Originally Posted by
graytotoro
Hi all,
I've got a 2009 Specialized Rockhopper that's getting to that point where the OEM stuff is starting to wear down. I figure this is as good a time as any to learn how to do my own maintenance.
I've got an allen key that fits most of the stuff I need (brakes). My school has a bike tool-lending service but some of their popular stuff (chain breakers) are broken and their service is somewhat spotty (got kicked out halfway through a chain replacement because one of the staff for the next shift didn't show up), so I figure I'll go to them when I need to do "bigger" jobs like changing cassettes. I don't see myself changing out cranks or bottom brackets yet.
So here's my question: What kind of tools should I think of buying now? I was thinking about getting a Park IB-3 because I have a 25% off coupon for stuff at my school's somewhat marked-up bike store. Then I heard about the Crank Bros M17/M19. I'm not sure if I should I buy a multitool AND a dedicated spoke wrench (Park SW-7) or should I just stick with the multitool or do something else.
Much thanks.
Buy what you need as you need it. If you buy tools based on the idea that you might need them some day there's always the chance that you'll never need them and you wasted your money.
Changing a cassette is a pretty simple job. You'll need a chain whip (cheap), a lockring removal tool (cheap) and a wrench big enough to turn the lockring removal tool. Any wrench that fits will do the job. The wrench I use is an 8" adjustable thing - ideally I'd use something a bit bigger but at present that's the biggest wrench I own. At some point I'm going to get a socket that fits onto my torque wrench, which will make it much easier to crank the thing but it's not really necessary.
You can get a chain tool pretty cheaply as well.
Unless you're seriously short of cash the money involved in getting a basic setup shouldn't be an issue. Things like a chain whip aren't all that big either so you don't need a lot of space to store your tools either. A bunch of allen keys are small and quite cheap. A multitool is a handy way to carry lots of tools in a small space but personally I find it easier to work with individual tools. When I'm cycling I've got a multi tool in my saddle bag and usually carry loose allen keys as well.