Bicycle tools?

[dink]

So for the last yr or so I have started doing bicycle commuting (for those that dont know that is where you leave your car in the garage and use your bicycle instead for going to work or arrands)

My question is.....what other good quality tools are there for bicycles besides Park Tool....they are the go to brand for bicycle maintenance...mostly made here in USA.. I have looked at Snap-on and it doesnt look like they get into it really

Does anyone have any suggestions

 

[Mylesprimo]

Pedro is another brand. I have their crank remover tool and have used their cable housing cutters and thin wrenches with no probs. A lot of bike companies make tools also. Bontrager and crank brothers both make some really good multi tools. Shimano makes a chain whip that I have and Has not failed me yet. If you are looking for one complete set Park Tool is the way to go. I just piece together as needed.

 

[dink]

Yea I was just going to piece together as needed....bike tools are so darn specialized anyways....I would buy the whole lot if I was going to work on others bikes

 

[Jim Johnstone]

If you want tools you will never have to worry about, just buy the Park. In a lot of cases they have the shop quality, and the home mechanic quality, all of which has a lifetime warranty. Like Mylesprimo said, there are others, like Pedros, Shimano (if you want to pay and arm and a leg), Campagnolo (if you want to pay both arms and both legs).

For lower priced stuff, there is Ice Toolz, Axiom (Might be Canadian only), and a handful of other random brands.

Long story short, if you are going to use these tools regularly, you really can't go wrong with the Park products, and in a lot of cases they aren't much more expensive than the other guys. But to be fair, I'm a little spoiled, as I have spent 10 years wrenching bikes professionally, and I have slowly replaced all my bargain brand tools at home, with Park, after getting used to the insane quality difference between Park and all the rest. Just walk into any bike shop, and look at the repair bay wall. 95% of the time, it will be a wall of blue handled Park tools.

Jim

 

[Weps]

there are a handful of other companies, but park still holds the main share of the "better" tool market. chicom tools are becoming much more popular though. you'll also find a lot of smaller brands that only specialize in a small selection of tools for specific tasks - depending on what types you need.

a good portion of mechanical tools can cross over or improvise in place of the actual bike shop tool and are typically better quality in my experience, but there are simply a lot of things that are unique to the bike market. however, if you're inclined and have the capabilities, you can make a lot of them yourself.

i haven't had to buy anything in awhile, but typically i check the park catalog, then look at amazon for other options, then check ebay for market pricing. somewhere in there i usually find a price i can live with.

aside from some campagnolo drive train tools, i haven't seen any other brands that i'd really want to own besides park.

 

[tony p]

For bike-specific stuff, Park is now the pretty big name here; Shimano do some tools too, but I don't think they are any better than park.
I have a small selection of Campagnolo tools - nicely finished but I seem to remember they were a bit pricey..
Back in the 70s "VAR" (French) was the big name in bike tools and bike workshop kit. Don't know if they were seen much outside of Europe though. I see they are still going but I don't know what the current quality or COO is like.

 

[ecotec]

i agree about piecing together a kit. you will only use a fraction of the tools in a factory kit unless you work in a shop or build your bikes from the frame up (do you really think you are going to use a bearing cup press?). instead put that money in a really nice stand and piece together a high quality tool set specific to your bike.

park tool makes great tools. do not overlook them.

 

[padronanniversary]

you can also buy tools direct from places like Chris King but these are specialty tools, but truely are bling bling

 

[Skyline]

I have a vintage Colnago, and it was amazing how many fittings on the bike were compatible with a Campagnolo T wrench. To me, that was brilliant engineering. Nowadays the thinking is more like; why use a 7mm hex bolt here just to be uniform, when a 6mm bolt will do and save .0005 grams? I guess that's one reason road bikes drop weight almost every year, and are now perhaps 7-8 lbs lighter than my bike, (which was state of the art in its day.)

As others have mentioned, I also have a small collection of Campagnolo tools; they were hard to beat quality wise, but super expensive. I always wanted one of their master sets that came in the fitted case, bit could never justify the expense.

