To all you DIYers out there- Do you have any recommendations for a good set of tools? I’m hesitant to throw down all that money for the Park advanced mechanic toolkit- Is it worth it?
I am not the best bike mechanic out there, but I am in industrial maintenance professionally, and after dealing with tool purchases in the thousands of dollars a year, all I can say is there is little that is actually as worthwhile as good tools. Spend on quality, learn to use them, and keep them forever.
I got the Park AK-32 off eBay (brand new - sold by Gearlink) for $200. I know you can get it from Alfred E. Bike for $222 (I used Froogle.com and they were the cheapest - http://aebike.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=30&SKU=TL7466).
Of all the money I have spent, it was the most worthwhile purchase I have ever made in triathlon.
I work on an auto racing team and have spent a lot of money buying Snap-On tools over Craftsman or Husky or tools like that. Park tools are top shelf quality. I cannot recommend them highly enough. I hold my tools to a very high standard, and Park has always delivered. If you learn to use them, and care for them, they will outlast every bike you will ever own.
I have nearly all the tools of a shop mechanic, except dishing tools and headset tools. The dishing and headset tools cost too much money for the number of times you’ll use them. For dishing and replacing headsets I take the bike to a shop. I have all the other tools you’d need. I bought them one at a time over months as I needed them. I bought some from Performance Bike, some from Pedros and some from Park. The only tool that I see a difference with is the cable cutter…buy the best one you can find (Park). Its worth every penny to have one that will cut clean and sharp for years.
Here’s me on the cheap. Supergo has a generic toolkit for $60 right now. Not saying it’s as nice as the Park or Pedros, but it’ll work. Replace the cable cutter with a Shimano or Park(or better yet a Dremel) if you really have to. Check www.qbike.com for cheapest prices.
Go to www.fatwallet.com, get a 10% Nashbar coupon and then get yourself a light grease(such as Manitou Prep M), a heavier one(like Pedros SynGrease), and some lube(Phil Wood oil or Prolink). Go crazy and pick up a Park chain checker(fancy one is $22), a lifetime’s supply of brake and cable housing end caps($20), a 3rd hand tool($25), a 4th hand brake tool($5), some smaller cone wrenches($2-3 each), and crank dustcap tool(Park CNW-1). Then get yourself a stand. I like my Ultimate Pro 80(~$180 at Lickbike.com).
All that’s left is to study online guides at Shimano.com(PDF instructions), the Park Web Site, and SheldonBrown.com.
Have fun.
I agree with “getting-old” and he happens to be an excellent wrench who’s built more bikes from the ground up than I want to mention for his wife’s sake. Don’t go out and buy a “full kit” of tools at the cheapest price. First, you’re going to get a lot of tools you’ll never use. And second, those cheap tools will break or rust much quicker than quality tools. Then you’ll just spend more money for the same tool again. Instead, find a good bike mechanic and hang out with him. Notice or ask what he uses most and why. Or just go to a quality bike shop where you can hang and watch the wrenches at work. You can get an education there for free. Take a pen and pad and write down model numbers. And learn to use as many tools as you can correctly. I’ve gradually bought my quality tools over time. There are some tools that are simply too expensive for the average Joe to keep in his toolkit. One of these is a bottom bracket facing & reaming tool. This tool costs several hundred dollars. It’s cheaper to hit the bike shop and use theirs. Same goes for a headset press. You just won’t justify the cost unless you build bikes or swap headsets out on a lot of bikes. So just be smart about it. It doesn’t have to cost you and arm and a leg.
One other thing. If you’re just starting out, you’re not going to know how to use most of the bike tools in a kit anyway. So it makes sense to buy only what you need and what you may need then learn to use it/them correctly – hence, hanging out with a good mechanic.
~AB~