The Bicycle (Specialty) Tools Thread

[honcho]

I love the shop. Gives me some future inspiration. I like the stands that you have for your grease guns. I have a couple myself. One of mine is a Lincoln Engineering Lubrigun from I'm guessing from the 1960's? and the other is a new Dualco branded one I bought on Amazon. I was surprised to see that they are essentially identical.

How about the Shimano grease being a product of Germany?

 

[Meursault74]

How about the Shimano grease being a product of Germany?

always think of this guy's line. t'd up.

I like the looks of that Shimano grease. I'll be sure to buy some when that pound tub of Mobil 1 grease I bought 20 years ago for my hubs is finished, which will likely be never. I just used some a few weeks ago with new bearings for a front cup and cone hub. Seemed fine.

 

[JMP]

always think of this guy's line. t'd up.

I like the looks of that Shimano grease. I'll be sure to buy some when that pound tub of Mobil 1 grease I bought 20 years ago for my hubs is finished, which will likely be never. I just used some a few weeks ago with new bearings for a front cup and cone hub. Seemed fine.

I definitely recommend the Shimano grease for bearings. I also use a light coating on things like crank arm spindles and axles. It's good stuff but certainly use what you already have. I've heard it compared and confused with Motorex 2000 which is made in Switzerland but the jury is still out on who makes this stuff for Shimano in Germany.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Ill drop this one here, not a tool, but many expensive tools were used in the process

 

[honcho]

Ill drop this one here, not a tool, but many expensive tools were used in the process

Nice, only 8.38 stone....w(eigh)t.....errrr, kg. Besides, a bicycle is a tool for transportation.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Nice, only 8.38 stone....w(eigh)t.....errrr, kg. Besides, a bicycle is a tool for transportation.

I wouldnt call that a tool for transportation lol.
Its very difficult(expensive) to drop more weight unfortunately, because of the titanium frame. But Ill manage below 8kgs I think

 

[the shifty jesus]

Definitely need to clean out and organize the bike tools. It’s the biggest mess of a drawer in my box.

For stands I rock the Feedback Sport Mechanic stand. I wish I would have sprung for the pro model, but it’s all I could afford at the time. Its good enough to not justify replacing it, and I’ll probably be using it until my legs stop working.

The Shimano tool for cutting hydraulic lines and setting barbs is indispensable. It’s one of those thing you don’t really need, but can’t live without once you try it.

I do like my fully adjustable wheel holder that cost 1/3rd that of from Park.

 

[shibertus]

Its very difficult(expensive) to drop more weight unfortunately, because of the titanium frame. But Ill manage below 8kgs I think

Beautiful bike. Curious what changes you will make to get under 8kg. My Ti bike is just a hair over 8kg and I've been toying with how to drop weight without going to exotic (Darimo, THM, etc) carbon components.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Beautiful bike. Curious what changes you will make to get under 8kg. My Ti bike is just a hair over 8kg and I've been toying with how to drop weight without going to exotic (Darimo, THM, etc) carbon components.

Thank you! Yeah meaningless upgrades like that, I dont have strong enough legs to justify them but I enjoy the feel of a light bike. So;
Pillar Xtra lite titanium spokes (If I manage to find them)
Extralite thru axles (70€ a pop)
Sram red Cassette
Sram red e1 rear derailleur
Xpedo sonic Ti pedals
And yes maybe a lighter post
And yes I dont want to buy a 300euro darimo and be afraid everytime I tighten it, as I heard they can crack.
THM neither I like nor I can afford. There are other chinese good alternatives now, but I already upgraded to sram red, so thats staying

 

[HannibalLecter]

Definitely need to clean out and organize the bike tools. It’s the biggest mess of a drawer in my box.

For stands I rock the Feedback Sport Mechanic stand. I wish I would have sprung for the pro model, but it’s all I could afford at the time. Its good enough to not justify replacing it, and I’ll probably be using it until my legs stop working.

The Shimano tool for cutting hydraulic lines and setting barbs is indispensable. It’s one of those thing you don’t really need, but can’t live without once you try it.

I do like my fully adjustable wheel holder that cost 1/3rd that of from Park.

