Bike Tool Kit

[Dent]

G,day

I'm putting a Shimano Nexus 8 Speed internal on my gurl's Dutch cruiser ...mainly to simplify the mechanicals and improve the styling of the bike. My partner also has a habit of not preparing for incline ...gets a bit bogged in a gear too tall ...then goes looking for a low gear whilst cranking harder ....we all know that's not how derailleurs work .

So. I have 7 bikes and manage to be able to perform those tricky jobs found on bikes with what tools I already have and adding specialist tools as the need arises. That is ok to a point but now I know I need to invest in a good toolkit that is comprehensive, well engineered and with lots of clever thinking built in. I'm a Carpenter and Technician by trade and know the value in quality gear and also know sometimes the best value my not be what you thought it was

Be glad to hear from members with advice

Cheers

Dent

[foo on patrol]

For the normal pleb, I don't see the point in spending huge dollars on top of the line tools. There are cheaper ones (not nasty cheap) that work just as well and last but if I was in a workshop constantly working on bikes, then I would lash out on more expensive gear.

Are you talking about under the seat on ride kits or toolbox kits for at home, that have everything?

Foo

[elantra]

I spose the first thing that a Professional or Occasional “bike mechanic” needs is a way of holding the bike upright in a convenient way for mechanical access

The first thing that people usually contemplate getting is a bike stand, which has clamps that can grip the seatpost in such a way as the wheels are off the ground.
Not all bike stands are created equal.
I wear down the budget path and got one of those $ 30 Aldi ones.
Which I don’t like and don’t use (much)

I would hope that the “professional” level bike stands are a lot better than this !
I suspect that they are a lot more expensive though

[Jean]

Apart from the old big Campagnolo tool kits, which are long out of production and worth a fortune to collectors, I've never seen a packaged bike tool kit that is worth bothering with. You can buy them from various places, but the tools in them are usually pretty junky. You're much better off buying your own tool box (or drawer chest, or tool wall) and adding what you need, when you need it.

There are a lot of Youtube vids that talk about setting up home workspaces or tool boxes. Some of these are by home mechanics, others are by shop mechanics, and some are pro-mechanics who have carry-case setups. These can be helpful and let you know what is useful and what is not, as long as you use your own filters about what suits your needs.

[OnTrackZeD]

I bought a Bikehand tool box 10 to 15 years ago and just add to it as I need to. The only tool that I had to replace was the crank puller.

A bike stand is first thing, makes life way easier.

[Newcastle Dave]

I spose the first thing that a Professional or Occasional “bike mechanic” needs is a way of holding the bike upright in a convenient way for mechanical access

The first thing that people usually contemplate getting is a bike stand, which has clamps that can grip the seatpost in such a way as the wheels are off the ground.
Not all bike stands are created equal.
I wear down the budget path and got one of those $ 30 Aldi ones.
Which I don’t like and don’t use (much)

I would hope that the “professional” level bike stands are a lot better than this !
I suspect that they are a lot more expensive though

What dont you like about the Aldi stand ?
I have one and found it more than adequate. Its heavy (which could be an issue if you need to move it a lot), but rock solid. The little plastic flip out feet broke off years ago, but that doesnt seem to be a problem
The clamps hold my carbon bike by the seat post fine, (I clamp my Titanium by the frame, but generally put a cloth around the top tube where I am clamping)

[CmdrBiggles]

[...]
The clamps hold my carbon bike by the seat post fine, (I clamp my Titanium by the frame, but generally put a cloth around the top tube where I am clamping)

For years I have squirmed uncomfortably at the common practice of clamping the seat-post, even moreso with carbon frames where the seatpost extension rises quite some distance from the junction of the top-tube and stays. It is especially worrying for heavier frames. I would much prefer an I-beam clamping both the seapost and the handlebar stem; these do exist and are used, and effectively spread the load evenly, (and hold the handlebars still!) without the bike wobbling to and fro and potentially banging into the hoist — something I've seen very recently occur to an $18,000 carbon frame!

