Basic Toolkit
 

I am looking to put together a basic bike toolkit. I just bought my first road bike a Crew District and need a few tools to one assemble it and do maintenance.

To start I was thinking of getting a folding hex set and a pedal wrench. I have snap on screwdrivers and metric open end box end wrenches from my auto toolset but was also eyeballing the Nashbar essential tool kit.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

http://www.bikeforums.net/singlespee...y-commute.html

Bicycle Mechanics

edit: apologies i read too fast

a 3 way hex tool is all youre likely to need for allens
freewheel,lockring,chainwhip,bb, and chain tools are the only bike specific youll need
anything else you can use from your auto tools, if you hamfist tools you might want a torque wrench

The chainwhip in the Nashbar Essential Tool Kit is 3/32 which may not be appropriate depending on what you have for a cog. It also doesn't have a lockring tool. Do you know what bottom bracket and crank you are using? The bottom bracket and crank remover won't help you if you are using a GXP bottom bracket/crank for instance. The cone wrench set is not likely to be of much use for this bike nor the casette lockring tool. If you are going singlespeed you will need a freewheel remover if you want to change it. In short, I don't think this would be a very good buy.

Instead of the kit I am looking at starting with

Park Pedal Wrench
Park Hex folding set (3mm-10mm)
Portland Design 3wrencho

Would that get me through assembling the bike and bike things for now then when I need tools buy them?

Not, knowing what state the bike is going to be in before you assemble it, probably not. Do you know what crank and bottom bracket you are using? Are they installed on the bike? Is the cog/freewheel installed on the wheel? At the very least you should by some tire irons. I wouldn't want to try to just use the 3wrencho by itself as a tire iron.

I dont, it is one of those I bought online complete things from city grounds Crew Bike Co. District Fixed Gear Bike Built By CG | City Grounds

Well, you won't have to install the bottom bracket or cranks, but you will have to true up the wheels and probably cut the brake cables. You are probably better off just paying a local bike shop to assemble, adjust and tighten stuff instead of buying a bunch of specialized tools. What you really need to get is a good floor pump with a built-in pressure gauge, and a tire repair kit (spare tube, tire irons, inflator,15mm wrench) to take on rides.

I can tighten things and cut the cables no problem. I have general wrenches and cutters.

I called my local bike shop and they want $80 to assemble the bike. I know I am mechanically inclined enough that I can assemble it safely. I may have to watch a youtube video on truing up a wheel.

Well, $80 seems excessive, so i can see why you wouldn't want to use that shop. To true up a wheel properly you need a truing stand and of course a spoke wrench.

It sounds to me like you have the basics already covered. Just buy new, more specific, tools as the need arises. After all, we could sit here all day and come up with a list a mile long as to what the "basic" tools to have should be. For example, I consider a pedal wrench to be a "basic" tool, while someone else would say, it's over kill, and you can get away with using a 15mm box end wrench. So, again, just buy what you need as the need arises.

However, having said all that, it might not be a bad idea to get a tire pump.

Or just do this:
http://sheldonbrown.com/images/IMG_7...ertruingsm.JPG

Cutters - you might be surprised that the cutters don't cut it. I use a dremel and thin grinding wheel but you can also get a special cable-cutter.

I like to have cone wrenches. If you don't have them and know how to use them you might destroy your wheel without knowing it is happening.

http://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by TejanoTrackie http://www.bikeforums.net/images/but...post-right.png
To true up a wheel properly you need a truing stand and of course a spoke wrench.


This is what I was talking about...

Just get what you need when you need it.

The problem with that setup is that you can't tell if the rim is centered on the hub.

I always assumed that if my frame were straight that I could pretty reliably use the ruler for centering. You can always flip the wheel around as well. I put paper clips on the ruler as well. Maybe I'm not understanding you.

Truing a wheel is so not a big deal.

+1 (a million times over).

Ugh.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=439835

i true my wheels with the wheels on the bike and just use the brakepads or zipties as guides. i think hell be fine with just a spokewrench since hes not building the whole wheel

its not rocketsurgery

How do you know your wheels are centered, or don't you care ?

