maximusvt

I see a bunch on performance and nashbar, etc. but I wanted to get the advice of someone who knows firsthand. I would like to use some time during winter to work on my mountain bike and have it ready to tour by next spring. I'm thinking that if I do it all myself then I'll be more knowledgeable about repairs when I'm on the road.

Here are a couple things I'd like to do with the bike (Trek 820, rigid fork):
New crankset
Repack / replace BB
New rear derailer
Replace grip shifters
New brake pads
(Possibly) install clipless pedals

I might just take the whole thing apart and put it back together anyway, because then I'll know how to install the things that don't need replacing just yet. I will probably replace parts with the used gear my LBS has, it's good, and it's cheap.

Should I go for a kit, or should I just pick out the tools I need for my bike? I'd like to try not to spend more than $50-100 on tools.

Retro Grouch 

I'm not a big fan of packaged bicycle tool kits. Except for replacing the crankset/bottom bracket and pedals, everything on your list can be done with a set of metric allen wrenches.

A genuine pedal wrench is nice to have, but an ordinary 15mm opend end wrench will frequently do the job. You'll probably need a crank puller and a cartridge bottom bracket tool for the crankset replacement. Assuming you already have allen wrenches, $50.00 should cover you even on the high side.

DMF 

Also need a chain whip and a lockring tool for the cassette.

Retro Grouch 

Replacing the cassette wasn't on his list but you're right. Those are tools that he'll definitely need at some point.

shakeNbake

I'm also eyeing those kits. So far from what I can gather these are the only specific tools:

-Chainwhip + lockring tool
-BB tools
-Headset tools (do integrated headsets need any specific tools?)
-Cone wrenches?

mlts22 

I like pedal wrenches because on some pedals (like the ones I have on one bike), the flats for putting them on are fairly narrow, too narrow for most regular wrenches to fit.

I'm proposing adding the following tools:

A crank puller.
A good hex wrench set (the type that has the tips of the wrenches with small ball shapes or ovals at the tips so you can turn screws at a slight angle without risking stripping.)
A third/fourth hand kit. You can roll your own with a good C-clamp or vise.
A bike stand, so you can clamp your seatpost and work on it from a better angle.

Park Tools offers a nice little all in one (except for a bike stand) toolkit, model MK-129, but its a bit pricy ($4200 pricy).

DMF 

Supergo makes a nice kit that I saw recently for about $35 containing tools made by Lifu (good ones). Unfortunately, Supergo is no longer doing business under that name, and seems to be supplying Performance via Spin Doctor, and Nashbar under Nashbar's brand. I'd pick up one of those kits. You can do pretty well for about $50.

mrhedges

I have a cycle pro tool kit someone bought me as a gift. Its a bunch of crap everything has broken except the tools i don't use often. I thought about dropping 300 bucks on the pedros because pedros seems to make great tools but thats alot of dough. A big adjustable wrench is a nice thing to have too and cheap also. +1 on the stand I have the basic park stand ($70) and it makes doing all the things you want to do way easier. If you want to do all or most of you're own bike maintence get one. Remember you don't have to get all the stuff at once.

Paniolo

I've already got an extensive tool collection for working on autos so I just add any specialty tools as I need them. So far:

Spoke wrench
Chain whip/ lockring tool
Crank puller/ bb tool
cone wrenches
Wheel truing stand

DMF 

Oh, and if you have a choice, choose the tools that accept a 1/2" drive rather than need a big-assed wrench to turn. These would include the BB and cassette lockring tools. Snapped to a drive handle, they become a single tool that can be held in one hand. Otherwise you need one hand to hold the wrench and another to hold the tool, and you don't have one left to brace the bike.

Lifu seems to be one that makes their tools 1/2" drive compatible. Park Tools doesn't. (Supergo apparently used Lifu tools, though they weren't all marked.)

RussB

I'd say buy them one at a time as you need them. As an example why, I'll use the clipless pedals. I recently upgraded my pedals to clipless. I was able to use an adjustable wrench to get the old set off. But to put the new set on (shimano PD-M959) I had to use an allen wrench on the inside of the crank. So you never know exactly what tools you are going to need.