 

[sk farmer]

a former member here who goes by the name of b is really into bikes , bike tools and the like. i know the sight he hangs out on (no, not the one you are thinking). if you wish to chat with him i can refer you. pm me if interested.

 

[JML2]

Although Park does make many of their own tools, a good number of the generic tools are sourced from other manufacturers and can be obtained for less money (or there are better options available). For example, Bondhus has made many of Park's hex key tools, and the Bondhus versions are cheaper and otherwise identical. Park is very open about this; the tools are described on their site as being from Bondhus. Park often offers two levels of product for some purposes; buy the best one and you won't be sorry.

Some of Park's tools are just not as good as those offered by other companies, and it's important to look into specific tool reviews and user feedback. Check out BikeForums and RoadBikeReview for more information on specific tools.

The only Snap-On tools in my bike tool box are 14mm and 15mm thin-wall flank drive 3/8" drive sockets I bought in the 1980s for crank arm bolts. Snap-On and SK were the only sockets that were suitable for that use back then.

The most expensive bike tools are for wheel building and work on frames, which you probably don't need (yet). Many bike tools are component-specific because of the rapid changes in componentry (although most modern components cannot be repaired or rebuilt, only replaced).

Pedro's tools vary in quality; the best are superb and often better than an equivalent Park tool, IMHO. But they source many items from Asia, and they can change frequently. Pedro's brake & cable tools, and large hex keys, are excellent and have a place in my toolbox. Park has even copied some of Pedro's designs!

Campagnolo tools are in a class by themselves; they're very highly regarded by bike mechanics, for very good reason. For work on classic top-end components, nothing is better; many eclipse Park tools (in quality and price!). A Campy toolset eclipses Snap-On for tool worship and is the sign of a top-quality shop.

The generic tools would be various lengths of metric hex keys (most modern component fittings are metric hex), a 1/4" drive 6-point metric socket set, quality flat and phillips screwdrivers, metric open/box wrenches, a Dremel for external cable housing cutting and smoothing, and a soft-face dead-blow hammer. For some uses, a 1/4" drive torque wrench might be appropriate (especially if you're working on a bike made from carbon fiber).

I have a very rare 1984 3Rensho road bike, with mostly Campy NR/SR components:

 

[JML2]

I have a vintage Colnago, and it was amazing how many fittings on the bike were compatible with a Campagnolo T wrench. To me, that was brilliant engineering.

Here's that beauty:

It was one of two absolutely classic Campy tools. The other was the "peanut butter" 15mm crank bolt tool:

 

[route246]

I use a combination of Park, Gearwrench (metric ratcheting wrenches), Shimano, Campy and most recently picked up this very nice tool for my fixie. It's made by Portland Design Works. I ride road racing, track, fixie and mtb. The vast majority of my tools are Park including my PRS-25 stand.

 

[rocklobster]

Filzer also makes tools:

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_listing.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693891&plistshowall=true

I have this velomann repair stand and it is great! Way cheaper than the Park.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442618890&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302694071

As a side note MEC is a co op in Canada and they go to great lengths to sell good quality and back it with an iron clad guarantee. Recently MEC switched from park tool to filzer completely, I know fitzer is Taiwanese made but since MEC approves of this product personally I would trust it.

Also you can make your own tools where needed. I have seen a how to make a bearing cup press before on the internets out of threaded rod and bolts.

 

[lbgradwell]

Fitzer also makes tools:

Filzer...

Topeak is another brand...

 

[BQuicksilver]

You aren't going to run into many high torques on a bike outside the crank/pedal area, so most tool sets are more than adequate. If you own a repair shop, you probably have Park tools, but to be fair they aren't really that special. Of course the boutique brands do make some blingy tools at blingy prices.

My rec:
Sette Torx (nice and affordable)
http://www.settebikes.com/subcat.php/Accessories|Tool Kits

Spin Doctor (Performance Bike brand)
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1095891_-1_1589008_20000_400005

I love Topeak. Very innovative tools.

