What tool do you use to remove rear wheel?
 

I'm curious as to what tool(s) you guys and gals use to loosen the rear wheel nut (usually 15mm) to repair a rear flat. I recently replaced my tubes and tires at home but ended up using a 15mm socket and rachet since it was on quite tight and I did not want to bend the Topeak Alien wrench set which I tried at first as a mock-flat repair situation.

Do you carry a 15mm wrench, or just patch your tubes without removing your wheels?

There are a number of 15mm wrenches out there for the fixie market. This one comes up early in a Googling.... http://www.amazon.com/Park-SS-15C-Si.../dp/B0025UMID0

The craftsman shorty open end box combination. There is no need for a long wrench, one can push down with one foot if needed.

Thanks for the quick replies.

That wrench might work. Once I finish working on my folding bike I can lend it to hipsters and their fixies lol.

This seems more like my taste. I was thinking of putting in a long 15mm craftsman wrench in my kit, but perhaps one of the shorty wrenches might work.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/...0f028d4f4e.jpg
SKS Cagebox by sudoshift, on Flickr

I've been doing it since 2003. The short wrench fits in a tiny seat pack.

The correct answer is: the Surly Jethro Tule. It's small, has a nice flat side for your palm to apply pressure, and it doubles as a bottle opener. Look no further. Theoretically you could patch a tube without taking your wheel off, but holy moly what a pain. Get one of these.

http://surlybikes.com/parts/jethro_tule

I use a bronze dumbell style wrench. It works with a little gentle foot action but I have vertical dropouts so dont need to tighten overly hard compared to horizontal dropouts with a fixed wheel.
I always prefer a ring/box style to an open crescent wrench.

Yep, one of these, or a shorty Craftsman for road repairs.

Only one of my bikes has bolt-on wheels, and I carry an tool with a wrench at one end and a tire lever at the other. I often wish I'd gotten the Jethro Tule instead.

I just flip the quick release lever.

Duh.

Another option to the Surly Jethro Tule (an excellent tool, but not all of us need another bottle opener) is the PDW 3-wrencho, which also has a flat surface that is easy on the hands, and doubles as a tire lever (more useful than a bottle opener, IMO)

What I have looks like the uncoated version of that without the PDW logo. You can never have too many bottle openers though. :)

I used a very small adjustable wrench, it worked for whatever didn't use allen bolts. I still keep it in my bag, though my current bike doesn't need it. Never know when you'll run across somebody who needs it.

I use one of these:
http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pub...I2zCK7BLEskcwQ

Don't know where I got it, but it does the job and fits well into my seatbag.

I carry a set of Metrinch wrenches 10mm-19mm, being Metrinch they will also work on 3/8-7/8 fractional. I considered carrying just the required size(s), but, I didn't want to break up the set. Actually don't need them that often for my bike.

I carry a shorty crescent wrench I picked up at a hardware store for about $3. I can use it for any (non-allen) bolt on the bike. It's not robust enough for every day use, but it's good enough to keep in my saddle bag for emergency repairs. When I'm at home I use my good tools anyway.

do want.

+1

I've been slowly replacing all my bolts with allens, but occasionally, it still comes in handy for nuts. I like it a lot better than the little wrenches on my topeak alien as this won't slip off the heads. And it does work well for my rear wheel (though I'm building a new set with QR skewers). It's about the length of a multitool so it doesn't give you much leverage unless you stand on it, bit it's great for packing in a seatbag kit.

+1 to a short 15mm combo wrench.

For most of my bikes I just use my hands. Undo the quick release on the wheel and brakes, and voila.

I carry a 21mm wrench on my trike to undo the rear axle nuts.

Another vote for Portland Design Works 3 Wrencho Tire Lever. I have the coated one, and the tire-iron part of it works very well. I have a set of Pedro's plastic tire spoons, but I haven't needed them yet with the Wrencho in my saddlebag.

-Warr

I have a tool with a lockring wrench on one end and a 15mm wrench on the other end.

Similar to this
http://thebikesmiths.com/store/produ...lockring-tool/

Since I couldn't find anything else, even a cheap dumbell, I bought an inexpensive 15mm combination wrench and cut it in half with a hacksaw. I carry both pieces in my seat bag. I wouldn't touch my axle nuts with a crescent wrench if I could help it. Too easy to strip the nut.

The shorty is about $10. on the interwebz fromm Sears.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944117000P