Basic Home Maintenance Gear

Rorschach

Didnt pay $250 for this custom title
OK, another thread from me

A couple of years ago I got a basic Wiggle toolkit and while it's been OK, I've only used half of what is in there (as everyone said when I posted this thread)
I've also busted some bits (I'm looking at you, cheap chain breaker) so want to spend some $$ on some better quality bits
So, what do you have in your toolkit, and what do you recommend?
From a thread I posted a couple of years ago, the brains trust came up with the following:
  • Good quality allen keys (2-10mm)
  • Decent(ish) torx keys - or good ones if you also do some work on your car
  • Cable cutters (not side cutters)
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Chain whip
  • Cassette tool
  • Chain breaker (Park CT-3.3 will work with all chain types from 1/8" BMX chains to 12sp)
  • Spoke key
  • Tyre levers
  • BB tool to suit your needs (most likely 44mm Shimano assuming threaded BB, may need TL-FC25 adapter if newer Shimano)
  • Hack saw
  • Scissors
  • Grease (slickoleum for suspension/dropper/etc, and something thicker for bearings/other – one tub will last years so just get what you want first time)
  • Loctite
  • Assembly paste (if carbon is your thing)
  • Isopropyl alcohol;
  • Clean rags
  • Torque Wrench
Anything thats missing?
 

leitch

Feelin' a bit rrranty
Yeah that's pretty much it save for a couple of more specialist bits that can be handy. Some internal circlip pliers and a seal driver (or some PVC pipe) to make fork air spring services/seal replacement easy, and a bleed kit to suit your chosen brakes. Piece of old seat post/handlebar for knocking out headset cups, and a cheap Aliexpress press for putting them back in. Black nitrile gloves.
 

Rorschach

Didnt pay $250 for this custom title
Actually a rubber mallet or deadblow hammer are handy (alongside a big arse hammer).
Also second the bleed kit and black nitrile gloves
Have a rubber mallet, more useful than the price suggests. Has helped me get a stubborn lock ring off a couple of times
I can get nitrile gloves from work, will double bag the green ones!

Chain quick link removal and fitting pliers.

I got a set of red KMC removal and black KMC fitting pliers from Bike24 for under $10 each.

Dont know how I managed without them for years.
Have a set of quick link pliers, grabbed a set the other week when I buggered the rivet putting a new chain on
 

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
Pedros Vice Whips. Chain whips are fine, if that's all you know, but Vice Whips are sooo much better.


& +1 on the dead blow hammer. https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-bumping-hammer
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
If your budget allows grab T handle and J or P handle Allen keys. And some Torx socket bits, brakes are T25 but good old Cannondale threw some others on the hardtail...

See I didn't even mention the lathe and the mill, the belt grinder, the horizontal bandsaw the the the...
 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
Brand of tools is important too.

Knipex, Wera and Bahco everything is good.

Bondhus Gorilla grips are good Allen keys.

Pedros, Park, Unior, Icetoolz, Cyclo, Topeak all make good bike specific tools. Some are better than others for certain things but I don't have any complete duds from those brands. If I'm honest the BBB, Wrenchforce, Venzo and other lesser brands have been ok too, as long as they were made in Taiwan.

Tohnichi flat beam for torque wrenches. But again in fairness I have Taiwanese clicky ones that work just as well.

Lezyne, Silca, SKS and Topeak make good pumps.



Sent from my M2012K11AG using Tapatalk
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
I’m going to recommend an Ali hanger alignment tool. Obviously not really a necessity and maybe just something to get when you’ve got that itchy trigger finger further down the track but once I got one and checked all my bikes I realised just how badly wonked all my hangers were. Either the hanger or frame interface whatever. But little mysterious shifting issues have all but disappeared since I started using one.

And having a good set of bench mounted T handle hex tools is invaluable. I love my Wera ones but yanking them out of the holder each time gets a bit old.
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
You can make a hanger alignment tool with a bit of square tubing, an m10 bolt, a random bolt and a few nuts and washers.
 
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