Tool kit
 

I figure i should stop paying other people money to work on my bike and just learn to do it myself. I wanna get some tools, but not sure if I should just get a kit from supergo or performance bikes, or just the pieces i know for sure i'll need. the kits i'm looking at are the

supergo kit http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?L...07&referpage=#

or the performance kit http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...TOKEN=58656009

Keep in mind that i'll need tools for the roadie too, but that shouldn't require more than a couple other pieces. So I'm guessing i'm going overboard, so feel free to tell me i'm an idiot and just get a set of wrenches.

i have some of the spin doctor tools, and all i can say is that you get what you pay for. my 5mm was totally stripped out in about 3 months....

also, that chain cleaner is a bit unneeded. just take your chain off and soak it in some cleaner (i use the cleansafe degreaser from performance, diluted to about 10%) overnight and you'll be golden. good as new.

anyway.

i went the other way and got a good torque wrench and some socket sets from sears, which seemed a better investment for most of that stuff. i have a few of the tools that are bike-specific (a headset wrench, bb remover, cassette tool), but got the majority as craftsman tools. these seem tougher, and have yet to strip out. plus the torque wrench keeps me honest :)

The Park tools are pretty durable and I've been sticking to those for the most part, but they do cost more. I agree with Mr. Ballistic though, a lot of the tools I use are not bike specific but there is no way of avoiding buying the basics that he mentioned. I would get some cone wrenches and spoke wrenches too.

It is kind of a philosophy I have been sticking to for the last few years: I'll buy the tools when I need them and use the web to learn how to do the work. I pretty much have all the tools now (except the headset press & crown race removers and stuff$$) and my bikes have not seen a bike shop in years and run great!

Good luck!

get the indivicual pieces; all you really need for the shop:

appropriate hex keys
cone wrenches
chainwhip
headset wrench (12 inch cresent will do)
lockring tool/BB puller
Pedal wrench (or thin crescent or open wrench)

For the road:
coupla hex keys, tire irons, and chain tool in the pocket.

Always buy tools to last a lifetime. But it once, or buy it often.

I'll echo Stevo. That is a fine list. The only thing really lacking are the crazy headset tools- and the bike coop has those available.

A friend has one of the Nashbar kits, and the tools are very crude compared to my Park Tools. They work, but they aren't particularly robust. The entire kit is on sale for as little as $40-50. That's about the price of a Park chainwhip and crank puller.

I pieced my set together over the years. Some of the wrenchs (not cone wrenches) can easily be purchased at the hardware store far cheaper than through Park, yet are much better than Performance or Nashbar house brand.

Torque wrench? I've never seen a shop monkey using a torque wrench... which I find interesting.

Just my 0.02 to agree with stevo and others, but this is what I'm doing after making do with a Jenson toolkit, same as all the other 40-50 dollar Lifu tool kits. I got to use the cone and headset wrenches exactly once each - cone wrenches stripped automatically, headset wrench started bending and marred my brand new chrome headset. Some of the wrenches have two sizes in the "mouth" of each wrench - smaller one on the bottom, big one on top. Also, a bunch of the stuff that comes in the set is a junkier version of stuff you already have - tire levers, screwdrivers, adjustable wrench, allen keys. For what I'm able to use with confidence, I basically got a chain tool, chain whip and cassette lockring remover in a silver box with a bunch of other bits as garnish.

Get the Park or Pedros tools one by one as you need them. Or that Performance set does look pretty Park/Pedrosoid...

Buy it nice, or buy it twice.

buy the best, and nothing less :)

"cassette lockring remover "

ok; that's two references to a 'cassette'. What is a cassette? Why would one have such a device on a bike?

useful when you're converted those icky geared bike things to fixed.

yeah, but i'm a roadie too, which means that i'm adjusting carbon parts. the torque wrench stops me from snapping my handlebars, stem, etc.

plus, on the steel side of things, it helps me keep from going overboard on my 5mm bolts, which keeps them from stripping down.

What about a crank puller/crank bolt tool (for removing/tightening cranks?) Wadday'all use? I find buying tools as I need 'em to be getting costly. Also, what's a good basic set of cone wrenches? Only the Park Tools ones?

Here is what I have and it works pretty well:

Park pedal/headset wrench:
I've never had a problem getting pedals off with this so I don't see the need for one of the really powerful pedal wrenches plus the headset wrench is just right for the home mechanic

12" adjustable wrench:
In conjunction with the above wrench, the best tools for headset adjustment IMO

Hozan lockring wrench:
A must for the fixed gear rider, get the modified kind.

Chain Whip:
While not entirely necessary I prefer using this over the "ride the cog into place" method or worse yet the"Italian Method"

Allen wrenches:
I like the swiss-army knife style combination one that Park makes because it is easy to carry on the road

Park Shimano-spline BB tool:
For installation and removal of your Shimano sealed BB. Pretty much the standard these days.

2 Wrench Force 13/15mm cone wrenchs:
You'll need two of these when working on your hubs. Buy the 13/15 combo, 13 for the front and 15 for the back. I would use Park but they don't make this combo for some reason

Park universal cotterless crank puller:
For getting you cranks off. This one works really well.

Wire cutters:
If you choose to use brakes(I do)

Tacx 14/15 mm box wrench:
Works great on your crank fixing bolts and on your track nuts when working at home. Slightly overkill but I love this tool.

