1. Crank puller. Single-handedly most useful tool I've bought.
2. Chain tool. Good ones are better than cheap ones.
3. BB spanner wrench.
4. Cone wrenches for wheels.

You all must be spoiled to have work stands. They've been unaffordable to me and don't seem to do too much I can't already do.

Agreed on all 4 tools...plus a spoke wrench.

I'm spoiled by my work stand...i hate working without it now.
Once you have a work stand you'll change your tune too....its one of those things that seems like a luxury until you get it and realize how much easier it makes life.

It sounds crazy, but I rank a soldering iron and flux up there somewhere. I solder all my cable ends so that during overhauls I can clean and re-use cables without the ends fraying.

You guys are making me feel like a bike-tool-a-holic.

I thought about that once, then thought, "that's just a bit much..." Now, I'm somewhat comforted. Soldering is pretty fun, too.

For a cheap bike stand I use a old school pull-up bar ( the ones you unscrew to expand) in the doorway with a old belt to tie up my bikes.

it works pretty well to get the bike off the ground, and you can balance it anyway you want. kinda cramped but hey its CHEAP.

just remember to take it down when your done

I just got these and used them to upgrade....

https://cbuscycle.com/icetoolz-shop-c...tter-p-53.html

They cut clean, either cable or housing but crimping is only so-so. I have crimpers so thats not a big deal. Park cut okay but these cut better. I heard Pedro's cut real well too; they look a lot like the Knipex cutters.

In any case good cutters are worth it.

+1 on the Feedback Pro Elite. Great stand. Best clamp I've ever used.

So I thought until I bought one. I have a pneumatic Handy lift in my garage too for working on motorcycles and I have used it to steady and hold a bicycle upright via it's wheel clamp for a few chores but the bicycle work stand beats it hands down overall.

I'd like to see those Icetoolz cutters matched up with Shimano cutters.

The first step in refusing help is admitting you don't have a problem, Jim.

Dremel with a cutoff wheel for the win

Last night I was looking for a Hozan trueing stand on Ebay.....thats a problem.

It is at that, and a crimped aluminum end cap doesn't come close to the aesthetic appeal of a cleanly soldered cable end. Even a modern weight weenie would approve.

ooh I should try that although I don't currently have a dremel here...and there are cable cutters where the dremel lives

Right now I am stuck with the ultra ghetto combo of little bow-hacksaw which doesnt usually work so I use the cutting section of some needle nose pliers to crush and mangle the housing and then a bastard file to take it down to the part where it is no longer mangled and make a nice flat end...

For cutting cables and housings, consider a cutter that isn't marketed as a "bike tool". I have been using a pair of 8" Channel Lock end cutters forever, and they cut anything and everything without trouble. Much cheaper than the "bike specific" stuff, too.

https://www.channellock.com/acb/store...ter_P128C9.cfm

I have a DIY stand at home, made out of some 2 by 4 set up so that you simply slip the bike between. It works OK but after having worked with the shop grade Park stands, there is no comparison.

I see Park also has a wall mount version. Anyone know the price?

https://www.parktool.com/products/det...23&item=PRS-4W




EDIT: I see them on Amazon for $167. Wow... make a nice Xmas gift.

Take a look at your bike and inventory all of the different nut and allen bolt sizes.
[if "old bike" has Campy parts, you're in luck: that T-wrench will take care of about 90% of the things you need to adjust!)
A basic, on-sale at Perf Bike or Nashbar or many other places (ebay) "20, 30, or whatever" tool set in a tote will get you pretty well set up., for $50 to $90 or so.
I'm a fan of / and they're about $50 or 60 on sale a few times a year / the Perfomance Spin Doctor x-shaped bike holder-upper. Not as nice as the Park and everyone else's true stands, but -- I subscribe to historic bike frame sizes, so I don't have 6" of seatpost sticking out to grab onto (so that I don't squeeze the seat tube) Folds up pretty flat. Would fit under a bed, unless your bed is just a mattress on the floor.

But, basically:

if you've got a $30 or so multi-tool, you will probably have the basics -- but those things are even a pain to use on the road, and you will want "dedicated" tools for home.
Set of metric allen wrenches from 2 mm up to about 10
one of those y-handle 8,9,10 mm sockets
spoke wrench(es) - if you have bikes with more than one spoke gage, may need a set
chain tool
crank puller -- and to go with it, tools to get the bottom bracket the rest of the way apart
cone wrenches - the double-ended ones are fine for home use, you won't be using them as much as a pro mechanic who wants the rubber padding.
cable cutter, housing cutter eventually (unless you're anxious to replace the housings right away -- then maybe take the old ones down to your LBS and have them cut from their spool, to match the lengths.
headset wrenches eventually.
chain whip if you're dealing with cassettes on the rear
computer and printer, to print off the how-to pages from Park Tool's site, and put in a binder
old toothbrush for chain, cluster and chainrings
screwdrivers - eensy-sized ones for derailleur adjustments
pedal wrench - I'd go for the size to fit the flats, but the whopper allen ones are handy, too, IF the pedals are so equipped
tire irons, patch kit
floor pump is nice
wheel truing stand -- good to have along with the spoke wrenches