[warthog1]

Carbon seat posts have compressive force applied to secure in the frame. Usually over a much smaller surface area.

[foo on patrol]

Another Aldi bike stand owner here and I also don't have a problem with it. You can if you're that way inclinded tighten up the clamps a bit more onto the metal tubing of the stand but I have never bothered because for a $30 outlay, it isn't worth the messing around.

Foo

[Jean]

A work stand is a very worthwhile investment, but you can get by without it. For years I found a way to hang my bike from the ceiling by the saddle and bars using rope, which suffices for many jobs.

If you don't like clamping stands, you can go for a 'team' stand like this https://www.bikebug.com/feedback-sprint ... stand.html. They have some limitations, but my DIY version got me through for a decade.

[Dent]

Thanks to all for the traffic about this. No standout kits to recommend. That surprised me a bit and I guess some of the excellent ones I've seen in European and American media look like they would be $300 to $600 USD so it's going to be a hefty buy given it does not earn me money . I spent $1400 on a DeWalt thicknesser that paid for itself in one job.

Don't really want to go down the path of buying what I need as I go because the individual price per tool is way dearer . Example . A few years ago I bought a hi-tensile 14 piece impact socket set for about $80

Since then I've had to add 3 sockets which cost about $55

The 29 piece set was about $140 at the time

And just today a builder mate who I work for now and then has given me a Giant TCR Composite bike to fix after he drove under a hotel carpark with height restriction.... So having a full set will help me fix exotic bikes and any bikes I own or pass through my workshop

As for a stand . I've been using a variety of ways . An island bench with the bike upside down ..yeah I know about bending bells and stuff so release those and turn them away . Two hanging light weight cargo straps with thumb cleats or easy knots

End of day I need a good solid mount to safely and securely mount a bike in various ways to work on them

So I'm going to make a short post that I can fit into a 100mm bench vice on the corner of the bench .....I've got two bikes in here tonight but sometimes they are all in the bike shed and don't come in for weeks

I've got room for a dedicated , floor mounted 360 degree Jesus bike stand but that would be outside somewhere and I don't want tools and bits everywhere and if there is a bike stand there pretty soon there will be a bench there

Just need to work out if I buy a mechanism or make something from dressed hardwood lined with soft jaws and simple threaded rods

Thanks guys . My gurl and I have ridden 5 out of the last 7 days .. we love it

[warthog1]

A work stand is a very worthwhile investment, but you can get by without it. For years I found a way to hang my bike from the ceiling by the saddle and bars using rope, which suffices for many jobs.

If you don't like clamping stands, you can go for a 'team' stand like this https://www.bikebug.com/feedback-sprint ... stand.html. They have some limitations, but my DIY version got me through for a decade.

I am interested in your diy version. Any info or pics of that please?
I am thinking along the lines of a front wheel through axle mount, on a saw horse.
I would prefer a work stand like you linked but very expensive.

[Dent]

Oh ... Post script.. the cost of adding tools and buying parts from local stores is expensive. The other day I bought another chain brake tool to replace \compliment my other one along with 4 sets of quick links

The tool was $70 and the links were $12 each . I could buy a chain with a pin but you still need a breaker and wait for it ... They do not sell pins separately. I might start looking around on evilbay and find places where I can get that stuff for a $1

[foo on patrol]

This is from a quick grab off the net and there's no bearing pullers in it.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Park-Tool-P ... 3087?var=0

Or are you talking more towards when out riding?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/135081538359


Foo

[find_bruce]

I bought a cheap kit from Union (not unior ) gave me most tools I need, but added a few since. Main concern would be the thin spanners - cone & pedal. They're ok for my very occasional use but already showing signs of wear.

Another fan of aldi bike stands

$70 is a lot of coin for a chain breaker when you can pick up a Park Tool for $60 + postage. Get a selection of chain pins & or quick links while your at it

[Jean]

I am interested in your diy version. Any info or pics of that please?
I am thinking along the lines of a front wheel through axle mount, on a saw horse.
I would prefer a work stand like you linked but very expensive.

