Small tool kit, what to put in it?
 

I'm moving for a year, and instead of take all my tools, I want to take some basic essentials I should need.. I ride a SS road bike, and there will be a bike shop near by if I really need something serious..

so far I'm thinking..

15mm socket
15mm open end
10mm open end
allen key set
tire irons
spoke wrench
misc greases
pump

what am I missing for normal tune up tools..? I feel like I'm forgetting something..

I would go to the Park Tool site, look at what comes with their various tool kits - then duplicate one.

Of course you do know what will happen. The one tool you leave behind - no matter what it is - will be the FIRST tool you need after you move. I think this is a universal law or something - like Newton's laws of motion.

Chain tool
Cone wrenches
Lock ring tool
Headset wrench (if it's threaded)
pedal wrench

Sounds pretty complete for basics to me, even excessive, maybe. Both a 15mm socket and open end? Leave the open end and use the socket for your wheels, but don't forget the socket wrench handle. Then add a pedal wrench.

Since you're taking grease, I assume you plan to service the BB or hubs. If so, you'll need those tools, and while you're at it a chain tool, otherwise you might as well skip the grease.

Go back and review your current tools and consider which you've used in the last six months. If any of these are not on your list consider the likelihood that you'll miss them. Lastly, you're not going to outer Mongolia, so if it turns out you need something, you can either have it sent from home or buy it.

My on-the-bike toolkit:

* 6" adjustable wrench
* 10mm combo wrench (my brakes need two wrenches to adjust them)
* 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, & 6mm hex keys (these are the sizes I need for my bike)
* dual-head L-shaped screwdriver
* tire irons
* chain tool
* extra links
* fiber-fix spoke
* double-sided velcro (this stuff is awesome, it's like reusable duct-tape)
* zip-ties
* rag


The whole thing rolls up into the rag and is secured with the velcro.

It's a little on the heavy side (17 ounces), but there's not much you can't fix with it. Brakes, fasteners, shifting, broken spokes, etc. Pretty much any basic maintenance.

The whole thing only ran me about $25 or so, and the fiber-fix spoke counts for a lot of that.


I also carry a pump on the frame, and a tire patch kit with alcohol swabs, sandpaper, patches, and glue.


At home, I have a cassette tool, a chain whip, a bottom-bracket tool, spoke wrenches, a pin spanner, cleaning brushes, solvents, and grease. A few extra hex keys, cable cutters, a 14mm socket, a 15mm open wrench.

I may have missed something, but I think that's mostly it.


I built my tool-kit from the advice given in this post.

It's amazing how much I can do with my tool-kit. I have been seriously considering building a second kit to keep in the car, for when I help other people with their bikes.



One thing I haven't figured out how to carry, but which I'd like, is grease. How do you carry your grease? I'm worried about the grease melting, or the container coming open, or somehow or other making a mess. I don't really want all my tools and my patch kit and my bag getting covered with grease. You say you're carrying it -- care to share how?

Why do you want to carry grease in your on-bike tool kit? Are you taking it on long tours and will be away from home for weeks at a time?

If you do really need to carry some, ask at any pharmacy for a plastic pill bottle. These have secure twist-off lids (aka child-proof) that should keep the bottle closed under any reasonable circumstance.

Skip the 15mm socket and handle. Your 15mm open/pedal wrench covers them both. Phil Woods grease comes in in a squeeze tube.

What if I need to replace a pedal? Have a problem with my seatpost? Discover that I forgot to lubricate my chain, and the squeaking is driving me nuts?

I don't need to carry a tub of grease or anything, but having a bit of lubricant is convenient.