 

[rocklobster]

Filzer...

Topeak is another brand...

Oh **** thanks for the spellcheck!

 

[JML2]

And be finicky about lubes. There are plenty of opinions on oils and greases for bikes! I use SuperLube grease, FirePower FP10 oil, ProGold chain lube, and Permatex anti-seize.

 

[Skyline]

Some Campy items from my collection:
Bottom bracket tool

Another bottom bracket tool

For the seatpost bolts

For holding the back of the chainring bolts

 

[ponchopower]

Like others have said, more generic tools like T-handles and regular allen wrench sets you can get anywhere. It really doesn't matter. Some things like bottom bracket wrenches, crank arm pullers, Cassette tools, headset tools, etc - either Park or sometimes Shimano, Pedros, or Campy. You can often get "different" but not terribly "quality critical" tools sold under the Performance or Bike Nashbar name. You'll find that Park has absolutely the largest range of tools covering the entire market. Also, Park stands are IMHO just the best out there.

 

[Mugen AP1]

Back when i worked on bikes in highschool (10 years ago) we always used Park and Wrench Force (made by snap on i assume- same hard handle screw drivers as SO and Williams) on our bikes.

 

[JSBriggs]

Park.

In addition to their bicycle uses, They are durable enough as specialty automotive tools as well. Their head set wrenches are the wrenches I use to remove the viscous fans on my BMW and Land Rover. Their cone wrenches are nice to have around for those times when you are tempted to grind down a regular wrench.

-Jeff

 

[redline9k]

18yrs of wrenching experience tells me you can do just about anything with the included list of tools. In the end, its a bike, not a spaceship. You dont *need* fancy tools, but if you wrench out of desire, nice tools are always enjoyable. Like everyone said, Park is the benchmark. Hozan makes an awesome pedal wrench. Trek/Bontrager used to contract Snap On to make their entire Wrench Force line, but most is just Asian now.

Start here and add as you improve your abilities;

set of L-bend bondhus ball end allen wrenches or equivalent (2mm - 6, 8, 10)
"3-way" park or equivalent allen wrench
screwdrivers
picks

cable cutter
cable housing cutter (do NOT use a cable cutter for this)
shimano/SRAM lockring removal tool + crescent wrench
chain whip
crank arm removal tool (if necessary for your bike)
15mm cone wrench + 17mm box end (if necessary for hub adjustments)

foldable Ultimate bike stand (or Park equivalent)
"black" and "red" spoke wrenches. Park are good, DT "wing" is my favorite
truing stand (optional, but if you get one, do yourself a favor and get the Park professional...it costs more but is worth it)
small torque wrench (only really "necessary" if you have carbon bits)

finally, get a good floor pump. Silca is nice but overpriced, get a higher end blackburn or equivalent and you'll be fine.

 

[Mugen AP1]

18yrs of wrenching experience tells me you can do just about anything with the included list of tools. In the end, its a bike, not a spaceship. You dont *need* fancy tools, but if you wrench out of desire, nice tools are always enjoyable. Like everyone said, Park is the benchmark. Hozan makes an awesome pedal wrench. Trek/Bontrager used to contract Snap On to make their entire Wrench Force line, but most is just Asian now.

Start here and add as you improve your abilities;

set of L-bend bondhus ball end allen wrenches or equivalent (2mm - 6, 8, 10)
"3-way" park or equivalent allen wrench
screwdrivers
picks

cable cutter
cable housing cutter (do NOT use a cable cutter for this)
shimano/SRAM lockring removal tool + crescent wrench
chain whip
crank arm removal tool (if necessary for your bike)
15mm cone wrench + 17mm box end (if necessary for hub adjustments)

foldable Ultimate bike stand (or Park equivalent)
"black" and "red" spoke wrenches. Park are good, DT "wing" is my favorite
truing stand (optional, but if you get one, do yourself a favor and get the Park professional...it costs more but is worth it)
small torque wrench (only really "necessary" if you have carbon bits)

This man is on point.


