I am getting a commuter bike for regular use, and thinking about getting the biggest front basket I can find- and by big, I mean around twenty-one inches wide. Panniers are too expensive in general, two small baskets cost more than one big one, and I was told that front baskets affect steering, whereas rear baskets affect balance. (I also like the fact that my tiny, useless, winged arms can get a workout this way, but that is another story.) Anyway, I was also told that loads in baskets eventually cause the nuts and bolts to come loose, or cause other problems. What is the best way to avoid or reduce some of these maintenance issues? Also, what basic tools would I need? (I know nothing about bikes nor tools- I've never needed tools for anything.)

The tools you need do depend on the bike.

The most essential tool is a pump. You need to be sure the pump fits the valves on your inner tubes. The common valves are presta and schraeder. Schraeder valves are like the ones on car tires. A floor pump with a built-in pressure gauge is really nice. Bike tires tend to lose pressure faster than car tires and you really want to keep the bike tires pumped up properly.

After that you will want to be able to fix flats. You'll need "tire irons" to get the tire off the rim. You need to remove the wheel from the bike, too. You might have bolts on the axles, for which a big adjustable wrench is OK or better to have a wrench of the right size. Or you might have quick release levers which don't need any tools.

So a set of (probably) metric open/closed end wrenches is nice, and then also a set of (probably) metric Allen wrenches (hex keys) is pretty much essential. Look at the various fasteners on you bike and get what you need to loosen/tighten them!

Get a basic book on bike maintenance too!

Hey there again Blue!

Once again, just join your nearest bicycle co-op. They will teach you about the ins and outs of bicycle mechanics. They will mostly have all the tools you will ever need. You will need most of what Jim has explained, already.

Good Luck!

A small load in a front basket will have minimal impact on steering. A heavy load in a big front basket will affect steering and *could* have some affect on balance as well. The bike's geometry will be a factor in the amount of the effect. You are basing your decisions largely upon the input and advice from the others here. That can be both good and bad.

My advice is that while you are shopping around for a bike (I've not been keeping up with your exploits, sorry), let the sales staff at the LBS know your intent to mount either a big front or rear baskets. They just might look at you like you've sprouted another head, as most shops tend to cater towards the roadies and mtb crowds than the utility types. But stick to your guns.

And why did I mention rear basket(s) when you've already stated you're planning on getting a front one? Because in your shopping around for a bike and doing test rides, you need to do trial runs with your backpack loaded down with textbooks to approximate the weight of your grocery runs. You have to experience this for yourself. I'd hate to see you get something you're brain says makes sense, go make your first grocery run, only to find out that your body says it ain't happening.

As far as the tools go, for your admitted skill set goes, you'll want a crescent wrench, a Park MT-1 multitool, and maybe some pliers. Other than that (and the flat repair kit), that's all the tools you will need. If you can't figure out how to fix something with those tools, you're better off letting the LBS deal with it. It's what I do.

I'll pack up to 50 lbs. total in my 2 rear baskets and the only drawbacks are-
1. sluggish acceleration
2. Handling/turning suffers at VERY slow speeds, but that's true without carrying a load. You just have to anticipate a bit more if heavily loaded.
I would expect a heavily load front basket to be much worse in this case.

It probably makes a difference how much YOU weigh in relation to the load.