Which tool kit for a newbie

abishek_l

Like with everything else, there are a lot of options out there. I have narrowed it down to the Bikehut tool kit from Halfords but I wanted to know what the forum would recommend as an alternative in terms of better price/quality tool kits available out there. Here's a link to the Halfords kit and any advice much appreciated.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-tools/bikehut-30pc-bike-tool-kit-171953.html

Thank you!

MattFalle

Don't go for one of those - follow the advice here, especially from MF.

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/13114197/what-specific-bike-tools-do-you-own#latest

whyamihere

Agree with the above, don't bother with a tool kit like that, it contains stuff you'll almost certainly never use. Start off with a decent set of hex keys and maybe Torx keys if you have any Torx fittings on the bike, that will be what you need for 90% of what you will ever do. Then buy specific stuff as you need it.

MattFalle

See - follow MF. He is da man

#MFisourleader

david37

Dont follow MF, any of them.

Buy a park tool master tool kit

sorted

david37

well not totally sorted but a good way there

MattFalle

david37 said:

Dont follow MF, any of them.

Buy a park tool master tool kit

sorted

and spend a fortune on stuff you'll never use.

yeah, right, that's a great plan. Good work fella. Crack on.

#buywhatyouneedwhenyouneedit

pilot_pete

Seriously, just buy tools as you need them. Start with Allen/Torx keys (check if a set of each is cheaper than the actual ones you will need)!

It all depends on how good (or how good you want to get) at home maintenance. Are you going to build a bike, or just adjust/ maintain the bike you already have? If you are going to build from scratch you will need tools to do each job including bottom bracket tools etc.

If it’s just maintenance, wait until you need to change the bottom bracket etc and if you feel brave enough to do it yourself, research it and buy the right tool(s) then.

Remember you will need lots of other stuff such as suitable grease, assembly paste (possibly), degreaser, lubes and if you are going to be doing stuff up on carbon frames especially, a torque wrench.

I’ve never bought a tool kit, and if I had, I would have ended up with a number of tools in the kit that I have no use for as my bike is not fitted with the components that require those specific tools. An example is a Shimano BB tool. My bikes are fitted with Rotor cranks and need a specific Colnago BB cup tool and a press fit bearing tool (which I made)....

PP

Cargobike

I just get my butler to follow me around collecting and replacing any nuts and bolts that come loose at the time. I have no time to be bothering with doing manual labour.

Also useful for getting him to cycle up the hills that my flabby thighs can't power me up, while I sit in the Team Cargobike car looking all cool.

Don't forget to invest in a service truck, full of the latest gizmos to look full-on pro when you make it to your cafe stop where your catering trailer makes the best espresso going, putting the local caff out of business.

Dead easy!

abishek_l

Thanks for the replies. I had a few Allen keys in my tool box and a couple of other tools from when I changed the freewheel on my old bike. Today I've ordered quick link pliers and that and the other tools should allow me to maintain the bike for the start of riding next year. The advice to not buy the tool kit was spot on and I'm thankful for saving a few bob!

flasher

Just get a set of Wera allen keys.

darkhairedlord

In this order (possibly)

Park bike-stand.
Allen key bits and driver.
Small clicky torque key for 5Nm.
Cassette tool.
Make your own chain whip with...... a short length of old chain and a strip of metal.
Possibly a cone wrench or two.
BB tool.
Old toothbrush.
Chain breaker (perhaps a good multitool).
Cable cutters.

MattFalle

flasher said:

Just get a set of Wera allen keys.

in your opinion

abishek_l

I've got the following - didn't realise had all this before taking the time to look for and gather them all in one place: Wide variety of Allen keys; crank tool remover; cable cutters; cassette removing tool; Old chain to make a chain whip - need to figure out how; chain breaker (new); tyre levers (£4 metal ones from Amazing); plenty of grease and engine degreaser. I think that's all I'm going to need for now. I was thinking of opening up the BB but there's no play in them or any need to so no need to buy tools for that.

elbowloh

When I started I got a kit similar to this which hasost of what I needed in a handy kit (assuming Shimano/SRAM drivechain and not campag):

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-bike-tool-kit-37-piece?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=105205773&kpid=105205773&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mckv|s0WGkTXiB_dm|mcrid|295296961877|mkw||mmt||mrd|105205773uk|mslid||&mkwid=s0WGkTXiB_dm&pcrid=295296961877&prd=105205773uk&pgrid=57437518777&ptaid=pla-522593991071&gclid=Cj0KCQiAw_H-BRD-ARIsALQE_2NK-fVmcsm2CFDyPl8asJUggcW_rFYquwSoUt_mXlHkNoNiG8miePkaApYfEALw_wcB

lesfirth

elbowloh said:

