I’m involved with a charity project where we repair bikes for various people, and tech kids how to do their own maintainance.

A lot of the bikes I work on have quill stems and headsets that need spanners to tighten, and there’s also a fair share of BMXes etc. And the ALL seem to have loose headsets!

We’ve got a few quid to spend and I need a set of headset spanners that will civer most bikes, but never having never owned any headset spanners, I have no idea what sizes I should get. 😳

Can someone point me in the direction of something decent but not eye-wateringly expensive please?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

One in headsets at 32mm. Inch and one eigth are 36mm and inch and a quater are 40mm. I think Raleigh did some really cheap pressed steel jobs but that was years ago.

the difference in price between really cheap and pretty good is probably only a few quid,
look at parks or campagnolo.

OK, 32 & 36 it is. I guess I need 2 of each?

Is it likely that cheap bikes/BMXs will have a different size again?

I’ve got an old headset spanner. It has a 32mm end that then steps out to 36mm, so you can tighten either sort, and it has a 15mm pedal spanner at the other end. Very useful.

Stone the crows. It’s not that easy to find one in stock anywhere…. 😕

Some of the really cheap stuff might be different again I’m afraid. An adjustable works on the lock nut. However, the race nut needs something only a couple of mm deep. I once made my own out of a piece of steel in a CDT lesson.

Peter,
Ive got some cheapish ones as part of a tool kit I got a couple of years ago from Lidl. 32/36mm on the one spanner kind
Email me (in profile) and your welcome to them, they should be good enough for a while at least Im unlikely to really use them at all so they may as well be donated to a good home

http://www.framebuilding.com/Cobra%20Tools%202.htm

best getting some older style BB tools as well…

you can get one to do all sizes
http://www.simpsoncycles.co.uk/product.php/1424/headset_spanner_30_32___36_40mm

you should use two to tighten as well.

Iain, that sounds brilliant mate! YGM soonish…… 🙂

Seen this? http://www.bikegoo.co.uk/product.php/165/ice_toolz_headset_wrench_4_in_1

get 2 of those, you’re covered 🙂

no worries I’ll try get them in post tomorrow for you
think it is like that icetoolz one linked above, but prob cheaper quality

Dont forget you’ll need two of each or one of each + a good adjustable to nip up the locknut.
(Not trying to teach you to suck eggs)

Thanks for the help guys, this will save me being red-faced like I was on Saturday: I was doing a ‘Bike MoT’ session in Fleet where people bring their bikes to be checked over and one kid had this BMX with the loosest headset I’d ever felt, and I just couldn’t do anthing with it, just didn’t have the tools….

Good fun though: Fixed 9 bikes in 2 hours and heard one little ‘un say “My bike feels so fast now!” after I’d stopped the brakes rubbing and pumped the tyres up!

Well if your teaching kids, I think you’ll find a lot of the tools sprout legs and walk out the door. Something like this Draper kit would be a good idea:
http://www.drapertools.com/b2c/b2citmdsp.pgm?pp_skmno=87942&ipadd=

Count them out and count them in. You’ll need to add an adjustable spanner to sort headsets.
Hth
Marko

Well if your teaching kids, I think you’ll find a lot of the tools sprout legs and walk out the door. Something like this Draper kit would be a good idea:
http://www.drapertools.com/b2c/b2citmdsp.pgm?pp_skmno=87942&ipadd=

Count them out and count them in. You’ll need to add an adjustable spanner to sort headsets.
Hth
Marko

It was all very well established before I came along. Nothing goes missing, put it that way! 🙂