Tool Kit

willbevan

Hi all,

I like fiddling, do most of my own mechanics on my car (well basic things like bearings, exchausts, ball joints etc)

Now getting into bikes i was wondering if someone could recommened a good toolkit, i presume now it would be cheaper than buying all the parts seperately.

I have seen the following on wiggle:


LifeLine Workshop Tool Kit - 49.99
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... Tool%20Kit

LifeLine Professional Tool Kit - 69.99
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... Tool%20Kit

Now there are simple things in there like spanners and alan keys i either have or can get cheaply....

Can anyone recommened a tool kit that doesnt have the bog standard spanners and alan keys but has thinks like the bottom bracket wrench, pedal wrench etc? or would i be better off buying it as i need them?

knowing what im like, i have no doubt that in time, ill be replacing the chainsets/cranks, or moving them all onto a new frame

Thanks

Will

Bronzie

Will, what you need will depend on what groupset you have on your bike as Campag and Shimano need different tools. I have put my tool collection together over the years as I need it, but a lot of the older tools are now redundant (bottom bracket removers, screw-on block tools etc).

As you say, most of the basics on a bike can be done with a decent set of screwdriveers, allen keys and some spanners.

Other tools I use regulalry:
- spoke key (both "normal" and Mavic Kysrium specific)
- tyre levers
- good quality wire cutters
- chain whip
- cassette lockring tool
- chain breaks (both narrow and normal for track chain)
- bottom bracket removers (both new Hollowcore type and the old splined type for the older bikes in the stable).

Rarely used now:
- cone spanners
- headset spanners (for threaded headsets)

Probably, the LifeLine Workshop kit is pretty good value at £50 and keeps everything in a case handy for when you next need it, and no doubt cheaper than buying individually. Suppose it depends on how many of the necessities you already have.

Gussio

+1 for good quality wire cutters (having spent time and palm skin at the weekend struggling to shorten Shimano brake outer cables with cutters that would be challenged by a blade of grass).

alfablue

I don't know if this will interest you but Merlin Cycles are doing the Lifeline Toolkit for £30 when bought with a workstand (£89.95), a workstand is an excellent thing to have and this one is very good (I have it).

willbevan

any idea how long the offer is on for, as would like to buy it but would prefer to get it next month

Monty Dog

A good quality set of ball-end allen keys, or even better a set of hex-drivers for a socket wrench are good - the socket bits are harder and more accurately made, plus you can use them with a torque wrench, which you want in the longer term. The pro toolset looks better value than the basic set - good quality tools are better made and less likely to damage or slip in use. For seperate tools, look at Cyclus, good, basic workshop quality.

alfablue

willbevan wrote:

any idea how long the offer is on for, as would like to buy it but would prefer to get it next month

They have had this for several months now, so you may be lucky next month

alfablue

alfablue wrote:

I don't know if this will interest you but Merlin Cycles are doing the Lifeline Toolkit for £30 when bought with a workstand (£89.95), a workstand is an excellent thing to have and this one is very good (I have it).

(The workstand and toolkit together cost £89.95)

Gussio

Monty Dog wrote:

A good quality set of ball-end allen keys, or even better a set of hex-drivers for a socket wrench are good - the socket bits are harder and more accurately made, plus you can use them with a torque wrench, which you want in the longer term. The pro toolset looks better value than the basic set - good quality tools are better made and less likely to damage or slip in use. For seperate tools, look at Cyclus, good, basic workshop quality.

I have been looking for a reasonably priced torque wrench, but no success. Checked places like Homebase, but come up short. Can anybody recommend where I can pick one up without breaking the bank?

alfablue

The problem is that most torque wrenches have too igh a range for bike use. I think the Ice Toolz one is appropriate though, about £35. (Range goes from about 6 lb/ft to 77 lb/ft / 7 to 105 Nm)

jacksomd

Sorry to ask a real "thicky" question, but how do yo use a torque wrench with allen keys (or can you)? I've looked a some torque wrenches but they seem to be designed for socket sets.

How do I use a torque wrench on allen bolts and what would I need, in addition to the actual wrench, to do so. The only allen keys I have are on a multi-tool so presumably I would need somthing extra?

Thanks,

Marcus

Gussio

jacksomd wrote:

Sorry to ask a real "thicky" question, but how do yo use a torque wrench with allen keys (or can you)? I've looked a some torque wrenches but they seem to be designed for socket sets.

How do I use a torque wrench on allen bolts and what would I need, in addition to the actual wrench, to do so. The only allen keys I have are on a multi-tool so presumably I would need somthing extra?

Thanks,

Marcus

You use hexagonal sockets which attach to the the torque wrench in the same way that a standard socket would. I haven't seen a wrench that could attach to an allen key, so you would need to buy appropriate sockets. I'm lucky that my friendly LBS haven't got sick of lending me their tools yet

caw35slr

jacksomd wrote:

Sorry to ask a real "thicky" question, but how do yo use a torque wrench with allen keys (or can you)? I've looked a some torque wrenches but they seem to be designed for socket sets.

How do I use a torque wrench on allen bolts and what would I need, in addition to the actual wrench, to do so. The only allen keys I have are on a multi-tool so presumably I would need somthing extra?

You need hex/Allen socket bits like these:

caw35slr

Gussio wrote:

I have been looking for a reasonably priced torque wrench, but no success. Checked places like Homebase, but come up short. Can anybody recommend where I can pick one up without breaking the bank?

I have a Halfords torque wrench that is fine. Some people blanch at the idea of buying anything with the Halfords brand on it but their Pro line of tools is very good value and of perfectly decent quality - I have some nice spanners from the range that I'm very happy with.

Like Monty Dog I'm also a fan of hex bit socket, I got my 3/8" hex sockets from Tooled Up (http://www.tooled-up.com). See my previous post for a picture. You can also get 3/8" T25 bit if you have a mountain bike with Torx-bolted disk rotors. This means that you can be accurate on your torque settings (people tend to over-torque things which can, in some instances, be catastrophically expensive!).

A good source of knowledge for what-tool-does-what-and-how is the Park Tool site (http://www.parktool.com/). If you collect tools as projects arise you'll be there in no time. I think you need to be able to remove and fit your entire drivetrain and braking system. The only things I leave to the LBS these days are headsets.

Finally, I depend of Lennard Zinn's books for guidance which you can get from Amazon. Oh, and my mountain bike is all-Shimano and I have found their online tech documents to be a fantastic resource (http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/catalog/global/techdocs/browse.jsp).