Makes me miss the days of care free, high school life. School dunring the day, bike shop at night, girls on the weekend

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Excellent list, but I gotta dissagree on the spoke key...I'll take the park over the DT Swiss anyday of the week!

If anyone is serious about wheel work, and getting a truing stand, the best piece of advice I can give is to get some old wheels to practice on. Wheels are one of those things that you can screw up big time in a big hurry if you get it wrong.

I learned to build wheels on the most pathetic old POS wheel truing stand I have ever seen. Getting the good Park stand was a freaking God send after using that rickety old POS for so many years.

18yrs of wrenching experience tells me you can do just about anything with the included list of tools. In the end, its a bike, not a spaceship. You dont *need* fancy tools, but if you wrench out of desire, nice tools are always enjoyable. Like everyone said, Park is the benchmark. Hozan makes an awesome pedal wrench. Trek/Bontrager used to contract Snap On to make their entire Wrench Force line, but most is just Asian now.

Start here and add as you improve your abilities;

set of L-bend bondhus ball end allen wrenches or equivalent (2mm - 6, 8, 10)
"3-way" park or equivalent allen wrench
screwdrivers
picks

cable cutter
cable housing cutter (do NOT use a cable cutter for this)
shimano/SRAM lockring removal tool + crescent wrench
chain whip
crank arm removal tool (if necessary for your bike)
15mm cone wrench + 17mm box end (if necessary for hub adjustments)

foldable Ultimate bike stand (or Park equivalent)
"black" and "red" spoke wrenches. Park are good, DT "wing" is my favorite
truing stand (optional, but if you get one, do yourself a favor and get the Park professional...it costs more but is worth it)
small torque wrench (only really "necessary" if you have carbon bits)

finally, get a good floor pump. Silca is nice but overpriced, get a higher end blackburn or equivalent and you'll be fine.

 

[route246]

Thanks for the reference to Filzer. I didn't know about them. I don't mind Taiwanese made tools for low-torque operations which is mostly on my bikes except for BB, pedals and HS. Amazon Prime has many Filzer tools listed. I will give them a try.

Filzer also makes tools:

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_listing.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693891&plistshowall=true

I have this velomann repair stand and it is great! Way cheaper than the Park.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442618890&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302694071

As a side note MEC is a co op in Canada and they go to great lengths to sell good quality and back it with an iron clad guarantee. Recently MEC switched from park tool to filzer completely, I know fitzer is Taiwanese made but since MEC approves of this product personally I would trust it.

Also you can make your own tools where needed. I have seen a how to make a bearing cup press before on the internets out of threaded rod and bolts.

 

[route246]

I've probably built 100+ wheels. My best advice is to read Jobst Brandt's "The Bicycle Wheel" and then read it again and get the basics down. You need a top-notch truing stand as you stated, a top-notch dish guage and real spoke wrenches (Park preferred), not those multi-sized spoke keys. You also need a good spoke ****** driver/wrench. But most of all, you need a tension guage. Building is easy. Tensioning is what separates a real wheel from a collection of wires. I started building when I was a child, 20" stingray wheels at the time. I did it out of curiosity. I don't build so much anymore but I do retension and true when necessary. A Park TM-1 tension meter is state-of-the-art.

Excellent list, but I gotta dissagree on the spoke key...I'll take the park over the DT Swiss anyday of the week!

If anyone is serious about wheel work, and getting a truing stand, the best piece of advice I can give is to get some old wheels to practice on. Wheels are one of those things that you can screw up big time in a big hurry if you get it wrong.

I learned to build wheels on the most pathetic old POS wheel truing stand I have ever seen. Getting the good Park stand was a freaking God send after using that rickety old POS for so many years.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Amen to that. I built 11 wheel sets last year, and I couldn't agree more with your run down there. I've built several wheels for friends and customers who are notorious wheel crushers, some of these guys well into the 220# plus range. Most of the time I get them a wheel that is lighter than the off the shelf wheel, and they get good life out of them too. The wheels built by the wheel machines are usually so bad, they go out of true and break spokes like it's going out of style.

