nickmarchese

I have $50 to spend on bike tools. I want to have valuable tools to be able to maintain my bike myself. What are some good tools to have?

HillRider

What jobs do you want to be able to do? What type and age of bike do you have?

lineinthewater

Well, if you don't have a multi-tool and tire levers for while riding, that would be first.

cplager

I have this Nashbar toolkit that has a lot of what you'd need for a modern bike (but may not be nearly as useful for a vintage bike). I've used it to pull cranks and swap bottom brackets, true wheels, etc. For the price and for starting out, I think it's a good buy.

lineinthewateris right, too. I wouldn't ride too far without a multi-tool (the above kit does come with tire levers and a patch kit if you don't already have one).

dsbrantjr

I am not a fan of multitools; I carry the 3 or 4 hex L-wrenches and a couple of appropriate ignition wrenches that my bike fasteners require along with a small screwdriver which fits my derailleur adjustment screws and a couple of tire levers, all rolled in a shop rag and carried in my seat bag. IME, multitools have un-needed tool sizes, have poor leverage and fastener fit and weigh more that my little bike-specific tool assortment. A small chain tool and a couple of master links, a spare tube AND a patch kit round out my road kit. Each of my bikes has a Topeak Road Morph G mounted to the frame. Unlike CO2, air will never run out.

A proper pedal wrench is also essential as are good cable cutters, for at home.

Bianchigirll 

If your bike is properly tuned and broken in you seldom need tools on the road, multi or otherwise.

What tools do you already have? Do you have a good quality set of metric combination wrenches, Allens, and screwdrivers? Craftsman are the best good quality and they replace them should they break.

For bike specific tools I would start with a Fourth hand tool and cone wrenches.

cny-bikeman

Look at what procedures you want to do first (generally brake and derailleur adjustment, wheel truing and bearing adjustment) and get the tools necessary to do those, plus a foldable allen/screwdriver set and tire levers, patch kit) for on the bike. Get other as you need them.

terrymorse 

Tools in order of importance:

1. Allen wrenches, full set of sizes
2. Phillips screwdriver, small
3. Pedal wrench
4. Chain tool
5. Cable cutters
6. Cassette tool and chain whip
7. etc...

Retro Grouch 

Yup. I might quibble with terrymorse's judgement regarding the relative importance of the tools, but I certainly won't disagree with his assortment.

Step up on the quality when you buy your cable cutter. Crummy ones will cut all but 1 or 2 strands and are a serious PITA.

HillRider

Unfortunately, seldom isn't the same as never.

lineinthewater

Anyone have recommendation on an allen toolset? I already have allen sockets (for torque wrench, etc), and small allen keys, but I've been looking at the T-handle variety, long keys, and ratcheting options. Worth the upgrade?

Bill Kapaun

First in my order of importance-
Cone/box wrenches to service the hub bearings.
Get the blue handle Park ones. 2 ea. in the 2 sizes needed.
You can scrimp a bit and get ONE good one and one of the lesser double ended, but it's just nicer to have 2 GOOD ones.
Tub of wheel bearing grease.
A couple bags of proper size balls for the front/rear hubs. (3/16 & 1/4")
IF you have them handy, you're far more likely to use them.

dsbrantjr

"I've been looking at the T-handle variety, long keys, and ratcheting options."
I have T-handle hex wrenches but the "T-L" kind like these https://www.jensonusa.com/!6X44PmMwhk...ex-Set-9-Piece look intriguing (and pricey) when you need more torque, but I usually break out my socket-drive set for high-torque applications. I don't see an advantage to separate ratcheting hex drivers. Maybe if you were assembling bikes all day they'd save your wrists. For tight quarters like bottle cages, the ball-end L-wrenches with the ball end on the long side for angled work and straight on the short one for higher torque can't be beat.

Retro Grouch 

My weapon of choice for most applications is Park Tool allens with a long ball end and the shorter end is square. Mostly I use the ball end to spin down the bolt and switch tho the square end for final tightening. I've got a set of T-handled allens, but I rarely use them. Most bicycle applications don't require very much torque and, for those that do, I use my torque wrenches with the appropriate socket.

A good test is installing a simple bottle cage. Most multi tools won't do it because the bulk of the tool catches the bottle cage.

fietsbob

I like the 3 combination box/open end wrences I got From Snap On, an 8, a 9 and a 10mm.

there's a shorter 10. it's under 6" long.

Ratchets .. 1/4and 3/8" drive sockets come in handy, as would Torque wrenches of that size ,
as lots Of Carbon stuff is really specific on tighening specs.