Chainring bolt wrench:
For changing your chainring

Smaller adjustable wrench:
A toolkit isn't a toolkit without one

Park CT-5 Chain tool:
For installation and removal of your chain.

Tire levers:
Any kind will do IMO

For the road I carry my Allen wrenches, tire levers and chain tool with me(too small to not take with you). I leave the Tacx wrench at home and carry a smaller 15/14 combination wrench.

As far as anything to do with wheel truing or headset installation, I leave that up to the folks at my LBS.

I would avoid the premade kits because you get a bunch of stuff you don't need at much lower quality.
I think the above list would run you about $150. A lot of money but only buy the tools that you need when you need them. They will pay for themselves in a short period of time.

how about the park roll up tool kit, it seems like it has the essentials, and i can get the other generic wrenches at home depot or something.
http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?L...607&referpage=
what else should I add to it?

Perdos has an Unlimited Lifetime warranty on the tools. It does not state "wear' as covered, but they gave me a new pedal wrench and cone wrench when they started to round. The Park tools I have are better quality and their spoke wrenches never hurt my hands. My Ultimate truing stand and Park axel vise axel have also served me well and paid for themselves. I agree that youy get what you pay for.

You'll be surprised at how far you can go with a set of metric allen wrenches and a couple of screwdrivers. Don't be afraid to throw your allen wrenches away when they wear enough so that you can see how far they fit into the bolt. Worn allen wrenches will round out the bolt head. Then you'll have to invest in a drill and an EZ-out and a new bolt.

The next most common repair is chain and cassette replacements. To do that you'll need a chain tool, cassette lockring tool that fits your bike, and a chain whip.

Hub overhauls are usually an annual project and take cone wrenches that fit your hubs (also an ordinary 17mm open end wrench). Front and rear hubs commonly take different sizes.

Bottom bracket replacement may require a crank puller but that's not always necessary. Cartridge bottom brackets found on most newer bikes require a special tool with splines to match your bottom bracket. If you don't have a cartridge bottom bracket, it's best to figure out exactly what you need because there are lots of different possibilities. If you're on a budget, this is a good place to hold off until you need them.

A spoke wrench is needed for adjusting wheels. They come in sizes too. Good ones only cost a little bit more than not-so-good ones and are a whole lot nicer to use.

When you buy a cable cutter I think that it pays big time to step up and buy a good one. A decent one might by itself cost as much as a whole budget tool kit. However, if your cable cutter frays the cable or leaves one little uncut wire, what's the point? Here's where to spend the money you saved by not buying tools that you won't need and putting off buying bottom bracket tools.

I think that's pretty much the basic kit. Of course, you'll never stop buying tools. There are a gazillion special bike tools and every single one has it's purpose. Some of those purposes just don't come up very often.

Short answer is, if you've got the tools you'll probably do the job. If you ain't, you won't

I've got one of the LIFU sets and agree that they're cheap but they'll do, just like your first bike is probably cheap and then.... you're set for a lifetime of upgrading (unless you get Park tools, in which case you're set for a lifetime of fixin'n'fettling).

and then the local kids will come round and ask you to fix their cheap'n'nasty Toys'R'Us / Walmart rubbish

You will also need a shop quality chain tool (pocket ones are good for emergencies but not for home use), a crank puller and a lockring tool for your cassette.

Also get a good repair stand. I bought a bike shop quality Park several years ago for $150 and use it almost daily. No regrets. Look for one that has a quick release mechanism like the Park. There's nothing worse than trying to put a bike in a stand and having to hold it up and fiddle with some kind of screw jobby to clamp the bike. This is my favorite.

Use a cable cutter like this rather than wire cutters. The wire cutters flatten the cable and will fray it. The cable cutter will cut the cable and leave a nice end. It will cut cable housing too.

Dude, that's a stand.

I use wire cutters my self for cutting cables. They're "linesman's pliers", and they cut just as good as any cable cutter. The ends do not get frayed or crushed. Besides, you clamp the extra bit of cable in a little dealie , so it doesn't really matter if the end is crushed...

just buy each tool as and when you need them. You'll save money and you'll never have stuff that wasn't used.

Only ever go for quality (Campagnolo or Park) or you could end up spending more to replace the broken tools.

I'm gonna go ahead and get the pedro rollup kit. It has all the basic essentials and I only have to get a few other spare pieces. I'll pick up a torque wrench from sears and i think i'll be set.

If the lineman's pliers are the kind that encircle a cable before they cut it they probably are just as good as a cable cutter. But if you use what most people have in their tool kits for wire cutting, i.e. diagonal cutters, those will crush the cable. I almost always finish off my cables with solder to keep them from fraying. If the cable is frayed or flattened, you can't refeed it through the housing if you do work on the bike's brakes or derailuers. And diagonal cutters make a real mess of cable housing, especially derailuer housing!

I'm not saying you have to use cable cutters just that it makes life easier.

On a torque wrench, pick up a light one. You won't need something with a 100 ft-lb capacity. I have an inch-lb beam wrench that I have used for several years which is just perfect for bicycles. It only goes up to about 500 in-lb which is about 45 ft-lbs. Nothing on a bike needs more than that.

I have the Nashbar big tool kit .I use it and have no complaints .