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.... https://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.


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.

https://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:


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
https://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.

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