I'll do my first build this month. I have a steel touring frame, it will have a 3x9 Shimano drivetrain with bar end shifters. I'll install cantilever brakes.

I have most of the universal tools needed, including a full set of metric sockets, Spin Doctor Allen wrenches, pliers and screwdrivers. I also have a Topeak Alien II travel tool: https://www.topeak.com/products/Tools/ALiEN_II

This provides me with a chain tool and a few other specialized tools.

This is a list of tools I think I will need;

Chain Whip
Pedal Wrench
Cassette Lockring tool
Bottom Bracket Tool

Do I need anything else? I don't want to overspend or buy tools not needed for this build.

It's probably worth taking the frame to a well-equipped bike shop to have the headset and bottom bracket faced and the brackets chased. Those cutters are expensive. Although it'll mean you didn't build it all by yourself, they can install headset and BB cheap after prepping the frame.

Yes, that is the plan, except I was going to install the BB myself. The BB will be a Shimano Deore Hollowtech II. Those cups look fool-proof to install with the right BB tool. Do I have that right?

As long as the BB shell is prepped and you put the cups on the correct side, it is just a matter of tiightening them to the proper torque (you have a torque wrench, right?). Then make sure you grease the spindle before sliding it into the BB to prevent annoying noises.

Installing an HT2 Bottom Bracket is one of the easiest jobs to do on a bike, far easier than installing a headset, easier than installing the cranks, if you intend to do the rest of the bike, you may as well do the BB yourself; each side of the BB has rotation arrows, so you can't really go wrong.

Unless you have a headset press, would leave that to a shop, facing and chasing are always shop jobs, as pdlamb noted they cutters are expensive, even a shop will take years to recoop the cost of these, definitely not a tool for the home mechanic.

I would get a Park Cable Cutter too.

Or Shimano, or Felco. Opinions vary as to who makes the best, but they are handy to have around.

If it's a threaded headset, the correct headset wrench is nice to have. Cone wrenches if you need to do anything with the wheels. I've found I rarely need a pedal wrench, I can usually fit a regular Craftsman in there or I have an old yard sale wrench ground thinner for any tightly spaced ones.

I have noticed that some recent MKS pedals such as the FD-7 have an 8mm allen socket on the inside end of the shaft, making it easy to tighten / loosen the pedals that way.

Yes, I agree, the brand isn't the main thing, but having a real cable cutter sure makes it easier when building a bike. I'd lay in a small stock of those little crimp on things for the end of the cables too, it makes for a much cleaner installation.

The Park is fine for home use even if you have several bikes. My CN-4 cutters have worked well for years. The Shimano and Felco cable cutters are a significant step up in price, quality and durability. If I were running an LBS or commercial bike repair business, I would certainly have gone for one of them.

m's right about perhaps not needing a pedal wrench. My most recent pedals also used the hex wrench on the inside. A pair of torque wrenches to cover the full range of torque is nice; beam-style are fine and likely to be cheaper than more complicated ones.

Unless you screw up mounting the cassette, you won't need a chain whip.

cassette service for removal need a spline removal tool and a handle,
be it a breaker bar , ratchet or an adjustable wrench,
depending on the tool and a chain whip..

to tighten , just the spline tool.

and another set of allen wrenches, other than the portable tool set.
Bondhaus with the ball end hex on one side..

save that alien, for fixing things in the middle of the ride,
like if you forgot to tighten it. properly in the 1st place.. .

See OP.

+100 on a good cable cutter, I am a fan of the Shimano as well.

My old Park CN-4 cutters have seen regular use over the years, and I have never regretted buying them. Cutting cable and housing with other tools just doesn't measure up.

A chain whip is one of the easiest tools to build. Using simply hardware store 3/32" x 3/4" flat stock and pieces of an old chain I have built them for less than $4 total.



Treat them like sewing scissors, never use them for anything else, and the will last decades.

I got tired of being nickeled and dimed to death buying individual tools from the local bike shop.

BikesDirect/BikeIsland has a holiday promotion on this very complete bike toolkit https://tinyurl.com/cwervgc so I jumped on it.

No vested interest, just a happy customer.

So this is my list so far;

Existing universal tools;

Metric & English sockets
Spin Doctor metric Allen wrenches and a folding metric Allen wrench tool
Needle nose & standard pliers
Small & medium Standard & Phillips screwdrivers


Needed Universal tools;

Metric open & box end wrenches
8" adjustable wrench
Torque wrench
Channel-lock Pliers


Existing special tools;

Chain pin removal tool
Spoke wrenches


Special tools needed;

Chain Whip
Pedal Wrench
Cassette Lockring tool
External BB tool
Bike-cable cutter

Tools I'm skipping on this simple build;

Crank-puller
Headset wrenches & tools
Hub tools
Wheel building tools

The one thing from your "skipping" list I would get is a set of cone wrenches. Most hubs need periodic overhauling and relubing and even new ones are often shipped a bit too tight and benefit from initial adjustement. Decent cone wrenches are relatively inexpensive. Avoid Park's double ended type and go for their black single size ones with the blue plastic dipped handles. The series is SCW-XX where XX is the size in mm. Get 13, 14, 15 and 17 to start.