Hey, I know some of you probably stock up on random bolts and nuts and washers.

What kind do you normally keep on hand? I have a lot of p-clips and accessories on a lot of my bikes, and it seems like I can never find nuts to thread onto bolts, etc.

Thanks,

The most common bike bolt is an M5x.8 in various lengths with occasional M6x1.0. Lowes, Home Depot, etc. carry both sizes of bolts and matching nuts in several different materials and head types. I keep a variety of M5 and M6 bolts and nuts around, some purchased and other salvaged as left overs from other items.

The odd-sizes such as M8x1.0 used for crank fixing bolts and M10x1.0 used for rear derailleur mounting bolts are too bike specific and usually won't be available in home stores. I did find the M8x1.0x50 mm bolt I use to hold my BBT2 bottom bracket tool in place at a local hardware store.

In my experience, it is cheaper to buy stainless bolts at a nut and bolt supply house. If you just want a couple, then Lowes or Home Depot are options.

So basically the "stainless" type are about the best for a bicycle? I ride in the rain sometimes if that matters.

Of course stainless would be preferable. Ace Hardware stores and other chain hardware stores also typically carry metric bolts and nuts.

At industrial fastener hardware stores you can find better grade high strength steel metric bolts , too.
to insure reliability for the bottom mount on my touring bike's pannier racks I bought bolts marked 8.8 on the head..
the difference is like between soft steel and one which has been tempered and a better alloy of steel.

Good selection of stainless hardware here, because this is a Port Town.

I've had poor luck finding metric stainless fasteners at Lowes or other home improvement centers. Ace was slightly better but the ones near me closed.

The "Do It Center" near us has a great selection. They've had everything I've needed so far.