jsidney

I guess I could read a bunch book on bike repair but maybe plenty of people already know the answer.

First off there is no LBS near me so I will need to learn how to do everything myself.

I am wondering how many special tools I am going to need. I have a crank arm extractor on the way. This is an item I didn't expect and I never heard of such a tool before.

Will there be a lot of tools I am unaware of that I will need to be accumulating?

I will only be working only on my own bikes and learning as I go but I wonder if this is going to get really expensive.

vanttila

Guess it depends on what "working on my own bikes" includes. Basic servicing doesn't take much. If your budget isn't too tight, here you go: https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-AK-3...2630083&sr=1-5

kenji666

Get a good bike repair stand that clamps the seatpost.

jsidney

If that will be all of the special tools I will need I will be OK then.

I want to be able to tear a bike down to the bare frame and put it back again.

Bill Kapaun

There's a lot of tools I'm not aware of and will probably never buy.
Get the tools you use most.
Cone wrenches to fit your bikes (get 2 good ones) and a set of Allen wrenches comes to mind. (I found a metric set at NAPA for a good price that goes up to 10mm.
A cheap set of combination wrenches from 4?-17mm are useful.

dsbrantjr

You can improvise tools for many jobs but some are essential. You will at least need a bottom bracket tool; they are particular to the type of bottom bracket(s) you have. An inexpensive digital caliper is nearly essential; I saw one at Harbor Freight this week for $9.99 with a coupon. A steel rule for measuring chain elongation: I and others distrust "chain checkers". I would suggest that beyond the basics you buy tools as the need arises. Search this forum for many extensive discussions of this subject.

jsidney

What qualifies as good? I see them all over the price scale?

jsidney

That is probably what I will do.

I will check just before my first attempt and taking down a bike to the frame to see what I absolutely will need vs what I might need.

dsbrantjr

Except as a learning exercise or for painting/powdercoating I see little value to stripping a bike down. Maintain what you can and replace what you can't, as required so you can ride it safely and efficiently.

Never Fix A Running Piece, AKA Don't Fix It If It Ain't Broke.

jsidney

Part of it will be a learning exercise. My only form of transportation is bicycles and I live where there are no bike stores. I also want to paint one. I also have some bikes that are too small for me to use that I could rehab or turn into a parts source.

I also ride long distance as transportation and am concerned that something could go wrong that I don't know how to fix in the middle of no where. I figure if I build a bike from the frame up it will force me to know how everything is put together and works.

fietsbob

As the Job in front of you needs a new toolto complete the Job you get one or hire the job out to the LBS
if you don't expect to need the tool again..

like a tool to remove something that you will get rid of.

FBinNY 

You can spend as much or just about as little as you want. For instance you don't need a repair stand, and can work very easily with a bike suspended from above by the handlebars and saddle.

Then it also depends on how far you want to go and the specific needs of your bike, ie. a threadless headset needs only a 5mm hex key, but a threaded one needs one or two headset wrenches.

My advice is to go slow and accumulate tools as you need them for specific jobs you'll actually do.

bikeman715

+1 with FBinNY .

wrk101

Really depends on the era, country of origin, and type of bike you work on. In my case, that set doesn't come close to tearing a bike down to the frame, but all of my bikes are vintage. The older your bike is, the less standardization you will see, which will determine the tools you need. I've never liked a tool kit, they all contain tools I already own, tools I do not need, and invariably, do not have some tools I do need. Who needs Park branded screw drivers, Park branded brush, etc.

Since you have posted several times on the C & V forum, I know you own at least a 1984 and a 1986 Trek 520. You will find the Parks tool set to be woefully inadequate for most vintage bikes. Most vintage bikes will need a lock ring spanner, pin spanner, and a 36mm bb tool to remove and service the bottom bracket. Then you have the myriad of freewheel tools. I have over a dozen, and that only scratches the surface of what is out there. The 1984 Trek came with a helicomatic hub, so you will need a special tool to remove the rear cogs. The 1986 came with a Shimano freewheel (different tool). Add to that list headset tools, and if you are going to strip a bike down to the bare frame, that means pulling the headset and reinstalling it. If so, you are going to need headset cup removal tool, crown race removal tool, and then cup and crown race installation tools.

There are various work arounds for some of the tools I mentioned above, but on some jobs, having the right tool, makes getting the bike adjusted just right so much easier.

jsidney

There is no LBS in this entire county. That is the reason I want to learn to do all of this. If I lived where there were more people I would probably have an LBS do everything.

jsidney

Thanks for the response. It sounds like this is going to be a fun journey

Maybe I better get the tools as I need them.

FBinNY 

Add the country and city to your profile. For all we know there might be another BF poster close to you, but you'll never find each other unless you make i easy.

fietsbob

here is the Park Tool Co page for tool Kits : https://www.parktool.com/category/tool-kits.

call the Shop you will buy from for their retail price Quote.

there may be retail shops over the Web to Go through, then there is shipping added ..

jsidney

Done.

Duo

it may be easier on freewheels to just replace the rear wheel with a new alloy wheel or have the LBS pull off the old one for you and then just spin on a new Shimano freewheel set of gears. the older bikes i work on really don't require many tools, sure there are odd balls out there, but most older bikes i own use the same old parts.

the park tool sets look nice and a good way to go. my bikes didn't demand much and i picked up tools online and at the LBS as needed. A couple of good thick bicycle repair manuals and this bicycle forum helped round out the rest of it.

jsidney

If the bikes were identical I was going to pull the parts from one of the bikes so I had spares and was going to install this. I know the brakes will not work since the existing bikes have canties.

https://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o...20Trek/105.jpg

I was then going to change the other to bar end shifters.

Even though they are both 520's it seems the parts are very different on the bikes.

Maybe it is a bad idea to add the 105's to either one of the bikes.

FBinNY 

You are in the middle of no place, but there a few good shops down In Tulsa, and OKC. Maybe another member will know something even closer.

jsidney

I have ridden a bike to Tulsa several times. Since bikes are my only transportation it is not practical for me to leave one at a shop.

Metacortex

What about Xtreme Bikeworx (Prospect Ave., Ponca City), Xtreme Bikeworx (Oaken Gate Rd., Ponca City), and MM Bicycle Repair (Blackwell)?

jsidney

They are long gone. The guy that owned Xtreme Bikeworx is a Deputy in this county, he started the business on the side because his kids did some kind of mountain biking competition. They closed thy business down quite some time ago after moving to a town called Kaw City of probably 300 people. MM is gone also.

There really are not that many bike people here. I know long ago someone tried to start a bike club, they couldn't get participation is what I was told.

The county I am in is about 40k people I think.