Your frame is not a good centering tool. The seatstays are not perfectly centered on the frame nor are the dropouts. You are lucky if you get within 3mm perfect alignment between the seat stays near the brake bridge and the dropouts. Every time you remove and replace the rear wheel to reverse it, you will have to adjust it exactly the same in order to assess the rim centering on the hub. Basically, you will just be chasing your tail and will never center it properly. I use a wheel centering (dishing) tool to check rim centering, and always do this first before I attempt to check and adjust lateral and radial runout. Then, there is the issue of properly tensioning and stressing the wheel to keep it from constantly getting out of true.

cuz by "truing my wheels" i mean just working out a slight wobble or two, i work out those trouble spots and im good

i dont need it to be laser straight within a micron

So, you just assume that your wheels are already centered, and go from there. Problem is the OP is getting some cheap wheels that may be off center by a significant amount, and find that by simply truing the wheels alone will not get them to align properly.

true, machine built wheels might not be in the shape that ol' fauthful wheels are in

but im not assuming my wheel centered in the dropouts, and i dont need them to be perfectly centered in dropouts or a truing stand to see that the wheel has a wobble, just sayin

all that being said i had a set of really cheap wheels that were built by a machine and they never needed any adjustments

Maybe you misunderstand what I'm trying to say. By "centered" I mean the rim being centered relative to the axle locknuts at the inside of the dropouts. The rim may have zero lateral runout and still be off center on the hub. In this case, the wheel needs to be redished by tightening all the spokes on one side and then retrued. The easiest way to determine centering is with a dishing tool.

Yeah I feel 80 is way to much when I am mechanically inclined enough to put it together. I have worked on cars and motorcycles, I can work through getting it right. I picked up a new 15mm wrench, floor pump, and folding hex key set from Amazon. Patch kit, levers, and small c02 pump are next on the list.

My wheels do not have to be perfect, just close.

Buy a decent set of lockring pliers (not a stamped steel tool). Hozan type are what you want. If you have an angle grinder or bench grinder etc they are extremely easy to make out of an old pair of channel locks.

Makes it much easier to tighten a lock ring.

Also, depending on how anal you are about your frame, you can use the roto lock technique is to install/remove a cog (eliminating the need for a chain whip).

Check your pedals before buying a pedal wrench. Many have allen sockets on the rear or have wide enough flats for a regular open end 15mm.

You do not need much to work on a fixed gear bike.

You will eventually need bottom bracket specific tools. You will eventually need a chain tool.

Spend the money on a good spoke wrench (not the multi size dealys).

Generally speaking, kits will come with stuff you don't need and will contain lesser quality of ools than buying individual items.

All you likely need to get started is a decent set of allen wrenches (not folding, they are a pain to use) and a good spoke wrench. Buy the rest as needed.

Just a note on this. FB taught me a trick when building wheels on the cheap: Set the wheel on three soup cans and stack coins from the table to the axle. Flip the wheel to check centering. Works a treat.

Edit: Had to come back to say to make sure the axle is centered in the hub before doing the above. Might not have been necessary to say, but a variety of folk read this stuff.

OP,
Check the head on the inset nut that centers your dual pivot calipers. It may be 2.5mm, so you'll need that size, too. I'd recommend buying a good, complete set of metric long L allen wrenches. The Park Tool master chain link removal pliers are terrific, too.

As you attempt more complicated service, you may want to pick up the specific tool needed. That's the way most of us have done it over many years. Just be thankful that you're not servicing old Campagnolo stuff...
PG

For the lockring pliers is this the one? http://www.amazon.com/HOZAN-YD-1015-.../dp/B003LBSLUG

Also is this needed right off the bat or can wait?

I bought a regular 15mm stubby wrench and have a snap on 15mm at home. I know I have wiha hex sockets besides the folder but may buy another long set to be safe.

I will plan on a chain tool and bottom bracket tools when I get around to buying a new crank (aka all city 165)