My last set of wheels I built for a guy that wanted something a little kooky. 26" MTB disc wheels for his race bike. X3 drive side rear, X2 disc side rear, X2 disc side front, radial non disc front, with alternating anodized red and blue spoke *******. Uber light weight, and he's never needed them trued yet.

I've probably built 100+ wheels. My best advice is to read Jobst Brandt's "The Bicycle Wheel" and then read it again and get the basics down. You need a top-notch truing stand as you stated, a top-notch dish guage and real spoke wrenches (Park preferred), not those multi-sized spoke keys. You also need a good spoke ****** driver/wrench. But most of all, you need a tension guage. Building is easy. Tensioning is what separates a real wheel from a collection of wires. I started building when I was a child, 20" stingray wheels at the time. I did it out of curiosity. I don't build so much anymore but I do retension and true when necessary. A Park TM-1 tension meter is state-of-the-art.

 

[route246]

Cheap metric calipers are convenient for measuring. I bought a cheapo Park PFP-4 floor pump in spite of the bad ratings and it seems to be OK. I have two vintage Silca floor pumps (with leather plunger) but they don't have the volume that I would like in a floor pump. I also have regulated, compressed air.

18yrs of wrenching experience tells me you can do just about anything with the included list of tools. In the end, its a bike, not a spaceship. You dont *need* fancy tools, but if you wrench out of desire, nice tools are always enjoyable. Like everyone said, Park is the benchmark. Hozan makes an awesome pedal wrench. Trek/Bontrager used to contract Snap On to make their entire Wrench Force line, but most is just Asian now.

Start here and add as you improve your abilities;

set of L-bend bondhus ball end allen wrenches or equivalent (2mm - 6, 8, 10)
"3-way" park or equivalent allen wrench
screwdrivers
picks

cable cutter
cable housing cutter (do NOT use a cable cutter for this)
shimano/SRAM lockring removal tool + crescent wrench
chain whip
crank arm removal tool (if necessary for your bike)
15mm cone wrench + 17mm box end (if necessary for hub adjustments)

foldable Ultimate bike stand (or Park equivalent)
"black" and "red" spoke wrenches. Park are good, DT "wing" is my favorite
truing stand (optional, but if you get one, do yourself a favor and get the Park professional...it costs more but is worth it)
small torque wrench (only really "necessary" if you have carbon bits)

finally, get a good floor pump. Silca is nice but overpriced, get a higher end blackburn or equivalent and you'll be fine.

 

[redline9k]

Excellent list, but I gotta dissagree on the spoke key...I'll take the park over the DT Swiss anyday of the week!
.

I hear ya, I just like how the DT grabs all four sides like a brake flare nut wrench. Especially useful when building up low spoke/high tension wheels w/ alloy *******....not my cup of tea, but cyclists are finicky like that.

Actually, I dunno that they make it anymore...not listed in QBP....Park it is.

 

[tony p]

This won't necessarily help anyone actually wanting to buy stuff, but I know a lot of other folks here like to see older tools and tool catalogues, so...
the page link here has links to numerous pages of an old(ish) VAR catalogue of bike tools, frame and wheel building equipment and so on.

Hope it might interest some of you!

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/var/index.html

 

[dink]

Man I am so glad I started this thread

Anyways....yes I will most likely just invest in Park...industry standard and easy to get

As for the standard stuff sure I got it

Wera Hex keys and hex screwdrivers
5mm is pretty standard on my bike

Wrenches and sockets...sure

I have been on here for a long long time...even when it was garagejunkies.com for the really old timers

 

[american lockpicker]

Tagged so I can find it later.

 

[FlipFlopKing]

Excellent list, but I gotta dissagree on the spoke key...I'll take the park over the DT Swiss anyday of the week!

