences. I endorse the use of torque wrench and factory prescribed values.

The theory for left crankarms falling off is very interesting. I can accept it when we are talking about bicycle shops, but find it much harder to accept for bicycle manufacturers. Most assembly is done using pre-set, air driven torque wrenches, for two reasons. First, it is much faster and therefore cheaper. Second, it provides more consistent results, lessening the probability of failure and costly litigation. The only way it should fail is if the torque wrench is it out of calibration or the nut was not seated on the bolt. To lessen the likelihood of the latter, most crankset assembly stations are double sided or at least allow the bicycle to be swung around. This is not required just because of the crank bolt, but also to faciltate the installation of the non-drive side pedal. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, just that the more proable cause involves an LBS or home mechanic.

I would put a bike stand at the top of the list. It is soooooooo much easier to work with your bike on a stand. I use the Ultimate Pro and love it. I started seriously learning how to take care of my bike last fall. I buy bike tools whenever I need them for a job. They usually don't cost much more than LBS labor would cost. And, if I buy them through the LBS, the mark up pays for advice on how to use them.

re the second: yes. ;) Calibrations can be converted, and there are tables around anywhere. And what about Newton Meters?

But the answer to the question you meant to ask (as opposed to the one you asked), is that the Park large one goes about as low as you need for the lighter jobs, but you could get picky and get both.


Gary-
Thanks. I don't mean to snipe, but I asked the question I meant to ask. While theoretically a 1/4 drive 8" long torque wrench calibrated in inch pounds can apply 40 foot-pounds of torque, its not a very practical way of doing so. Likewise, my 1/2 drive torque wrench is unlikely to have a practical application on a bicycle - it works great torqueing things to 60 to 100+ ft pounds on my Jeep or motorcycle, but its not very accurate at the low end of the scale.

brian

Gary-
Thanks. I don't mean to snipe, but I asked the question I meant to ask. While theoretically a 1/4 drive 8" long torque wrench calibrated in inch pounds can apply 40 foot-pounds of torque, its not a very practical way of doing so. Likewise, my 1/2 drive torque wrench is unlikely to have a practical application on a bicycle - it works great torqueing things to 60 to 100+ ft pounds on my Jeep or motorcycle, but its not very accurate at the low end of the scale.

brian

Brian -

Well, I didn't mean to snipe either. In any case, everyone should have one. Or two. :)

Cheers...Gary

Well, I didn't mean to snipe either. In any case, everyone should have one. Or two. :)


On that, I heartily agree! :)

Every nut, bolt, a screw in the world really has a torque spec.
I haven't found a torque wrench to be a necessity on a bike. But, then again, I have worked on cars all of my life, so you do develop a little bit of "internal calibration".

There is nothing on a bike that is like a head or an intake manifold. I would call a torque wrench "nice to have" on a bike. Unless you really don't have any idea about how tight things should be, or what too tight is.

Don't use your multi tool for regular maintenance - it was not designed for that. You also won't find a lot of use for regular mechanics wrenches. They are too thick for most applications. Ex. Using a regular wrench on pedals can result in scratches on your cranks.

You will need a chain tool. Chains do not come the correct length out of the box, power link or not.

Park tools are very good quality. The roll up tool kit that they have is a very good starter set. They only thing I have added to mine in 7 years is a real spoke wrench, screwdirvers, and an adjustable wrench. You get all of the basics at a price less than buying individually. There are also no "never get used" tools in it.

Every nut, bolt, a screw in the world really has a torque spec.
I haven't found a torque wrench to be a necessity on a bike. But, then again, I have worked on cars all of my life, so you do develop a little bit of "internal calibration".

Well said, Chris.... I regularly use my torque wrench on crank bolts only, but I have on many occassions tightened them without, instead, using my 'internal calibration'. No problems whatsoever. In general, one can do without a torque wrench for bike maintenance.

My New Years' resolution is to be able to perform an overhaul on my bike by myself. (I just paid $180 to have the LBS do it. Included a new chain and new 105 cassette.) I have a pretty good assortment of basic tools (i.e. wrenches, allen wrenches, screwdrivers) as well as a spoke wrench and a multi-tool that came with my bike. I want to know what bicycle-specific tools I will need. I'm thinking a set of good cone wrenches, a chain tool, a bottom bracket tool, a chain whip, and a cable and housing cutter. Are there any other tools that I must have? (A crank puller, headset tools, etc.) Can I get by with the stuff I already have?

ouch. a new chain costs $10-25, 105 cassette $40. Total cost of just the goods: $65.
the necessary tools: chain, nothing. cassette tool, ~$25-40. Total cost: $40. Total total: $105.

frankly, $115 for labour is insane to put on a cassette and chain. that would piss me off if an LBS did that.

anyway glad you've bought into the do-it-urself program... it's wonderful knowing that everything/just about everything on your bike is done by you and can be fixed if something's wrong. the park tools website is THE guide to fixing things... buy tools as you need'm...you don't "must have" any tool. for example, putting on the fork/headset is something that rarely needs to be done. same with overhauling BB. get the tools as you need'm.

sd

Fot higher end stems, I use a 1/4 drive torque wrench. I was surprised at how low the torque specs for stems can be. If left to my own devices, I definitely would have overtorqued those fasteners.