When I started I got a kit similar to this which hasost of what I needed in a handy kit (assuming Shimano/SRAM drivechain and not campag):

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-bike-tool-kit-37-piece?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=105205773&kpid=105205773&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mckv|s0WGkTXiB_dm|mcrid|295296961877|mkw||mmt||mrd|105205773uk|mslid||&mkwid=s0WGkTXiB_dm&pcrid=295296961877&prd=105205773uk&pgrid=57437518777&ptaid=pla-522593991071&gclid=Cj0KCQiAw_H-BRD-ARIsALQE_2NK-fVmcsm2CFDyPl8asJUggcW_rFYquwSoUt_mXlHkNoNiG8miePkaApYfEALw_wcB

Bits in that kit that I would have no use for-( on my bikes)
pedal wrench ( my pedals have hex. socket )
headset spanners ( I don't have a retro bike)
Cone spanners ( I don't have any cup and cone hubs)
Isis BB tool
Hollowtec BB tools. ( those will be the earlier type)
8/10 double end spanner
8/9/10 sockets.
Maybe I should have said what I would need.

As said earlier you need good allen keys and tools to fit/replace your chain and cassette and fix a puncture. Very usefull are a bike stand and if you are ham-fisted a torque wrench. Get anything else you need when you need it.

froze

I've worked on my own cars since the early '70s until they got too complicated then I stopped on modern cars, but I've owned as many as 5 classic cars at a time and worked on those up until a year ago when I sold them all. I also worked on my own bikes from the '70s till now.

I never in all that time bought a complete toolset, I had to buy a small socket set way back in the '70s because I needed everything in that set. The rest of the tools I either had, like simple screwdrivers, but the rest I bought as I needed them regardless if for cars, bikes, or home repairs.

Don't buy a complete set of tools from Park or anywhere else. If you don't have any tools now, bike-related or not, that tells me you're not much of a mechanic anyway, so why buy a bunch of tools you'll never need or use for stuff you don't even know how to remotely do or have the skills to do? And if you do have tools already because you work on your own cars or do home repairs then a lot of those tools found in bicycle tool kits you already have, so why waste money on duplicate tools?

If you have very little to none mechanical skills and you have a carbon fiber bike requiring everything, including bottle cage bolts to be torqued then you need a torque wrench made for bikes that measure in the low Nm or inch pound range, and most bolts are in the 3 to 7 Nm range which is 23 inch pound to 62 inch pounds. Park makes what's called preset torque wrenches which require that you buy 3 to have the range needed for bikes, and the total for 3 can be rather expensive, so a more cost-effective way is to buy an adjustable torque like the one sold at Wiggles called Lifeline Professional Torque Wrench which comes with a set of bits, cost only $50 USA dollars. It's a good deal, it is a generic brand, there are several "brands" that have their labels on the same wrench, but it's a well-made wrench and the accuracy is pretty good. https://www.wiggle.com/lifeline-essential-torque-wrench-set-1

Then the only other tool you need is a mini tool, one like the Topeak Mini PT30, you can read about all that this small wonder can do here: https://road.cc/content/review/topeak-mini-pt30-multi-tool-276801

I mention the mini tool thing only because I don't know what your skill level is, while I have quite a few bicycle related tools, I also have a mini tool which I put in my saddlebag, the weird thing is that even when I'm home I find myself reaching for the mini tool more than my regular tools because it's in the seat bag and ready to go and can do most things I need tools to do. These things are nice to have, I once fixed a lady's car with it when I was out riding the bike, my bikes rarely break down, but I carry one anyway just in case, and I find I use it mostly to fix some kid's bike that broke down on a bike path or at a state park I'm bike camping at. They're handy to have.

anyway, just some ideas.

MattFalle

so, one mini tool to rule them all?

righty-o........

#Oi,Dave,passtheminitool,wehavetochangeTao'ssetup

MattFalle

T Bar allen keys are also very handy especially for those bolts you have to undo when adjusting/removing brifters.

Loooong handled screwdriver for adjust front mech screws

or combine them both by us one of the long handled things that you put allen or screwdriver bits in.

elbowloh

I have a few different bikes of different ages, so have used pretty much every tool in my kit

MattFalle

Dremel is handy as well if you're doing things on a bigger scale


#ooohyou've gotaDremel.Cool

slowmart

Apart from buying quality tools in the order you need them, YouTube offers a wealth of informed knowledge on “how to” videos. Parktool videos are the best as they cover most processes well. GCN and some home mechanic content can offer extra detail and a different twist to the same task which can help.

There’s some quality advice above and try to buy quality. Tools made of poor quality material will only butcher your bike and make the job much harder.

david37

Parktool videos are very good.

So is the blue bike maintenance book they produce.