Brian

The Lifu and Aieron kits are also available from Pricepoint. They're decent kits and served me well for several years until I got the Park pro kit. You can probably get all the individual tools on ebay cheap.

idcruiserman

I just buy Park tools as I need them, but I already have a large tool collection for car work.

peripatetic

I've done the "buy the best as you go" strategy, and while it's worked out quite well for the quality of my tools, my wallet has suffered far more than your upper limit. Tool kits are great if you're not sure if you're going to do tons of work. When you get inspired to do something, you don't have to go waiting to get to the store or for a new tool to arrive by mail order. They're also far more effective in limiting your budget.

Certain bike-specific tools are invaluable. I'm especially a fan of my ELDI pedal wrench and my fourth hand tool (though a decent pair of locking pliers will work just as well and serve other uses). I'm not sure what kind of fasteners you have on your bike, but if you need wrenches, I'd say to make sure you get good ones (combination, or ratcheting), b/c they're also great for all kinds of home uses.

jimmibudd

hi
there seems to be so many different types of crank pullers? which is most universal? (ie. ccp-2, ccp-4, ccp-6)..

some crank pullers come with a BB tool.... would that mean i wouldn't need to buy separately?

and some chainwhips wiht lockring tools.... if i bought one of these would i need to buy a lockring tool separately?

thanks..... i'm just trying to make a list of neccesary tools so i can work on a winter project bike...

thanks

linux_author

- Park Tool BK-2 is nice... Greenfish had (has?) a 15% discount for all Park Tools... think i paid $89 for my kit on sale and with discount... it has nearly everything i've needed...

- later decided i wanted a bigger kit and found the PK-57 for $600 (about what they're going for on ScamBay right now)... to be honest, there are still tools in it that i haven't unpacked yet...

- my problem is that i can't stand not having the right tool on hand when needed (besides, Homeless Despot and Lowes tool offerings are lousy, IMO)...

bellweatherman

What about VAR? Does anybody have any VAR tools? Are they any good?

rmfnla

Not to be a pain, but I've had bad experiences with Aieron tools (soft steel, mostly). Never heard of Lifu.

BTW, Brittney says "Howdy!"

Brian

Were you at Fred Segal, or across the street?

rmfnla

Across the street, exchanging a stripped out Aieron crank wrench (really!).

How's the weather down there?

Brian

My kit survived about 5 years, then I sold it for a little less than I paid for it. But it seems like I got a lot of use out of it. For my folder, I had to buy some special wrench that was AU$70! That's nearly 3 times what I paid for the bike.

Oh, it's in the 30's right now here. Snow on the mountains. Or did you not know we've moved to Utah?

rmfnla

Oh, as in "NOT Australia"?

That's what I get for hangin' with bimbos from Louisiana (or is that redundant?).

Welcome home.

Brian

Thanks. Yeah, she'll make you dumberer.

Grand Bois

They're great, but expensive. I especially like their lockring pliers.

peripatetic

Not sure which crank puller is more universal, but I have a Performance Spin Doctor/Lifu puller, and it works on all the 80s bikes I have. Think the CCP-2 is the Park Tools equivalent. For anything with square tapers and normal fixing bolts, either of these will work. The CCP-4 is for splined systems, which you can tell by visual inspection. I think the Park Tools website has an image of one of these. It's not as complex as it sounds, just a different fixing bolt.

I spent $12 on one of those chainwhip/lockring/pedal wrench combos, and the chainwhip barely works, the pedal wrench sucks and the lockring tool is useless. I just forked over $30 for the Harris Cyclery machined Hozan tool and love it. The VAR pliers look beautiful. I hear the ParkTools lockring tool works well. Depends on how tight your lockring is I think, but I wouldn't recommend a lockring/chainwhip combo unless it's higher-end; talk about the worst of all worlds.

Most older bbs have standard lockrings, so any lockring tool will theoretically work. Newer cartridge bbs have various different proprietary systems, but most require some kind of lockring remover (looks similar to the freewheel/cassette removers) that is turned with a wrench.