Hey all, longtime lurker here! I’m a relatively new triathlete, and am looking forward to getting more involved in the sport and community. I have a question for the experienced home mechanics of Slowtwitch. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been gradually piecing together the beginnings of a bike tool collection. Would anyone be willing to share some of their favorite/can’t-live-without tools? A recent favorite of mine has been the Park Tool cassette lockring tool with handle. Love it for the heft that it has and not having to hold a lockring tool with the old adjustable wrench.
Over last 25 years I’ve built a fair collection ranging from the used once (cone spanners) to the very well used. Have a set of Silca torx and hex spanners that are very nice to use. That said my go to is the park tool range. Tends to hit the right spot of quality without crazy price.
Of the things you didn’t know you needed, a good set of wire cutters (for cables) rather than mashing with the pliers. Chain stretch tool (although now I wax chains that’s not used as much as it used to when commuting 150mpw in Manchester. Park tool low range torque wrench and their hex and torx bit set. Automotive torque wrench about most used tool as I used to swap the quarq GXP powermeter between road/TT bike twice a week.
I hate quicklinks, so the link pliers is a godsend for me.
Park cable cutters
Park T-handle hex wrench set
Bike Smart pedal wrench
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Don’t do much about bike tools (I have a whole Park Tools set, but don’t play with them much, actually) however, I will confess that the other day I watched almost half an hour of videos from Adam Savage (Mythbusters) talking about pencils
https://youtu.be/bLwo1kOcwxs?si=m__G1wITNrU7qXdW
https://youtu.be/2DJQffwLgkM?si=S0_gauH3iY7HNrsG
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A good set of hex keys. The Wera hex-plus are some of the best I’ve ever used - the are high quality and the hex-plus design prevents rounding bolts (https://www.kctool.com/wera-073593-multicolor-hex-ball-end-hex-metric-l-key-clip-set/)
A good mini-ratchet like the Wera Bike Set -1 is perfect for narrow spaces and great for travelling. (https://products.wera.de/en/tools_by_trade_tool_sets_for_bicycles_and_e-bikes_bicycle_set_1.html)
Park Tool cable routing kit - worth it’s weight in gold https://www.parktool.com/en-us/product/internal-cable-routing-kit-ir-1-3
Silca Hiro Chuck https://silca.cc/products/hiro-locking-presta-chuck
Abbey Crombie Tool - Dual Sided https://www.abbeybiketools.com/collections/tools/products/crombie-thru-axle-std-handle
Silca Hiro Chuck https://silca.cc/...locking-presta-chuck
Ug, I could not stand the Silca Hiro. I had to recycle mine - didn’t want to give it away and subject someone else to that thing. Yeah, I got the clamping direction right and all that.
The rest of the suggestions are great!
Mine - a good bike stand. Having your bike locked in position at a good height with the ability to adjust it is a key part of a pleasurable bike maintenance session. I use the Park PRS-4W-2 wall mount stand. But there are many other good ones.
Crombie and similar are great.
Pairs really well with cassette pliers
I use the Birzman, but Feedback etc are great.
Don’t ever use a chain whip.
Unpopular opinion - Buy cheap tools from Amazon unless it’s a mission critical part. If you use the tool enough that it breaks or wears out or doesn’t work, then you’ve warranted buying the expensive version. No need buying a $100 chain whip that you’re going to use twice.
You kinda need to flip it around and ask what you want to be able to do versus taking to a shop. For example, if your bike has a press fit bottom bracket, would you do that or take it to a shop for replacement. That needs a set of expensive and highly specialized tools.
A good hex set is a given. (I actually prefer Park’s fold-up set and use it almost exclusively.)A good torque wrench is nice to have, but not a necessity.If you see yourself replacing your chain, then you need a chain break and chain pliers.If you see yourself re-cabling, then cable cutters and end crimping tool is nice.If you see yourself swapping pedals often, then an appropriate pedal wrench (that matches your pedals).If you see yourself swappign cassettes often, then cassette tools (appropriate tool for your cassette plus cassette chain whip or pliers).
That’s probably about it.Oh, and a decent bike stand is almost essential.
I have almost every bike tool in existence, but I really only use my fold-up hex set these days.
I second the suggestions for a decent bike stand and a good set of hex wrenches (I also have the Park Tool set).
A torque wrench is a good investment as well. I have the small Park Tool one with pre-set torque settings for small jobs, and a bigger one for higher torque requirements.
I really love my air compressor + park inflator
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I second the suggestions for a decent bike stand and a good set of hex wrenches (I also have the Park Tool set).
A torque wrench is a good investment as well. I have the small Park Tool one with pre-set torque settings for small jobs, and a bigger one for higher torque requirements.
I was about to say the Park Tool Bike Stand that you can get at REI (among other places). Even if you never actually wrench on your bike the thing is worth its weight in gold for changing tires, lubing chains, and cleaning the bike after being caught in the rain.
A pressfit bottom bracket can be installed with a piece of wood and a hammer.
A pressfit bottom bracket can be installed with a piece of wood and a hammer.That is absurd. It is common knowledge that the proper alternate tools for pressfit bearing servicing are duct tape and vice grips.
I kinda agree with this except with hex wrenches and a torque wrench. A cheap torque wrench is useless, and cheap hex wrenches may actually damage things.
I kinda agree with this except with hex wrenches and a torque wrench. A cheap torque wrench is useless, and cheap hex wrenches may actually damage things.
I’m the opposite. I find that for cheap stuff from Amazon/Alibaba the rate of me ending up buying the Park-or-better version of the same tool in frustration about a year later is over 50%.
Most recently a shitty bleed kit for Shimano MTB. I had to rage-dunk that mess in my trash.
Totally fair. I was more thinking of buying the little nut for casette lockrings instead of the full on Abby crombie tool as my example rather than aliexpress tools
Derailer hanger adjustment tool.
Dan wrote an article about the tools he uses.
https://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/This_Bike_Tinkerer_s_Toolset_6563.html
If you are going to get serious a compressor is also helpful
Derailer hanger adjustment tool.
Dan wrote an article about the tools he uses. https://www.slowtwitch.com/…_s_Toolset_6563.html
If you are going to get serious a compressor is also helpfulI had to add my 2¢ on tools like these… I own both, but I have never used either on a bike. There are a few really handy common tools, and then some edge case tools that are so infrequent that a shop might be a better use of resources.