Having struggled for years trying to remove chainrings with screwdrivers, filed screwdrivers etc I succumbed at vast expense to buying the tool

all of £3.25, excellent & works a treat

So what tools have you bought after many years of struggling & needless bodging ?

irwin bolt extractors – the fluted socket ones.

after years of grinders / tacking bolts on to stubs and rounded nuts – these have em off in a jiffy.

framing and finishing nail guns.

much easier for building frames and for doing finishings without having to go round and punch down all the nail heads after – invariably denting the wood surface…. (renovating a house so may not apply to all)

Good tip OP, I have a stubby little chainring bolts tool but it’s a bit shit.

Me…

Pin spanner 🙂 under a tenner

the “3 hex keys in a star shape”. Whatever you’re using, likely the one you need next is already in your hand, not on the bench.

Timely reminder, I just ordered some chain link pliers.

Last bike tool purchase was a steerer tube cutting guide.

+1 for the power link pliers, struggled for ages trying to undo stubborn ones.

A track pump was a bit of a revelation for me fatter years of using mini pumps.
Latex gloves and a proper work stand have also been very useful though not strictly tools.

years ago when i first started doing my own mechanics it was Shimano Cable Cutters – a god send compared to dull pliers and brute force.

These days my fav is the star shaped hex key +1.

I think after recent faffing its time for a headset press. Any recommendations for relatively cheap ones?

A normal plumbers pipe cutter for steerers. Makes it nice and straight and then run over it with a small file to clean it up, job done. Also a large syringe for refilling forks after a service. Available from a friend as out of date ones that go in the bin.

Repair stand. Costs a few bob, but my gosh it’s worth it.

Park pedal spanner, removing pedals is now a joy, and the 4th hand tool has seen me redoing the cables on the bike for fun 😀

These two.

Makes the job a pleasure and no need to bleed after shortening a hose due to lack of faffing about trying to shove barbs into badly cut hoses.

Struggled for years with a crappy thing with a wobbly pin and no leverage. Just got this and its a joy. I almost want to have to get a new chain!

SDS drill for chasing walls.

T-handle 5mm hex key – mentioned on a thread yesterday. I’ve had mine for a while now, but I still remember how much easier it makes fettling.

A length of threaded road + cap nut (for fitting SFNs)

Capnut on one end + upside down top-cap, up the steerer, thread on SFN, ratchet up the capnut and the SFN is pulled safely and easily into place, dead centre.

Had it a while now, but it sure does make bike servicing easier.

One of those little tools for knocking out shock bushes – reduces the chance of damaging an expensive shock.

Proper sized drifts for knocking bearings out of Hope hubs too.

You’ll notice there’s a hammering theme here 🙂

Liking the look of that little Jagwire hose cutter and barb fitter …. might have to add that to the shopping list.

+1 for repair stand

Recently it’s been the fly press – so many things that were a struggle are now simple, pressing bearings, crimping things, trimming metal, and just made a little spoke cutting guide:

I’ve had it for ages, but I love my tiny lathe/mill- it’s not very good and neither am I but the way it opens up options is fab, last-minute fixes and parts saved that would have been in the bin otherwise.

Toss up between a workstand and a track pump as the thing that made me wonder why I hadn’t bought them years ago.

A Feedback Sports Pro Elite workstand. Stable, looks good and probably the best workstand clamp on the market.

so hard to choose, have over time, acquired many of the things above.
Must say have had a track pump for 10 or more years, really made things easier on the arms (especially in the days of Zefal pumps..)

workstand – as mud soul above, so good that if he’s away helping at event, the guy at my LBS will borrow it or make sure I’m taking mine.. it’s that good.

many of the bits in my shed – vice, wheel kit – are well used and give me an outlet for tinkering that I wouldn’t have..

Ooo so many…. Firm believer in right tools for the job
+1 for wwaswas
Feedback stand as well.
But my fav from my aviation days and been a great tool for all sort of things!

Also bearing press tools not always used a lot but when needed they are GREAT.

So many things: Workstand, decent chain tool, pedal spanner, cable cutters, pipe cutter for steerers…but most of all: The star fangled nut fitting tool! What a joy to use!

Nipple Guide. No more dropping nipples inside rims and then playing the wiggle-rattle game to get them out again.

Rob,

Which bearing press tools did you get, I’m looking for some to fit a BB86 and my headset one doesn’t fit.

Simson Tyre Mate. Makes it much easier to fit tight tyres, without damaging the tube or rim.

PAul S,
You could get one of these, TL-BB12

The bearing press are by wheels manufacturing bearing set the holes aren’t that big so they might not fit over the headset press bar.

the “3 hex keys in a star shape”. Whatever you’re using, likely the one you need next is already in your hand, not on the bench.

Yeah, and the other two will hit the frame/wheel/whatever when you try to turn it.

T handles with ball ends FTW.

IA – Member
A length of threaded road + cap nut (for fitting SFNs)

Capnut on one end + upside down top-cap, up the steerer, thread on SFN, ratchet up the capnut and the SFN is pulled safely and easily into place, dead centre.

I like that idea.

After repairing some doors at my son’s riding school stables, an electric planer is now on order. I borrowed one at the time, it saved me hours of frustration in getting the doors to fit correctly.

Also a firm believer in buying the proper tool for the job. And buying the quality one too. Buy right, buy once.

Yeah, having a few odds and ends like threaded rod in various sizes can be very useful

(I’ve got a 10mm threaded rod with a couple of nuts on, which when stuck into the rear dropouts and tightened in, becomes a perfect straight edge on the axis of the axle… Then add the rear axle from an old hub into the mech hanger hole, and et voila- perfect mechhanger straightener, just get the 2 sticky-outy things perfectly parellel.)

Earlier this week I bought a 95mm long M10x1.0mm bolt to fit a mech hanger thread for straightening use.
I like the idea above of using the studbar through the dropouts to align it to (thanks I hadn’t thought of that).

Interesting ideas there, especially the ones I have never heard of:

4th hand
irwin bolt extractors
power link pliers

boxfish mentioned a nipple guide. Not sure what one is but that for me is just another spoke threaded lightly in the other end of the nipple. works a treat as long as you have a spare for the last nipple.

grind a point on the end of an old spoke is still the most effective nipple guide ive found – and i used to do it as a day job

Wooden cocktail stick works really well for spoke nipples, just poke it in til it sticks.