One thing that I would emphasize in the discussion about what to torque/not torque is carbon fiber handlebars and stems. As RG correctly points out, this is very easy to get wrong. If you think you can do it by feel, test yourself and you will very likely come to the same conclusion that RG did. I was told by a very experienced wrench that not doing these is either, a., risking an expensive component, or b., risking your life if you overstress the handle bar and it snaps off at a bad time. I think an appropriate analogy is what even the experts find out the first time they use a tensiometer to do spoke tensioning - their "feel" is not as good as they thought it was.

Buy as good as you can (so true for everything). Cheap tools WILL cost you more in the long run, with having to replace them, and having to replace parts they break/round off/thread strip on your bike.
Other little things you might want to consider: some form of locktite (people say you won't need it if you torque to the right level, but you might find it useful sometime), different forms of lube/degreaser, puncature repair kit, shock pump (maybe), pedal wrenches (you can probably get away with using a regular spanner if it's thin enough). If you have all these, you have basically all the tools you'll need.
As far as need/nice to have, that has pretty much been answered. Sounds like you know what you need though, and you've deffinately got the right attitude.
And a stand is worth the money, deffinately.

ouch. a new chain costs $10-25, 105 cassette $40. Total cost of just the goods: $65.
the necessary tools: chain, nothing. cassette tool, ~$25-40. Total cost: $40. Total total: $105.

frankly, $115 for labour is insane to put on a cassette and chain. that would piss me off if an LBS did that.
sd

They charged me $125 for an overhaul. Included cleaning and re-lubing the hubs, bottom bracket, and headset. They also replaced the cables and cleaned everything. Now the bike is all nice and shiny. :)

They charged me $55 to put a new cassette and chain on. They gave me a discount on the parts. They didn't charge me extra for labor since they had to take them off and put them on anyhow. I don't think they ripped me off. I just think I can save a little cash by doing it myself. It will be a good learning experience, too.

They charged me $125 for an overhaul. Included cleaning and re-lubing the hubs, bottom bracket, and headset. They also replaced the cables and cleaned everything. Now the bike is all nice and shiny. :)

They charged me $55 to put a new cassette and chain on. They gave me a discount on the parts. They didn't charge me extra for labor since they had to take them off and put them on anyhow. I don't think they ripped me off. I just think I can save a little cash by doing it myself. It will be a good learning experience, too.

ah okay, they gave ur bike a thorough once-over... no idea what the going rate is on that but least it makes more sense. and ya, u'd save a ton more doing it on ur own...

sd

Retro, I came to my own conclusion about left crankarms coming loose. Right arms have more material from the spider surrounding the bolt hole area. The extra support decreases the chances of the surrounding metal deforming under load and loosening. Just my strange theory.....

Tools one would like and tools one need is all relative. I'd like dropout and rear derailleur hanger alignment tools but
I'd also like to get some more power out of the 'vette so the tools are going to wait.

In most instances home mechanics will never wear out in-expensive bike tools. I mean, how many hubs do you plan on repacking every year? Back in the day I literally serviced thousands of hubs before my shop quality cone wrenches wore out. The only parts I torque are my crankarms and carbon fiber handlebars....

ride safe,
Jim

ah okay, they gave your bike a thorough once-over... no idea what the going rate is on that but least it makes more sense. and ya, you'd save a ton more doing it on ur own...

sd
I'm disappointed shaq man you're better than these AOL'ese using newbs.

More nice than essential, but I really like having one: Bicycle Tire Pressure Gage!

Doc

I'm disappointed shaq man you're better than these AOL'ese using newbs.

Did you miss "ur"? :rolleyes:

Whoops. Forgot to mention that I have the Park PCS-1 stand. I'm thinking about getting the truing stand that attaches to it. $25 at Nashbar.

A friend bought this truing stand you are mentioning and he *hates* it! Mind you, he's a very experienced bike mechanic, so that may be part of it. He said he'll just use the brake pads with the wheel still attached to the bike and get at least the same results.

