Tools for DYI Guy
 

I have been riding for a long time and it has never occured to me to do my own tuneups or repairs. I am not sure why as I am a DIY person. Perhaps it is because I do not have the tools or time.
Anyway, I have decided to get give it a try. I am not going to get heavy into it but tuneups, part replacement and etc. should be fine.
Is the Spin Doctor Tool set from Performance any good? I am only talking about working on my bikes and my son's bikes. Any other suggestions as far as the basic tools go? My Mtb's and hybrids are all Shimano but my road bike is Campy. Does that make a difference as far as the needed tools go?
Any other tool brand recommendations are welcome.

These days you can do most routine (non overhaul) maintenance and parts replacement with a Phillips screwdriver, a metric allen wrench set, and a spoke wrench, and cone wrenches if you don't have cartridge bearing hubs.

As mentioned already; most tasks can be done with common tools that you probably have already
if you work around your house, car(s), etc. I usually buy bike specific tools as I need them; instead
of getting a set - which will duplicate tools I already own(screwdrivers, allen wrenches, etc.). I like
Park Tools and Pedro's for bike specific stuff; bottom bracket tool, crank puller, etc. For common tools;
I like Sears/Craftsman for their no receip/tno questions asked lifetime replacement warranty.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8574/...f61812c3_z.jpgSCREWDRIVERS by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Also depends on how far you want to go DIY. Chain cleaning and change out and cable changes are one thing, crank pulling, BB R&R, cassette R&R are another as
their have been a series of evolutions here needing new and different tooling. If you have a variety of bikes you likely have some with sq taper BB, some with
the variety of splined. Some chains have master links, some don't: different tools. CW fixing bolts can be hex or torx. Freewheels need different tools also.
All my crank pullers are useless, as none of my cranks now need them.

I would just buy bike-specific tools as you need them (assuming you have some hand tools already). Also look around on the internet, there is more out there than the Park tools that they sell at your LBS, which IMO are way overpriced for their quality level.

I wouldn't buy a kit, I've added to my basic car/handyman tools over time when I needed something specific. Cone / thin wrenches are nice to have, a couple different sized spoke wrenches, and hi quality allen metric wrenches. Do not buy cheap tools, when working on bikes junky tools can cause expensive problems. I'm a craftman guy, but there are many quality alternatives.

A tool kit as they are sold right now will not have the tools you need, unless you bike is probably five years old or less, since the contents of kits is changed over time to reflect the tools needed to repair or maintain whatever the bike manufacturers are currently using.

That's why most experienced Bike DIYers will suggest to you that you buy what you need to work on your bike as you go along.

For a older bike you need a set of cone wrenches to service the wheel hubs. If you have a newer bike, you'll need different bottom bracket tools from people that have bikes with square taper bottom brackets. People with conventional loose ball bottom brackets need different tools from people with cartridge bottom brackets.

Get the cheapest tools you can find on ebay from Taiwan. Not China, Taiwan. Cone wrenches, pedal wrenches, chain whip, bb tools, stuff like that.

I agree with this...

But not with this.

You don't need to get the most expensive stuff out there but cheap tools don't last, often don't do the job even once, and can damage your bike and even hurt you when they fail.

If you want to save $$ look for used but every knowledgeable wrench will tell you to buy the best quality you can afford...


Oh, and Go Gators!

Hey, I didn't say the cheapest. I said the cheapest from Taiwan. I'm telling you guys, those Taiwanese have really improved their quality in the last decade. For example, my metric cone wrenches were within 0.002" of advertised width and the hardness was good. You can't beat that for $8 a set shipped (two double ended wrenches).

Oh, got it.

I remember when Taiwanese was the China of production; hard to accept that they are now considered decent quality.

I still like used.

I recently got a Shimano brand Octalink BB tool for $6 on ebay, shipping included; looked like it had never been used...

IMHO you're never really going to be a satisfactory DIY bike mechanic until you have the skills to repair the drive train. I'm talking crank arm pullers, bottom bracket sockets, freewheel & freehub sockets, chain break tools, pedal wrenches, & cone wrenches. Anybody can adjust brake shoes & cable tension. Can you repack the crank bearings? Replace a frehub? That's what I'm talking about.

