What tools?

[Comacchio]

When I move house in the coming months I'm going to be less than 10 miles to the office compared to 25+ at present, so have decided to ditch the annual train pass and get a commuter. I placed an order for a Dolan GXC this morning, Shimano GRX 810 1x11 groupset, 40T upfront and 11-40T at the back.

As it's going to be getting daily use in whatever lovely weather we get in Glasgow I'm intending to spend a bit of money to 'tool up' to ensure that I can maintain and repair the bike as and when required. Probably be cleaning the chain and giving it a proper detail most weekends.

Starting from only having a multi tool at present, I'm really looking for advice on what tools you all think are essential, and maybe some suggestions on best value for money? I don't want cheap crap that'll be replaced in 6 months when it inevitably breaks, or is a poorly designed product (Thinking bike stands here). Equally I don't need top of the line, I'm not a racer nor ever will be, but still want to keep my trusty steed in good health.

So, if you were tooling up from scratch again, what would you buy?

Cheers,

[z4RRSchris]

Starter for 10.

Bike Stand
Allen keys
Torque keys
screwdrivers of various types
Chain Whip
Spanner Set inc those thin ones for pedals and cup n cone hubs
Adjustable money wrench type thing
Rubber Mallet
BB Tool + bits for that i.e. crank puller etc
Torque wrench
That thing for chainring bolts
chain splitter
Pliers of various sorts
bearing press
wire snips
nice load of types of greases
load of washing stuff
supersonic cleaner
bit of pipe for sitting crown races

[Comacchio]

Appreciated, thanks!

Looks expensive but will build it up bit by bit. Any recommendation to a decent stand that doesn’t cost the earth?

[MockingJay]

Comacchio said:

Appreciated, thanks!

Looks expensive but will build it up bit by bit. Any recommendation to a decent stand that doesn’t cost the earth?

EDIT: Link won't work, but the £49 Ultrasport one on Amazon.

Great for the price.

Also, buy mudguards for winter duties.

[Digger]

Just so you know all amazon links can be shortened to include the number after dp . . . thus

www.amazon.co.uk/Ultrasport-Bicycle-Assembly-Stand...

[Comacchio]

MockingJay said:

Comacchio said:

Appreciated, thanks!

Looks expensive but will build it up bit by bit. Any recommendation to a decent stand that doesn’t cost the earth?

EDIT: Link won't work, but the £49 Ultrasport one on Amazon.

Great for the price.

Also, buy mudguards for winter duties.

Specced the bike up with front and rears. Looks naff but they’re necessary for practical reasons!

Stand looks good thanks, will order it tomorrow likely.

[millen]

z4RRSchris said:

Starter for 10.

Bike Stand
Allen keys
Torque keys
screwdrivers of various types
Chain Whip
Spanner Set inc those thin ones for pedals and cup n cone hubs
Adjustable money wrench type thing
Rubber Mallet
BB Tool + bits for that i.e. crank puller etc
Torque wrench
That thing for chainring bolts
chain splitter
Pliers of various sorts
bearing press
wire snips
nice load of types of greases
load of washing stuff
supersonic cleaner
bit of pipe for sitting crown races

I built my road bike from a bare frame 4 years/24,000 mikes ago and there's stuff on that list I still don't have! A set of basic hex keys will cover most adjustment jobs, and small screwdrivers, ideally with a torque wrench if carbon frame. + chain breaker and quicklink pliers if using quicklinks. Cable cutters if you're going to re-cable. Shouldn't need torque spanners if you have a torque wrench. (And you'd need a car-sized not bike-sized torque wrench to do a cassette or crank retaining nut at 40+ Nm.)

In my view it's simplest to start with a few basic tools and just add if and when you need specialist stuff - there's not much that even in current times can't be ordered for next-day delivery. And many items will be quite specific to your particular frame and drivetrain.

How often do you really need a bearing press? I've needed one just once (to install the steerer bearings, having failed to achieve this with plastic pipe and hammer) and it was cheaper to pay my LBS £10 to do it. You may or may not feel the need for brake bleeding kit and other hydraulic stuff - or again you might feel it's easier to refer that to the LBS.

Bikestand is indeed desirable. Lidl and Aldi often do a perfectly adequate folding stand for c. £25.

Good luck anyway!

[z4RRSchris]

I like doing things myself, so things like a bearing press i have used a fair amount to switch out hub bearings etc.

the Aldi stand is great

[BoRED S2upid]

z4RRSchris said:

Starter for 10.

Bike Stand
Allen keys
Torque keys
screwdrivers of various types
Chain Whip
Spanner Set inc those thin ones for pedals and cup n cone hubs
Adjustable money wrench type thing
Rubber Mallet
BB Tool + bits for that i.e. crank puller etc
Torque wrench
That thing for chainring bolts
chain splitter
Pliers of various sorts
bearing press
wire snips
nice load of types of greases
load of washing stuff
supersonic cleaner
bit of pipe for sitting crown races

Crikey. I went tubeless have a pump, Allen keys, oil, cleaning products and a decent mechanic.