If anyone is serious about wheel work, and getting a truing stand, the best piece of advice I can give is to get some old wheels to practice on. Wheels are one of those things that you can screw up big time in a big hurry if you get it wrong.

I learned to build wheels on the most pathetic old POS wheel truing stand I have ever seen. Getting the good Park stand was a freaking God send after using that rickety old POS for so many years.

Also, do yourself a favor and either read up on proper truing/building technique, watch a video, go to your local shop and offer a case of beer to one of the guy there to teach you... before you try to do it on your own.

There is some definite technique to doing it WELL (i.e. triangulation).

One rule to remember:
Always LOOSEN spokes to bring wheel into true, then tighen all the same amount... repeat until wheel is true and spokes are correct tension.


BTW: Pretty much every bike shop you will ever go into is fully stocked with PArk tools... there is a reason for it. They're well made and no one else has a good a selection. I've worked in a lot of bike shops... been building and repairing bikes for over 20 years... never had a tool break.

Good Luck,
Scott

 

[route246]

One amazing thing is that on ebay, Park goes for higher prices as a percentage of retail than SO ratchets. There are many buy-it-now listings that are close to retail and you need to pay shipping. You can get much better deals from places like modernbike.com where I've had very good experiences buying from.

I have a saved search for Park on ebay and I get a daily listing and I have NEVER once seen anything that is even worth a sniff. It's totally amazing that Park Tools can be priced so high on ebay. modernbike.com has pretty good prices overall (you can do web-comparisons) and have a fixed shipping cost of $6.99.

Man I am so glad I started this thread

Anyways....yes I will most likely just invest in Park...industry standard and easy to get

As for the standard stuff sure I got it

Wera Hex keys and hex screwdrivers
5mm is pretty standard on my bike

Wrenches and sockets...sure

I have been on here for a long long time...even when it was garagejunkies.com for the really old timers

 

[route246]

I think I know what you are trying to say, however some might misunderstand what "tighten(sp)" means. They may confuse this with the number of turns of the spoke ******. What I think you meant is to "tension" the spokes all the same, right? You need every spoke in the wheel to be tensioned correctly. If this is not done you will end up breaking spokes left and right due to over-strain of the looser spokes. A well-balanced, correctly-tensioned wheel is a work of art.

One rule to remember:
Always LOOSEN spokes to bring wheel into true, then tighen all the same amount... repeat until wheel is true and spokes are correct tension.
Good Luck,
Scott

 

[reptilezs]

get park for your bicycle specific stuff like pullers, cone wrenchs. get traditional branded stuff for hex wrenchs, combo wrenchs, pliers, etc

 

[route246]

I have a set of Park combo wrenches. They are competent, lightweight and coated with rubberized coating that protects them and makes them nice to handle in close quarters. But mostly, I bought them because I like the way they look and the size is perfect for working on a bike. I also have a set of Gearwrench (12-pieces plus 2 small ones) metric ratcheting combo wrenches.

get park for your bicycle specific stuff like pullers, cone wrenchs. get traditional branded stuff for hex wrenchs, combo wrenchs, pliers, etc

 

[Bill Crowell]

Originally Posted by FlipFlopKing:
One rule to remember:
Always LOOSEN spokes to bring wheel into true, then tighen all the same amount... repeat until wheel is true and spokes are correct tension.
Good Luck,
Scott

I don't really agree with this. When tightening a spoke would make the wheel both more true and more round, there is absolutely no reason not to tighten it.

Pluck the spokes to see how tight they are. Also, squeezing pairs of spokes together where they intersect will quickly show you the ones that are too tight or too loose.

 

[lilredex]

I always loosen the offending spoke that is pulling it out of line, by 1/2 turn, then tighten the two beside it 1/2 turn to pull it back in line. Squeezing adjacent spokes also pinpoints problems. You can easily see where the problems are by holding a lumber marking crayon on the wheel, with this wheel jig.



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