Just figured I'd pass that info along and perhaps save you a little $.

ouch. a new chain costs $10-25, 105 cassette $40. Total cost of just the goods: $65.
the necessary tools: chain, nothing. cassette tool, ~$25-40. Total cost: $40. Total total: $105.

sd

You can't size and/or attach the chain without a chain tool (not being picky, just wanted to point it out).

I would also include it in the "Must Have" category of the list since it's one of those tools that you *have* to have to do repair/replace a chain. (Heck I carry one when I ride).

You can't size and/or attach the chain without a chain tool (not being picky, just wanted to point it out).

I would also include it in the "Must Have" category of the list since it's one of those tools that you *have* to have to do repair/replace a chain. (Heck I carry one when I ride).

oopsy, good point, i have several chain tools, just forgot about'm..hehe.

btw raiyn.. it must annoy u ;)

sd

Don't buy a tool until you need it. Then you will only have what you need.

Whenever I look at my tools, each one reminds me of work I did on a bike.

Tom

I'm throwing in my 2 cents on the torque wrench debate. If you don't have disc brakes or a double/triple crown fork, you may not feel the need for a torque wrench. But if you've got those bits, or anything carbon fibre, or really care about the reliability of your stem/handlebar interface, get a torque wrench. It's worth the peace of mind to have these parts tightened at the manufacturer's specs.

I'm a great believer in 2nd hand tools. I can pick up highest quality general workshop tools for pennies at junk shops. I did miss out on one toolbox which had a Barcho adjustable spanner (Swedish-made, high precision, no slop) + loads of other tools for £25. The spanner alone would have cost more new. grrrrrr.

In lieu of cable cutters, I found that the Dremel kit I already had did the job great. I didn't try it it on compressionless housing (the braided, not spiral-ey kind) because I'm running a non-indexed system (and I got the Wal-Mart cable kit for $5 which is all braking housings), but the cutoff wheels worked through fine (and with no crushing action, I'm not sure if a specialized cable cutter does much of that or not). Finishing off with the green grinding wheel made all the transitions nice and smooth.

Cutting cable with the wheels can unbraid them in a flash, unless done very swiftly.

Wow, blast from the past. I was wondering about that Supergo link!

Personally, I cheated and bought the Park RK-41 backpack toolkit... I have to maintain my family's bikes, and given they range from low end Hybrids to high end mountain bikes, it's got just about everything one needs for taking a good portion of the modern bikes out there apart to the frame, aside from a couple of the big/heavy tools like cup presses and removers. I'd say the assortment of tools in there is probably 'slightly' overkill (Regular BB, External Bearing, AND Campy BB tools?) But if you go to park's website and look at the list of tools that it includes, that right there is a good list of important tools.

I know the question was about Tools, but I personally have found that having an 'organized' toolbox is an important thing, and the park setup helps me do that (Again, cheating...) You might want to have your specialty tools organized by section of the bike, just to help you out. It really can save time/hassle for some repairs.

Also, +1 on getting a good repair book. Sure, a lot of the info is online, but you don't want to get your keyboard greasy, do you? :)

Torque wrenches - must have. Studies have shown that even experienced machenics will be off by a factor 50% or more when torquing by feel, and that's way too much.

You need two - a 1/4" for in-lbs, and a 3/8" or 1/2" for ft-lbs. (I prefer the 1/2".) Beam deflection torque wrenches suck (IMO); go for the micrometer-scale version.

Don't pay the big prices for Park or whatever. Craftsman or even Harbor Freight is good enough.

Torque wrenches - must have. Studies have shown that even experienced machenics will be off by a factor 50% or more when torquing by feel, and that's way too much.

You need two - a 1/4" for in-lbs, and a 3/8" or 1/2" for ft-lbs. (I prefer the 1/2".) Beam deflection torque wrenches suck (IMO); go for the micrometer-scale version.

Don't pay the big prices for Park or whatever. Craftsman or even Harbor Freight is good enough.
Why do you need two??? Converting from in-lbs to ft-lbs isn't that hard, multiply or divide by 12 and all that :rolleyes:

Also, lots of mechanics seem to do fine without torque wrenches. I've built and modified lots of bikes without one and pretty much never had problems with improper torque. Most things that use allen bolts should be torqued just about as it takes to flex the allen wrench used to tighten them: thus the size of the bolt provides a pretty good guide to how much torque it needs.

It's not the conversion, but the range. Big wrench won't go below ~150 in-lb reliably, and the small one won't go above ~35 ft-lb.

A 3/8" might be a reasonable compromise for a bike, but I prefer the wider range since I also work on cars.

IMO, flexing the Allen wrench is way too tight, but maybe you have cheap wrenches. ;)