This morning I discovered that my front hub was wobbly. I didn't feel safe riding it as it was and don't own cone wrenches. Fortunately, I was able to make a quick run into the co-op to take care of it. But the co-op's hours are limited, so I've been thinking about building up a little tool set just for repairs that would keep me from riding when I can't get in to use the tools at the co-op. Here's what I've come up with:

Chain breaker (Is there a particular model/brand you would recommend?)
Master link pliers
Cone wrenches (13 and 15)
3-way Hex wrenches (variety)
Spoke wrench
Grease and chain lube

I already have common tools such as measuring tape, adjustable wrench, needle nose pliers, box/combination wrenches, etc. I'm ruling out things like a BB tool, chain whip, cable cutters, etc. that could wait until my next trip to the co-op.

What else would you recommend? I would also be happy to hear recommendations for particular products. Right now I'm leaning toward Park tools because that's what I'm familiar with using at the co-op, but I'm glad to know of other options.

Freewheel or cassette tools. (Broken spokes don't announce their failure). Of course tire tools. Pump. Andy.

you have not mentioned what type of bike you have, or what you ride it for.

If you are only dealing with your own bike, then look at it closely & just buy tools as required for your application, there many tool kits out there, along with all the other tools I have one but they tend to be generic not specific, there are some tools there I've never used. There are several very good tool manufacturers including Park.

Good tyre levers
A decent set of Allen keys small size.
A simple stand to get the rear wheel off the ground, amazing the jobs you can do then.
Chain & cassette cleaning tools / brushes (good to save old toothbrushes)

You can't go wrong with Park Tools for all of these items. BTW, buy the black, single end, blue plastic coated handle cone wrenches (SCW-XX where XX is the size in mm). Avoid the chrome plated or double end versions.

I would not bother with a 3-way hex wrench but get a set of good quality individual hex wrenches, either simple L-wrenches or the more costly but more user friendly T-wrenches. Bondhus and Allen are two good brands and don't cheap-out on these.

As to grease and chain lube recommendations, I'm not going to go there at all. There are NUMEROUS, LONG, CONTENTIOUS threads on both subjects on this forum and a search will give you hours of reading matter.

Good idea. In twenty plus years of riding as an adult, I've never broken a spoke, so I didn't even think of that. I had thought of waiting to use the co-op's cassette tools because a cassette is something that can wait to be changed, but needing to pull it off to fix a spoke didn't cross my mind. Now I hope I haven't jinxed myself on the broken spokes!

I ride a 2015 Bianchi Volpe with a 3x10 drivetrain and canti brakes. I'm on my bike nearly every day for commuting and other basic transportation, but this bike also makes longer recreational rides. The more miles I put on each year, the more I find myself needing to do maintenance between times when I can get in to use the tools at the co-op.

Yeah, I've looked at the tool kits, but they tend to have a lot of stuff that isn't bike specific (like box wrenches) that I already have. Or things that are bike specific, like a flat fix kit, that nearly any rider would already have. I use Pedro's tire levers, which are awesome! I also use a Kool Stop tire bead lever. Comes in handy on tires with a tight bead.

Those are the kind of cone wrenches we have in the shop. I do like them. I'm curious about why you caution against the three-way hex wrenches? I like them for the good grip I can get on them. I do need a few with a longer handle for getting at things like the little nut inside the brake hoods. I'll look at the brands you recommended.

Good advice about the debates on grease and chain lube! I love Rock 'n Gold for the chain, but understand that people have *strong* feelings about these matters! As for grease, I've been using the blue/green Park Tool stuff in a tub at the shop. I'll probably stick with that at home (but in the tube version) until I develop my own strong feelings about something else.

You have gotten great advice here and my only contribution would be to say you seem to have plenty of experience working in your COOP and would encourage you to just make a list of what tools you use the most for your type of bike and proceed from there And then you would be confident that you could post your list here to help someone with less experience

I am totally unaccustomed to thinking of myself as having "more experience" than anyone! But, hanging out around the co-op, you do pick things up incrementally. It's funny how that builds up confidence over time.

Things that are picked up incrementally are usually the things worth sharing! Please to continue to do so.

[MENTION=396237]Bike tinker man[/MENTION] - I meant to mention this earlier: I don't have a repair stand right now, but have a great work around. I put my car on the rack on the back of my car. Works like a charm. I'd love to get a stand eventually, though, because cold, rainy nights are often the best time for doing maintenance, and using the car rack then is no fun. 😀

Unless you'd rather buy only Park tools, this Venzo tool kit is good and includes most of what you asked about. I've used it to overhaul hubs, replace the chain (good chain tool), replace pedals, tweak spokes (the spoke tool is odd looking but works) and several other maintenance chores since getting it in September. No complaints, everything works, no filler or fluff, nothing has bent or rounded off. Costs about $10-$15 more than the usual $50 generic tool kits sold under various names and worth it, IMO.

