Tools

Kannon

Can anyone recommend a basic set of tools that would be sufficient for stripping a frame and for taking care of everyday bike needs?
Thanks.

mloc123

I bought quite a few over the last week to do exactly that job. Picked up some BBB tools.. two bottom bracket tools(square taper and hollowtech style). I also bought a decent set of allen keys, a crank puller and a chain tool. Probably spent €40 in total but that covered everything.

penexpers

BBB tools are...not great. Some of them are ok, the bottom bracket tool, the lockring and the cable cutters are fine. The torque wrench and and the chain tool are fairly rubbish, as are the hex key sets.

For most things, Park Tool make the best.

You will need
- hex key set
- bottom bracket tool
- cable cutters
- torque wrench
- lock ring tool
- chain whip

The BB and lockring tool will be specific to the type of BB/cassette you have. CRC do a good range of Park Tools, I would start there.

cdonnelly

A pretty basic set in halfords in its own carry case
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_522915_categoryId_228852_langId_-1?cm_vc=IOV4PLPZ1

blorg

As Penexpers says some stuff will be specific to your setup. I'd add to what has been said already:

- 15mm pedal wrench
- 8mm pedal hex wrench with long arm, you often need the leverage to get them off
- Grease
- For Hollowtech II the little plastic tool to put on the dust cap
- Cone spanners
- Tyre levers
- Chainring bolt tool (this is the thing you stick in the back when using a hex wrench at the front.)

If dealing with fixies there are a few other bits like a lockring tool, wider chainwhip (for most) and a freewheel remover.

Can't overestimate how important a proper cable cutters is, you really can't do without one.

It can be a very good idea to buy all this together in a box (check out Lifeline toolkits on Wiggle and PBK's own brand kits) as it generally works out a lot cheaper than buying them individually. I got something like 17 good quality tools from Wiggle for around €35 (on special.)

Park is generally good quality but very expensive and to be honest you don't need it as a home mechanic. The Lifeline stuff from Wiggle and PBK's own brand (actually the same as far as I can make out) is pretty good quality at a fraction of the price and has served me well.

Kannon

thanks all.
this one here looks like decent value: http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=T0046

I could get a few separate bits such as the cable cutters as suggested.
thanks.

IM0

blorg wrote:

- For Hollowtech II the little plastic tool to put on the dust cap

thats why you're better off with the park one

blorg

That looks OK but check out this one (the one I have incidentally) that includes a cable cutter. Cable Cutters are typically quite expensive for some unknown reason, possibly more than the price difference.

Spoke wrench is another thing you will need.

Kannon

They kinda have you snookered in that there are bits in the cheaper one that aren't in the more expensive one, and vice-versa
for instance the more expensive one has no chainwhip, torx, socket extension bar, but then it has the cable cutters and spoke wrench.
I may go for the more expensive one and get the other bits separate as they look cheapish.
Thanks

penexpers

me@ucd wrote: »

thats why you're better off with the park one

Oh the BBB one has that too, which is surprising.

blorg

It has a chainwhip, they just call it a "Freewheel turner (for 9 speed chain)." It works fine on 10 speed if you use the biggest or smallest sprocket.

Maybe better quality tools also from the look of them... certainly the likes of the chain tool and the cable cutters in my tool kit are very good.

blorg

penexpers wrote: »

Oh the BBB one has that too, which is surprising.

As does the tool in the more expensive PBK kit (e.g. attached to the tool), the cheaper kit includes it separately. The problem with suggesting Park is that their BB tool is well over half the price of the entire cheaper toolkit, and is nearly half the price of the more expensive one discussed. And frankly it's not necessary.

Kannon

blorg wrote: »

It has a chainwhip, they just call it a "Freewheel turner (for 9 speed chain)." It works fine on 10 speed if you use the biggest or smallest sprocket.

Maybe better quality tools also from the look of them... certainly the likes of the chain tool and the cable cutters in my tool kit are very good.

Ah I see. Expensive one it is so
thanks for the advice