Okay, the on going saga with my Solaris build has got me thinking that I really need to get the tools to allow me to do most things myself.

So what are the essentials that I need for a home tool kit.

I’m not too bothered about headpress or steerer cutter but want to be able to service my forks.

Building wheels is a little OTT for me too.

So what do I need?

(oh links to items would be good too 🙂 )

Define “essential”.

Allen keys are essential, but if you want to install a HTII bottom bracket, then a HT tool is also essential. Etc.

Decent allen keys. Ball ended ones are useful too.

Decent small cross and flat head screwdrivers.

Chain whip, cassette tool (buy a decent one and buy cheap buy twice), HTII bearing wrench and pre-load cap tool (if using such cranks).

Cone spanners if servicing wheels with cup and cone.

I would also buy a decent adjustable spanner. Normally I hate adjustables and use proper spanners and sockets from my car stuff but I recently bought a decent 10″ plumbers spanner and it is much better than the horrible cheap silver things. This will be useful to getting a good bit of leverage on the cassette tool. They are expensive (about £17 from Toolstation) but worth it.

Decent chain tool.

Greases – I use the Weldtite red stuff as it was cheap with a gun which is very useful. You can pay more but for some stuff or a lot less for non-bike stuff but I think it hits a good middle ground price. I also have some Shimano anti-seize as I have a carbon frame so won’t use copper slip on it but I also use the shimano stuff on the car where you can’t use copper slip as it swells rubbber seals (eg drum brake cylinders).

Thread lock – get the blue prit-stik style Loctite 248 from halfords (won’t really save anything by shopping around). Much neater than any other threadlock and the strength is just right.

Forks – all you really need is the right oils and grease and maybe a rubber/nylon mallet and some syringes (always leave a small air gap between the rubber piston and the oil as they often swell). Oh and some IPA for cleaning.

some screw drivers for tweaking mechs and hoiking things. I use a 1/2 inch socket driver on my cassette tool. Get loadsa leaverage that way 🙂 I think thats it.

I have tried Weldite grease and it is only suitable for those BSO as other grease like Rock n Roll superweb seem to give smoother running for hubs e.t.c. The red weldite stuff is fine though for greasing seaposts.

Cycling sockets, they are a bit thinner than car sockets. Park tool do a board with 3/8″ hex head, torx head and sockets (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 25.4mm), a 3/8″ drive or a torque wrench. Very useful things especially that 25.4mm socket as it fits over all the cassette/freewheel and BB tools and takes a 1/4″ drive. So you can fit a decent bar or torque wrench in and get it undone or done up properly.

A external BB tool with a long breaker bar/torque/wrench ratchet. I would recomend the torque wrench.

A torx key set and an allen key set. A decent set of flat blade and cross head screwdrivers.

A 13/14/15/16/17mm cone spanners along with spanners 8/9/10/15/16/17mm.

Cable cutters are essential as well as a crimping tool for those cable ends.

A park FR-5 cassette tool and chain whip

Chain tool like the park CT-3 (not very portable but it will las forever).

A chain checker like the park CC-2 here are other version but it will allow you to check your chain for wear and change it at 0.75% wear.

Pedal spanner

KMC missling link breaker

A rubber mallet.

That would be a very good starter kit. You can make your own headset press that works well enough for the home mechanic if you are careful from 12 or 13mm threaded bar big flat plate washer and 4 nuts. A proper press makes sense if you are a shop and fitting headset all the time.

I could easily build you a tool kit like this. Cyclus and Park make the best tools so I would stick to those. Although some icetoolz tools are not bad either.

That may seem like alot and it is but it is what you need to do gerneral home maintenence properly and to make it easy. Also do not forget a decent stand.

My mrs bought me a Park tool set (one of the smaller ones) for xmas and it has loads of useful stuff in and a good starter tool box. Dosen’t include everything I need eg torx stuff but will add new tools as and when required. It’s not cheap, but I wasn’t paying 😆

Thanks for replies so far.

Essential is everything apart from building wheels, inserting headsets and cutting steerers.

I already have various bits and bobs; i.e. Allen keys, torq key (for rotor bolts), pedal spanner, adjustable wrench, various cone scanners and an 1″ and 1″1/8th headset spanners…

Got some chain whips, mallet and bb tool on loan.

Def need to get a socket set (or 10 and 24mm sockets), a hope bleed kit anything else for fork servicing.

Do you need circlip pliers for rebas?