Mine is built from a bit of box steel tubing, a saw-horse, and a busted old Thule bike rack (reused to clamp the front fork and create a sliding mount for it). The poly cutting board was shaped to make the brackets to sit the BB shell in.

I still have and use it, but it's easier to grab the bought stand for most jobs these days.

A relatively inexpensive team type stand can be found here https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/work ... d/YC-200BH. But I won't call it cheap.

My DIY stand:

[foo on patrol]

I bought a cheap kit from Union (not unior ) gave me most tools I need, but added a few since. Main concern would be the thin spanners - cone & pedal. They're ok for my very occasional use but already showing signs of wear.

Another fan of aldi bike stands

$70 is a lot of coin for a chain breaker when you can pick up a Park Tool for $60 + postage. Get a selection of chain pins & or quick links while your at it

You can get a Topeak kit for riding that has one in it for half the price and it works well. I use it for all of my chains and it is good quality.

Foo

[Andy01]

I agree that a set can often provide better value - if you find the right set. Often sets have a bunch of items that will never be used, or have a bunch of "filler" items (like hex wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets, tyre wrenches etc) to get the "piece count" up - that you probably already have.

Quite a few bike tools are not going to be used very often, so you can get away with a cheaper quality tool. I bought an Aldi BikeMate toolkit a few years ago when it was a 28 piece kit for about $40. I think last year it was about 15 pieces for $50. Aldi typically offers the bicycle stuff around this time of year I think, perhaps early September. The tools are average quality, but half of them I have not had to use yet. I did buy a better crank puller and a ParkTools CT-5 chain breaker (nice compact little tool), and a Birzman chain wear tool (bought as a filler on an O/S purchase since shipping was paid already). I got my work stand from Bunnings a few years ago, but it is essentially the same as the Aldi one (which was about $60 I think). It is not the lightest or the best quality, but for my use (about once every 2 weeks) it works well - far better than working upside down or on a bench vice based clamping arrangement. My torque wrench is a Toledo from SuperCheap (bought on a sale). I made a hanger alignment tool for under $20 by following a YT How-To video.

I don't think there is probably much value in spending a lot of cash buying a "custom" bike repair tool set from a quality tool manufacturer. Perhaps start with a cheaper kit (like the Aldi one or similar sets on Amazon or eBay), and try to buy other tools on sales (like Father's Day, BF, EOFYS etc), buy good tools for the most used items, and cheap tools for the infrequently used bits.

I would only go down the path of buying an expensive set that sits nicely in a custom box or cabinet if I was totally OCD (and everything HAD to have it's place), but since I am only partially OCD, a mix-and-match arrangement is fine.

[elantra]

I spose the first thing that a Professional or Occasional “bike mechanic” needs is a way of holding the bike upright in a convenient way for mechanical access

The first thing that people usually contemplate getting is a bike stand, which has clamps that can grip the seatpost in such a way as the wheels are off the ground.
Not all bike stands are created equal.
I wear down the budget path and got one of those $ 30 Aldi ones.
Which I don’t like and don’t use (much)

I would hope that the “professional” level bike stands are a lot better than this !
I suspect that they are a lot more expensive though

What dont you like about the Aldi stand ?
I have one and found it more than adequate. Its heavy (which could be an issue if you need to move it a lot), but rock solid. The little plastic flip out feet broke off years ago, but that doesnt seem to be a problem
The clamps hold my carbon bike by the seat post fine, (I clamp my Titanium by the frame, but generally put a cloth around the top tube where I am clamping)

Yeah my main issue with the Aldi bike stand is its spatial footprint when the legs are extended.
This is a problem because my feet are big…
And my garage is small…
etc.
in my garage I have a lot of tools that are worth their weight in gold, but the Aldi bike stand is not one of them !!!

My most useful tools are :

Cone spanners. A few different brands.
Ring+ Open end spanners, 8/9/10/11/12/15/17mm
Adjustable wrench, one big and one small
Socket set, sizes as per the spanners
Half inch drive sliding T handle
Allen keys, in a variety of sizes and lengths
Mini Torque wrench
Cassette Lock Ring tool.