[anonymous-user]

chain cleaner - like the park tool cyclone chain scrubber - is handy

I got something similar from ebay for a fiver and it does a good job

[snobetter]

You'll need the tools to carry with you, probably covered by your multi tool puncture kit, tube with the addition of a chain breaker and spare link. That'll cover most of your work, get specialist tools as you need them.

As a year round commuter also, I buy a 5l degreaser from screwfix and use a bit of that in a tub with a paint brush to clean drive train, ideally weekly esp in winter. I also buy chains a few at a time when on offer and change them every 1000 miles or so.

[CharlieAlphaMike]

Digger said:

Just so you know all amazon links can be shortened to include the number after dp . . . thus

www.amazon.co.uk/Ultrasport-Bicycle-Assembly-Stand...

Embarrassingly, after nearly 30 years of MTB'ing, I've only just bought a stand This very same stand as it happens (although it wasn't bought from Amazon) and it's the best bike investment I've ever made. It makes life so much easier

[travisc]

Bike specific tools - Aldi sell a kit at about £30
Bike stand - likewise Aldi is fine
Track Pump - doesn’t need to be £££ but they are useful
Torque tool - one of the hex multi tools that does 4-6nm and is also an Allen key

Everything else - buy a Halfords tool / socket set and build up from there if you need to.

[IroningMan]

Cassette/centrelock disc removal tool
Metric hex bits to fit whatever torque wrench(es) you're going to use
Decent Allen keys - Halfords 'Pro' quality, no need to go made with Snap-On, Silca or Park Tools gear.
Cable cutters and maybe a fine flat file for dressing the cut ends of cable outers
Spoke key
Track pump
Carbon assembly paste
I use CV joint grease on everything that needs greasing

[Watchman]

Just keeping a bike roadworthy shouldn't need much at all. Even a stand is a bit of a luxury if all you're doing is cleaning it but they do make it more comfortable to work on the bike.

You'll want puncture repair stuff in your kit bag while you're out riding. Rigid plastic tyre levers mean you won't damage your wheel, even when youre stressed and rushing things with cold fingers. They're light too. Also, those self-sealing patches work well for tubes, or go tubeless. A small pump or cannister. Anything more and you won't want to attend to it by the roadside. That's when you call a friend.

At home, I just wouldn't bother with chain cleaning potions or products. Just blast it very regularly with GT85 (from the inside out) and it'll keep the chain happy enough. Cover the wheel with an old towel and blast the cassette and the jockey wheels too from time to time, and the chain wheels. If you haven't kept up with the GT85 regime, and you need to remove anything sticky - Wynn's Carb Cleaner (from Halfords) removes anything (including powder coating - so be careful with it).



Most bikes need little more than allen keys for everyday maintenance. Wera does a quality set with long handles and ball ends.



Maybe cone spanners - check what sizes you need and buy only those. Park Tools are expensive but if you're only buying a couple...

If you really fancy going to town on your cassette, you'll want to remove it from the wheel, for which you'll need a chain whip. Buy one of these from Decathlon. So much less messy than a conventional chain whip:



I can't think what else you'll want to do as "maintenance". Once you start replacing things, you might consider a pedal spanner if you need the leverage, and a cable cutter if you replace brake/gear cables (buy a proper cable cutter - not just a pair of snips) but more or less everything else on a bike these days is removable with allen keys.

[PhillT]

I invested in one of these kits from Halfords when I got my first bike and it's been brilliant, and good value for money. There are a few things I've upgraded over the years, but it's a great place to start.

[Pando99]

Don't worry too much about 'what tools', worry more about what you are going to do and how often you do it.
If you are going to be commuting you will end up out in all weathers.

The best thing you can do is clean and oil your chain regularly and this will save your drivetrain. I clean mine with a spray of WD40 or equivalent and wipe until all the dirt and old oil is gone. Then apply new lubricant. I would do this weekly or after getting a soaking.

Otherwise just visual checks, and then just replace as the miles rack up.

If you keep on top of looking after the drivetrain it will last thousands of miles and cause you no problems.

Don't get carried away with the changing items every year.... if it aint broke don't fix it.

I have done 6000 miles on my road bike and not spent changed anything apart from tyres. The gears have no issues even though I can see it is wearing, however I intend to just change all at the same time.

Good luck

[InitialDave]

Buy good home/workshop tools as you need them. Can't go wrong with Park.

As a permanent carry on the bike, I have a OneUp EDC, amongst other things, can recommend that.

[gangzoom]

z4RRSchris said:

Starter for 10.

Bike Stand
Allen keys
Torque keys
screwdrivers of various types
Chain Whip
Spanner Set inc those thin ones for pedals and cup n cone hubs
Adjustable money wrench type thing
Rubber Mallet
BB Tool + bits for that i.e. crank puller etc
Torque wrench
That thing for chainring bolts
chain splitter
Pliers of various sorts
bearing press
wire snips
nice load of types of greases
load of washing stuff
supersonic cleaner
bit of pipe for sitting crown races

Been cycling for two decades and I've never touched half the stuff on that list let alone own them.

Bikes are simple stuff, some allen keys tyre levers, and bike pump is all most people will need.

Ifs a commuter see how often you actually use it, and than take it to a bike shop once a year for them to check things out.

[z4RRSchris]

fair enough, i like to fix tings myself rather than take them to my LBS.