Choosing Bike Tools
Finding the right bicycle tools to get might be a little harder than you think. Newcomers to serious cycling often just go out and get a multi-tool that has as many tools on it as they can get, just to make sure they have every tool they might need.
But the problem is that they probably don’t even know how to use half the tools on it, and might never use three-fourths of them. Why spend a bunch of money on tools you might never use, and why lug them around with you on a bicycle?
If you’re something of a handyman, are serious about working on your bike and are willing to take the time to learn to do it, then purchasing a multi-tool might be a good idea. But if you aren’t sure how much you’ll bike work or how much you’ll want to do, then it might be better to just get some fundamental tools to start with.
Multi-tools aren’t always the greatest tools to use. Their bulkiness can get in their own way for certain tasks, and you often don’t get the same leverage and efficiency you’d get from a specialized tool. Some cyclists(cycling carriers) favor carrying some specialized tools instead of a multi-tool, even though it oft times increases the amount of weight they have to carry.
Another factor is the amount of maintenance work you’re willing and able to do at home. If you keep your bike up to speed, checking it out closely after every fifty miles or so, you’re probably not going to have any major problems on the road that require a lot of tools. Of course you’ll need some fundamental tools like tire levers, but if you keep your brakes, spokes, etc. adjusted frequently at home, you shouldn’t have to do much on the road.
But if you plan on taking long trips regularly, you’ll practically have to get a multi-tool and start learning how to use it. If you’re going to tour with other novice mechanics, you can each learn a separate aspect of bike maintenance or repair and help each other out.
The best way to become a bike mechanic is to tour with someone who is one, and watch everything he or she does, asking questions when vital.
Whether you get a multi-tool or individual tools, you’ll need, at the bare minimum, the following:
• A assortment of Allen wrenches; the sizes depend upon your bike.
• A crescent (adjustable) wrench or assorted open or hex wrenches (generally 8, 10 and 15mm, depending upon the bike)
• A flat screwdriver
• A Phillips screwdriver
• A bottle opener
• Tire levers
• A mini-pump or CO2
• A Spare tube and a patch kit
• Bicycle oil
• A first aid kit
• Duct tape (nice for quick repairs like split pants!)
In case you want to set up a home bike shop for yourself, here are some tools you should contemplate getting:
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• Brake/cable adjustment tool (a.k.a. third hand)
• Cartridge bottom bracket tool
• Cassette sprocket lock ring tool
• Soft wire brush
• Bike lube, oil and grease
• Pedal wrench
• Two hub cone wrenches (14g or 15g, depending on bike)
• Adjustable bottom bracket spanner
• Tire pressure gauge
• Toothbrush
• Universal spoke wrench
• Chain cleaning kit
• Chain tool
• Chain whip
• Cotter less crank arm extractor
• Freewheel remover
• Headset wrenches