Freewheel remover tool (for the retro stuff)
WD40
Lots of half decent rags or old socks (not black ones ! )
Cable cutter (half decent ones aren’t cheap)
Long nose pliers
Locking pliers (Gulp - use with care they have significant destructive potential)
Screwdrivers
Stainless steel or Aluminium tray
Recycled plastic containers with lids - eg Nutella Jars

Detergent - to wash your hands
Magnetic probe thingo - makes picking up ball bearings so much easier !
Ozito (or similar quality) battery drill - you need this to continually add more shelving and bicycle storage additions in the shed or workshop.

And last but not least - a large enough table or bench to work on. And a stool or 2 to sit on

AND DECENT LIGHTING !

Here’s a few pics of my favourite types of bike “stands”

[warthog1]

Mine is built from a bit of box steel tubing, a saw-horse, and a busted old Thule bike rack (reused to clamp the front fork and create a sliding mount for it). The poly cutting board was shaped to make the brackets to sit the BB shell in.

I still have and use it, but it's easier to grab the bought stand for most jobs these days.

A relatively inexpensive team type stand can be found here https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/work ... d/YC-200BH. But I won't call it cheap.

My DIY stand:

Thanks Jean.
That is exactly the saw horse I was thinking. Have 2 in the shed.

[Dent]

Thanks guys lots of good info there. I sat down this morning and cleared a bench. I put out all of the tools I've used in the past few weeks on bikes . I'm between building contracts at the moment so I restored a Nitro Nostalgic and took the back end out of the other Dutch and fitted a nexus 8 speed . Through that work the only things I really could have used were cone spanners and chain link pliers . I ground a 14mm open ended spanner down on the bench grinder and some circlip pliers ( in a manner not for which they were designed ) to re-engage the quick link . So... Not including any bike parts , consumables or things not specific to bike building all the tools fit into a large pencil case . All they rest are things I own anyway with my work and other pursuits that are diverse and technical ... I build billiard tables too!!!

Now I do have a list of things I've worked out I need . Maybe another pencil case or a separate tool box would hold it all

Elantra was on track there.

Anyway gotta take"Kermit" out for a test ride with the nexus 8 speed

[elantra]

Thanks guys lots of good info there. I sat down this morning and cleared a bench. I put out all of the tools I've used in the past few weeks on bikes . I'm between building contracts at the moment so I restored a Nitro Nostalgic and took the back end out of the other Dutch and fitted a nexus 8 speed . Through that work the only things I really could have used were cone spanners and chain link pliers . I ground a 14mm open ended spanner down on the bench grinder and some circlip pliers ( in a manner not for which they were designed ) to re-engage the quick link . So... Not including any bike parts , consumables or things not specific to bike building all the tools fit into a large pencil case . All they rest are things I own anyway with my work and other pursuits that are diverse and technical ... I build billiard tables too!!!

<snip>….

Building Billiard tables is probably a skill that is complementary to maintaining and restoring bicycles !

In fact, with that skill set you could have a crack at building a timber bicycle
It has been done before of course, in fact even on a commercial level.

I think that the main problem with the timber frame bicycles in recent times has been that it is an expensive process to build a good bicycle frame out of timber.
I remember seeing a bloke riding a timber framed bicycle on the “Great Queensland bike ride event” back in 2011.
It was certainly a very beautiful looking machine. I think that it did have conventional Carbon fibre forks. He rode it from Goondiwindi to Brisbane via Stanthorpe and Woodenbong, a distance of over 600 km.
Cheers !

[Dent]

Mmmm. A timber bike ?

I could see multi laminate F27 hardwood bracing ply used here ... Dream on I've got an ambitious Nexus rear conversion to finish , a Haines Hunter fishing boat waiting for a refit, a 9 foot billiard table in pieces and a Frontera 4x4 with a 24 valve 4 cam V6 engine to get back on the road ... And a 100 year old church a friend and client is begging me to restore ....so yeah...a timber bike ... Take a number ...

[Dent]

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