Not sure I want to go with a kit, but that does look pretty good. Thanks for the recommendation. I've saved it to my Amazon list so that I can go back and compare after I put together my list of individual tools.

There's no co-op around here and on my budget if I tried to assemble a kit one piece at a time buying only the best I'd never get my bikes fixed up. Both bikes had issues that needed fixing pronto. I took a chance on the Venzo because of Amazon's generous return policy. No complaints.

But I didn't skimp on some tools, like the cable cutter. I read every review by ordinary users and mechanics and got the Jagwire. Not the cheapest or most expensive but a great value and does the job. So far, no need to dress the ends of brake or shifter cables after cutting, or to even use the awl in the end of the handle.

I still need to replace some tools I gave away about 10 years ago. (Yeah, I know, dumb to give away good tools, but I was recovering from a debilitating car wreck and figured I'd never ride again. Took a few years but I finally recovered.) I still need a set of wrenches, and and pretty picky about those -- I had mostly Craftsman and Snap-On, bought a piece at a time from used sales when I could find 'em. And screwdrivers. I prefer tips that can be filed or ground as needed to fit slots perfectly.

I hear you. The co-op has been a major money saver for me, not just because I can use their high-end tools, but also because learning to do my own maintenance and even overhauls has saved me a ton! I'm not someone with naturally good mechanical aptitude and didn't grow up using tools much, so I never would have figured this stuff out on my own.

I'll have a look at those Jagwire cable cutters. I always seem to have trouble getting a clean cut and end up having to file the ends of the housing.

Sorry to hear about the wreck, but glad to know you are recovering.

I wouldn't rule out a BB tool so quickly as a loose bottom bracket can cause a lot of damage very quickly. Same for a loose crank arm. Maybe consider a torque wrench and the proper crank and BB drivers.

I have a couple of three-way hex wrenches (Park's for that matter) and do use them but I wouldn't recommend them as your only hex wrenches. There are places on a bike where they are awkward and, of course, the size range is limited. If you have a good set of individual hex wrenches, then a three-way can be a useful addition but not as your only one.

Yeah, I did have to replace my BB recently. I probably let it go a little too long before taking care of it.

Now, about a torque wrench: I would LOVE to own one. I'm developing a little obsession about measuring torque. Any recommendations? I don't want to break the bank, but if I'm going to buy one, I want to make sure it's really good. This might be a purchase for down the line.

Buying these tools, though individually not that expensive, can add up to quite a bit of money. If you are working on only a single bike you can probably get by with minimal stuff like a set of allen keys and some lube. Everything else I'd use the co-op. If you own a few bikes, or like me, you work on other people's bikes as well, then obviously you need more.

Edit: And torque wrenches are one of the more pricey tools. I don't own one. I just ball-park it. You just have to be specially careful tightening stuff with carbon.

No they're not. Unless $20 is "pricey."

Also, anything specific to your brakes: third hand, etc.

torque+wrench | Chain Reaction Cycles

More if purchased locally.

I get that some people around here are anti-torque wrench, but it's a weak argument to trot out the most expensive ones they can find. An inexpensive beam-type wrench is indeed around $20 (maybe a few more in Canada) and will do just fine on bikes or cars or anything.

Those are just the ones you get when you do a search for 'torque wrench' on CRC, not 'expensive or high-end torque wrench'. So no, I did not 'trot out' the most expensive ones.

I'm not anti-torque, and if I felt I needed one for the work I do I would seek one out.

But whatever...

Some of my hubs have the same size wrench for both the cone and the locknut. The Campagnolo, I think.

I hate buying freewheel tools, there are so many of them and each are so seldom used. :-/ At least the Schwimmano and Regina are the same spline. Thank God for Shimano winning the cassette war early.

$20 beam torque wrench works fine, but you might want to supplement it with one of those 5 Nm preset for almost everything except bottom brackets.


Also, you'll want a chain whip (they're cheap) to go along with a cassette tool.

In my apartment, I have every tool I can use except tools to remove and install a headset, including the ones you designate as wait-for-coop. It's very handy to have the tools on hand, and I think I've gotten my money's worth. We have a weekend home, and I shuttle some tools between the house and the apartment: headset installing and removing tools, derailleur hanger straightener, dropout straighteners, and a truing stand. Everything else is duplicated in both places. Yes, I'm tool happy, but it seems to be money well spent.

I recommend that you also have lots of different pairs of pliers of various shapes and sizes. A vise is a wonderful thing to have if you have a bench to mount it to. It helps with lots of things, including adjusting and overhauling hubs. I have a bench and vise only at the house.

And if you don't have them in your home tool kit, you should have a very large adjustable wrench, a ball peen hammer and a rubber mallet.