So far I have muddled along with a set of hex wrenches, a pair of pliers and a credit card that the LBS will accept. However, in these times of economic uncertainty, I’m going to have to start maintaining the family fleet myself (2xMTB 1xCX 1xWife’s MTB and no doubt numerous kiddie bikes).
Can anyone recommend a tool kit that contains all of the essentials for transmission, brake, bearing etc replacement, but nothing mega-fancy that I don’t need?
Also, has anybody bought a tool kit that was utter bobbins and should be avoided?
Ta
Go on the ParkTools website and get your credit card out!
Park tool stuff is nice and I have a lot of it but is expensive - havent had anything fail ever - The Cyclus range is goo IMHO - I got the heatset press and tis great value and works well! I have slowly built up my tools as an when needed - You can buy a kit but I bet you end up with tools you dont use?
BTW the Park Tools website is a pretty good reference site for bike maintenance rather than buying a book!
IceToolz make a nice little kit. There was somewhere else that had a similar kit (might have been Lidl or somewhere).
Just buy tools as and when you need them. If you buy a kit you'll probably not need half the stuff in there for ages.
More often than not, the kits have a load of tools you're unlikely to use. The cheaper sets have tools that are made of cheese that just bend when you use them if components are a bit seized together.
Start with a decent set of allen keys (2mm to 8mm and everything in between, plus T25 torx for disc bolts), a chain tool, spoke key, cable cutters and a workstand. That'll cover what you need for 90% of jobs and pretty much all basic maintenance.
Then when you buy a new cassette, get a chainwhip and lockring removal tool. Crank extractors and BB tools will all vary a lot depending on what you have so buy as needed or get the LBS to do those jobs. Likewise for headset removal/fitting - weigh up whether the tools are worth buying (can be £90-100+ for a press, remover, crown race setter and star-fangled nut install tool) for the number of times you'll need to fit a headset.
You wont go far wrong with this matey. Pretty good value IMO
[url] http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/LifeLine_Workshop_Tool_Kit/5360031531/ [/url]
Bought a Lifeline one a while back and didn't expect to use all the tools but, over time, have pretty much ended up using every tool in the kit. IMO try not to get kits that pad them with spanners and screwdrivers as you'll probably have these anyway...go for kits with very bike specific tools. Have looked again on the Merlin site, I reckon the Bike Hand Shimano Toolkit looks better than the IceToolz one as they have changed the content from when I bought mine
Just buy tools as and when you need them. If you buy a kit you'll probably not need half the stuff in there for ages.
+1
Just buy tools as and when you need them. If you buy a kit you'll probably not need half the stuff in there for ages.+1
+2 and also agree with
Start with a decent set of allen keys (2mm to 8mm and everything in between, plus T25 torx for disc bolts), a chain tool, spoke key, cable cutters and a workstand. That'll cover what you need for 90% of jobs and pretty much all basic maintenance.
Work stand is not necc unless you either have a bad back or are doing a lot of fettling - if its once in a while you may want to put this one off for a little while?
[i]Just buy tools as and when you need them[/i]
Yes but its so nice to have the right tool to hand when you need it. Plus the discount from buying all the tools together rather than seperately.
Hell, given how much people spend on their bikes, don't think a £40 toolkit is a real bank breaker...same as the cost of one tyre in some cases
discount from buying all the tools together rather than seperately.
Yeh but the cheap ones dont last very well? - you may have a fal;se economy going there? Unless you buy a kit and replace items when they bust?
My local Lidl has a bike tool kit just like the Wiggle one for £25...
[i]Yeh but the cheap ones dont last very well?[/i]
Well all the tools in my Lifeline kit have lasted multiple uses and certainly the kit has paid for itself in saved trips to the LBS plus there's the time saved and rides saved from having the tool available when, just before a ride, you realise so and so bit has come loose etc
I have had cheap tools that have busted or rusted - got cheap hex set that the ends have burred off or dont fit very well.
also bought cheap BB remover tools that broke - then ended up getting some park tools one and have been great - You sound like your kit is good but I was generalising about cheap kits 🙂
I would def recommend Cyclus tools though!
[i]You sound like your kit is good but I was generalising about cheap kits[/i]
Yeah, I agree I could just be lucky/super careful 🙂
+1 for ICE Toolz. Well made and not as expensive as Park
I think i'll just by some bits to get going with. After a quick scan of CRC I can get a whip, crank puller and cockring remover for about £25.
But hold on a mo... I've just found this ICE Toolz set for £35!
I don't wish to know your into Cock Rings 😉cockring remover for about £25.
Money has been spent.
Hopefully I will be in a position to cause some quite severe damage to my FSR on Saturday then strip a few threads out of the Inbred the week after.
[url= http://www.addiktioncycles.com/products.php?plid=m2b18s72p1194&rs=gb ]a tool kit[/url]