Supplies:
paper towels, hand cleaner
spare brake and derailleur cables; these are a good purchase when checking out a bike shop to see what they carry
spare tubes (can be the same as the ones you take along when you ride)
grease - lotsa choices here, but it is cheaper in the auto parts section than in the bike store
BoeShield -- spray (Sears and others carry it) -- for inside of tubes to protect against rust, and as a chain lube
A set of spare brake pads
Rim strip -- not the stretchy rubber kind.
save a few plastic (not the styrofoam) meat/deli packaging trays, very handy when you are stripping the bike down to use for soaking/cleaning parts, or just to keep them together by where they came off of

Not counting the bike stand, truing stand, and the floor pump, this would all fit in a milk crate-sized box

If you're working in a living area (like, living room of apartment) a cheap blue plastic tarp to protect the floor - and to make dropped pieces easier to see - could help out.

It will become an obsession ... and there are some good, reasonably affordable "pushers" out there. The "buy it from your buddy at the bike shop" suggestion was a good one.

Go to Nashbar.com ... they have quite a few "must have" tools on sale right now ...
this link should bring you to their specials ....

https://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/st...egoryId=201577

Prices sure beat the department stores! X-Mart might sell new bikes for $79, but all the other bike-related stuff is by no means inexpensive.

Go to Nashbar.com ... they have quite a few "must have" tools on sale right now ...

The $50 & $80 (1/2 price) tool sets might even be a good "jump start" for your home workshop. I still use some of the tools I got in a set like these when I was "a yewt" (that's how we say "a youth" in N.Y. ).

I'm not a fan of the Parks, either. I have a pair of Shimano cutters for casing, and a pair of VAR cutters for cables. Too bad VAR tools are getting really hard to find. The best cable cutters I've ever used, though, are Felco.

Other tools...good set of Allen wrenches (I like Bondhus), good set of metric combo wrenches from 6-16mm, a 14, 15, and 16mm socket with socket wrench, headset/BB wrenches (I have the 3 piece Shimano set, as well as a Tange set that is 36mm on one end and 40mm on the other), cable cutters, third hand (I like the Hozan), a good set of flat/philips screwdrivers, a ball-peen hammer (12 oz), a rubber mallet, a crank puller (I have a 30 year old Campy that's still going strong), a pedal wrench (I like the Eldi), a couple of sets of tire levers, a good greasy-stuff-cleaning brush (the Park "claw" works well), whatever cartridge BB tool you may need, whatever size spoke wrenches you need (the Park black is probably the most commonly used on my bench), and a pair of diagonal cutters (good for crimping cable ends and cutting zip-ties). I also always have a roll of good electricical tape and a tub of zip-ties. I might have missed one or two things, but that just about covers the necessities. NEVER cheap out on hand tools like wrenches and screwdrivers; these are tools that will last forever if you spend your money right the first time, and cheaping out will just end in frustration, wrecked tools, and stripped screw/nut/bolt heads. The Craftsman tools with the lifetime guarantee will serve you well, but not all tools that Sears sell these days fall into this category. A decent repair stand is more than nice to have, and if you ever plan on getting good at truing or building wheels, a real truing stand is a must-have.

Other sundries...a plastic paint roller pan for cleaning parts in, a bundle of rags, a can of your lube of choice, a tube of grease, a spray can of Pledge for making things shiny, a can of hairspray for fastening ATB grips.

Finally, a pair of not-often-thought-of items. I have a 22.2mm and a 27.2mm Flex-Hone and some honing oil; I always take the time to run the flex-hone down my seat and steerer tubes to make sure stems and seatposts don't bind up further down the road.

I realize some of this goes beyond the basics, certainly I accumulated these things over a number of years, but they are the tools that I go back to time and again.

Pete

a must have tool? well I guess the dust cap removal tool for my Corse Record hubset. or perhaps this little doodad which I wish I could get more of. any suggestions?

Hmmm... That seems like a pretty good sale. What do the rest of you guys think? Worth it?

As most mechanics will tell you, myself included, top-end tools should be purchased as they are needed. This separates having tools that are top-quality that will last a lifetime. And having a collection of (usually) second-rate tools that will likely break or otherwise need replacement.

It's up to you: First-class or second-rate.

I'm likin' the Nashbar sets.!!
i think I'm gonna go with the $50 set as i have plenty of basic hand tools and am just needing some of the bike specific tools
Thanks1

i am actually not a fan of cable housing cutters, of any brand or quality. i prefer to cut cable housing with a cutting wheel attached to a dremel. i then use an awl to round out the opening where the cut was made.

other essential bike-specific tools that i could not dream of working without:

- cone wrenches, in multiples
- bottom bracket tools
- crank tool
- cotter pin press
- chain tool
- c-spanner wrenches
- headset wrenches
- pedal wrench
- spoke wrenches
- chain whip
- freewheel tools

i've been pretty happy with park brand, most of mine are park but i'm sure other brands are as good and possible better.