Fugazi Dave

So I sorted through my tool bag this morning and thinned it out to the only tools I feel I actually need for the upkeep of my bike. My bare-bones tool kit now consists of:

• Chain whip
• Crank puller
• Hozan lockring pliers
• Chain tool
• 3/4" open-end wrench (for the flats on my eno hub)
• 15mm open-end wrench (for pedals)
• Park steel tire levers
• Crank Bros speed lever
• Tire pump
• Leatherman
• Chain lube
• Wire cutters
• Spare lockring
• Chainring bolt wrench
• Allen wrenches
• Flex handle
• 14mm socket
• BB tool

I can do pretty much anything I need to on my fixie with those things. How would your basic fixie tool kit look?

boots

that's pretty comprehensive. does that ride around with you in your mess bag or stay at home?

my tool kit is a 15mm wrench, spoke wrench, allen wrench, and list of bike shops

d_D

• Chain whip
• Crank puller
• Chain tool
• small adjustable spanner for pedals and wheel locknuts
• cone spanner for hub
• tyre leavers
• pump
• wd40, grease and motor oil
• Wire cutters
• Chainring bolt wrench (also doubles as extra tyre leaver)
• Allen wrenches
• socket for hub nuts
• BB tool
• threaded rod and nuts washers for headset press
• old threadless steam with spread clamp to install crown race
• hacksaw for steerer and bar cutting

jinx_removing

This is a list of what I have and I feel that all of these are essential. You probably could swap a few things depending on your preferences. I posted this in another thread but this time I included links to the specific tools or the pages that they are on. It could be a pretty good resource for the beginner fixie mechanic:

Park Headest/Pedal 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(this can be found at your local hardware store:
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.

Wheels 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 splined BB tool l:
For installation and removal of your Shimano sealed BB. Pretty much the standard these days.

Two 13/15 mm cone wrenches:
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.

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

Tacx 14/15mm 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 nut wrench :
For changing your chainring

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

Park 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.

junioroverlord

Adjustable wrench and some duct tape, thats all I need.

andygates

5mm Allen key, 15mm wrench, patch kit, pump. The rest is luxury. Lockring spanners are *definitely* luxury!

Ya Tu Sabes

Seriously. I've become attached to the DIY approach to lockrings: two tiny bolts clamped in a vise grip at the appropriate distance.

schwinnbikelove

Or screwdriver and a hammer?

BostonFixed

If you went brakeless, you wouldn't need any of the tools for brakes, and if you used the italian method to secure your cog, then you could do away with the chain whip, and the lockring and all its related toolery.

Ya Tu Sabes

Oh, right. I was thinking of those multi-pin bottom bracket pieces. Flathead screwdriver + hammer is the best for lockring applications.

chimblysweep

i just got the jethro tool and it's awesome. i carry it on my keyring now. so useful for flats.

jinx_removing

Using the "Italian Method" while brakeless sounds like pure genius to me.

BostonFixed

Maybe I should have added a smiley. My post wasn't 100% serious.

Shiznaz

My tool kit sucks. I need to buy a park bike specific one at some point because what I have now is not good for my bike parts.

crazyjohnson

Not exactly bare bones but the huge Nashbar kit is on sale: $130, was $200. [actually, if you take a look, most of their kits are on sale]

wangster

what's the italian method? what's so great or horrible about it?

Ya Tu Sabes

Somehow, "using the Italian method while brakeless" sounds like some sort of antiquated form of contraception.

BostonFixed

Italian Method:

https://204.73.203.34/fisso/eng/schpignone.htm

jinx_removing

Same here.

mourges

Anyone here have a torque wrench they use?

Reason for my question is my cranks are making creaking noises, and from what I have read it is likely to be me not cranking down hard enough with my allen keys.

stevo

never found a need for a torque wrench for a bike (bicycle). 'pretty-tight' with the allenkey is always tight enough.

Wheel Doctor

My on bike fixie repair stuff. 15mm wrench (cut down in length), CO2 cart/filler head, tube and stubby quick stick in a tiny underseat bag. I currently carry a multi tool since the bike is in its shakedown and adjustment phase. However, This goes away when it is dialed in.

My commute is 15 miles of nowhere each way. My urban friends call it the "the end of nowhere". I have all the stuff the poster listed plus a bunch more, and more, and more. You can't have enough bike stuff including tools.

iamjberube

seconded. plus it's a lot smaller for the road. i have that and a crank brothers tool, tubes and levers, patch kit, pump, and lockring nut wrench in my bag.

TimArchy

I've found that I don't need a chainwhip anytime. To unscrew a cog, I take off the lockring and do a trackstand, bouncing on the back pedal a bit. To tighten, bounce on the front pedal. A fixed drivetrain is its own chainwhip. (of course I've only done this with my old cheep quando hub. not sure if I'm going to risk it on my phils. But it keeps me from thinking that I have to lug around a chinwhip for emergencies ((notorious overpacker)))

I'm trying to figure out if I can do something similar on my geared bike with the cassette lockring remover. Then I wouldn't have to haul a chainwhip around on tours.

jim-bob

Tim - Check out https://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/stein-mini-lock/