What tools shall I buy

I've just built up another bike and did it myself for the first time.

There's not too much needed to be honest unless you want to start doing anything really specialist.

You'll probably get away with the following depending on the parts you have on your bike;

Set of allen keys (and maybe torx keys).
Chain whip.
Chain splitting tool.
Cable / wire cutters.
Pedal spanner (if you're pedals don't have an allen bolt on the back).
Crankset / bottom bracket removal tool.

It doesn't cost too much and once you have them you're set up for the future.

Supermurph09 wrote:

Planet X do a nice little kit "Jobsworth", think its about £25, might be worth a look on there.

Halfords do one also. I have one and have found it to be more than adequate.

Actually changing gear or brake cables is not hard but like you say there are the other bits to do as well such as indexing the gears and getting cables under the bar tape.

Lots of videos online showing you how to do all these things and once you've not once or twice you're away

I suggest buying only the tools you really need to do a particular job.
Many of the 'bike specific' tools make the job easier and quicker, but aren't absolutely required.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

I have the Halfords kit, and have only seen the Jobsworth kit, but my impression is that the Jobsworth kit seems better made.

I think buying good quality tools as and when you need them rather than buying a cheapo kit with tools you may never need is the best way to go. Some of these cheap kits have tools such as Allen keys made of soft metal which easily rounds off. High quality tools are a pleasure to use.

You can do most jobs on a bike with a set of Allen keys, an adjustable spanner and standard and Phillips screwdriver.

You already have a chain whip for changing cassettes with the help of a large adjustable spanner and cassette tool. You might want to get a crank extractor and bottom bracket tool specific to your bike to enable you to replace worn bottom brackets.

For adjusting and greasing wheel bearings on standard cup and cone Shimano wheels, a pair of cone spanners will do the job. One of those small grease guns which screw onto a tube of grease would also be useful but not essential.

Changing brake and gear cables is pretty straightforward but it can be a fiddle getting cable lengths right and removing and replacing bar tape. My top tip for that is to buy a set of high quality cable cutters. I have a Shimano TL CT10 bought years ago. It makes the job so much easier.

As for chain tools, I use the ones on my Park, Halfords and Topeak multi-tools. All work well on nine and 10 speed chains although I have never tried them on an 11 speed. A pedal spanner is fantastic for getting off tight pedals if they are the sort with a flat for a spanner.

Yeah, they're good. I reckon high quality cable cutters are my best ever buy in tools.

You should also consider getting a decent spoke key so you can get rid of any wobbles in your wheels. You don't have to use any special stands. It's perfectly possible to do it by turning your bike upside down, spinning the wheels and using your brake blocks, a screwdriver held against a stay or fork or something like a roofing tack blue tacked onto the stay or fork to check how straight you are getting your rims.

Definitely get a good workstand. Makes your life so much easier!