+1

Have been doing the same. Just buy what you need. Start with basic bike and drivetrain cleaning tools, adjustment tools and then go for specialized tools when the job needs them.

Some of the most used tools for me are:
Non cycling: Adjustable wrench; *3,4,5,6,8 mm allen wrenches; 13, 14, 15 mm open end wrenches, cable cutter, plyers, brushes for cleaning, bucket
Cycling: chaintool, chain whip, crank puller, chain cleaner, freewheel cluster removal tool (shimano and/or campy), bottom bracket removal tool (larger splined one), *spoke wrench, floor pump, *mini pump, *tire levers, *schrader to presta valve adapter

* - carry these in my backpack for commuting

Yeah, but there's no reason to spend the $$ on those tools until he's ready to take on one of those jobs...

+1) ... buy good tools for the job at hand, rather than a bunch of marginal ones in an all at once grab-bag.

I am a customer of Performance Bike for a lot of things but can't recommend their cone wrenches. They are not hardened and if you have a very tight bearing assembly you will ruin the wrench before it loosens the nuts.

I have been accumulating tools of all kinds for the last decade or so. Half of them are bike specific tools, and 99% of them are Park Tools.

I have started wrenching friends bikes a few years ago. The past year I have started flipping bikes and I have a reputation locally as 'the bike guy' and so I have started buying tools that I don't necessarily need for my own bike but might need to work on other bikes.

I stroll casually along the range of mental health, and one thing that drives me absolute nutters is disorder or inconsistency. I clean ever tool after use. They are arranged on the peg board by name, size and use. Park Tools drive me insane. Most of their tools have numbers and they seem to skip numbers a lot. If I have the wrenches DCW 1, 2 and 3 I have to have 4 too. But then there is the DCW 0? Gotta have it.

There are pin spanners SPA 1, and 2. And 6? What about 3-5? Isn't there a 0? Why the heelll not?

And then there are two different versions of HCW 6? Argh! Where are my meds?

+10

If you need to pull a cassette, buy the tools for that. You'll use them again. If you need to overhaul a hub, buy cone wrenches. You'll use them again. You get the idea. Buying a bunch of tools at once it a waste since you don't know if you'll ever need them.

DON'T BUY CHEAP TOOLS. When you buy a cheap tool you're actually buying two tools. The cheap one, and the good one you replace it with after it breaks. Park makes good stuff.

I try to find "made in the USA" for non-bike-specific tools like Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets, etc.

Most of the tools needed to remove crank arms & freewheels are just little specialty sockets, bits, & adapters. Things you can get on ebay pretty cheap. What you really need is the big wrenches, breaker bars, & vise in order to utilize them. If you want a decent vise & really can't afford the high prices most places charge then check out Harbor Freight. You can an entire set of metric wrenches for the same price other stores might charge for just one.

Buying only what you need when you need it is good advice. This is especially true because of the variety of BB, FW, cassette, and crank designs.

I've bought lots of things from the LBS, but you can also find ANYTHING online. The prices plus shipping are calculated to be roughly competitive with store prices. The carriers, including USPS, are tripping over themselves to provide fast shipping, so don't pay premium shipping charges. If shipping is guaranteed within 10 business days, you'll probably have it within 5.

+1 on buying generic tools when possible. A sharp pair of standard wire cutters can cut cables effectively, and you will also have them for household repairs. There are specialty tools for opening and closing master links (two different tools!), but I've been able to do it with bare hands for closing and pliers for opening.

Buy decent files in two or three standard shapes - flat, round, triangular. They can help you de-burr threads on damaged fasteners, plus dozens of other general and bike-related jobs.

For the road, I carry a tire-lever set, a tube dusted with talc (forget patching by the side of the road), a mini-pump, and a 4" adjustable wrench. I modified the wrench by filing the jaws slightly wider to fit axle nuts on my older bikes.

I use the plastic-coated hanger hooks to hang bikes from my garage ceiling. I also have two screwed into my basement ceiling to suspend a bike from straps while working on it. The bike is stable enough to work on, and I don't need a pricey work stand.

My No. 1 Tool is the internet for how-to advice on doing things with or without tools. I love the video showing how to use your bike's chain to remove the freewheel. Talk about ingenuity!