Unfortunately the Shimano tool you mentioned works untill a drop of mineral fluid gets into the holding surfaces. Then, good luck, it slips all the time. There is one magura tool thats better

 

[slowtwitch73]

Carbon fiber frames boys.

Lighter, cheaper, better.

Ducking.

 

[CallumRD1]

Carbon fiber frames boys.

Lighter, cheaper, better.

Ducking.

Good thing you ducked. I was about to throw my steel full suspension trail bike at you!

 

[HannibalLecter]

Carbon fiber frames boys.

Lighter, cheaper, better.

Ducking.

Hahahah ducking is a good idea

 

[HannibalLecter]

On another note, the Unior multitool fell sort of my expectations. I thought I would be safe with a real tool company, not the usual bike specific ****, but that wasnt the case with Unior

 

[Odd-job]

The Unior stuff in general seem to be made of lower quality materials especially when exposed to higher quality offerings from PB swiss, etc.

On another note I am thinking of ditching my heavy trusty Park multi tool for road bike purposes for a small bit ratchet with key bits. Namely a 6mm for taking off thru axles so I can fit the bike in the back of a Uber/Lyft (think AAA for bikes) when something catastrophic happens.

 

[HannibalLecter]

The Unior stuff in general seem to be made of lower quality materials especially when exposed to higher quality offerings from PB swiss, etc.

On another note I am thinking of ditching my heavy trusty Park multi tool for road bike purposes for a small bit ratchet with key bits. Namely a 6mm for taking off thru axles so I can fit the bike in the back of a Uber/Lyft (think AAA for bikes) when something catastrophic happens.

Of course Unior is inferior to PB Swiss, wera etc, but I didnt expect such a failure. I thought its hardened but its soft as butter. A small bit ratchet with bits will always be heavier even from the big multitools I think. And I want also a chain breaker.
You can buy a 6 mm lever that stays permanently on the axle. Scott has one

 

[JMP]

These are the tools I carry everyday on the bike. It has taken me years of riding and experience to get to this point. I used to carry the tried and true Cranks Bros M19 and would recommend it to most people but I wanted a lighter tool and the Wolftooth has more leverage for thru-axles. I have an even lighter bike kit for the road bike on club rides featuring the Wolftooth 6 bit tool. Most of the time it seems like I am dealing with the mechanicals of other riders rather than my own so sometimes I have extra stuff which makes me even more prepared should I have an issue. I've also done multiday bike packs, long solo rides and rides through rough parts of town at late hours so I consider mechanical failure not an option. I have a couple custom tools in my kit. One is a super compact chain breaker and a shop grade floor pump air chuck which I have added a male Schrader fitting to. I have some other bits to like needle and thread, spare bolts, cleat bolts, valve core, tube patch kit, etc. Also not pictured is my Leatherman Micra multitool which lives on my keychain. I consider it a must have. For bikes I have used it to removes shards of glass from tires.

 

[Odd-job]

a 6 mm lever that stays permanently on the axle

I like this idea, but loosening and tightening 10 Nm is going to be tough without a slightly high profile lever?

Actually my bigger vanity hangup might be putting this non aero lever on my slightly aero road bike.

 

[HannibalLecter]

I like this idea, but loosening and tightening 10 Nm is going to be tough without a slightly high profile lever?

Actually my bigger vanity hangup might be putting this non aero lever on my slightly aero road bike.

You can have it perpendicular to the ground plane so you can sleep easily. Imo be it 8 be it 10 it doesnt matter that much. And being able to reposition the lever it wont be so hard either way
Sth like that; 6mm and t25 torx I think, and an oring to stay put inside the axle

 

[YukonRally]

Ill drop this one here, not a tool, but many expensive tools were used in the process

Is that a Waltly frame?

 

[F-22]

On another note, the Unior multitool fell sort of my expectations. I thought I would be safe with a real tool company, not the usual bike specific ****, but that wasnt the case with Unior

Saddens me a lot (I'm Slovene, it's "our" tool company), but that's been my experience with many modern Unior tools too. Their quality dropped compared to the past and they make little effort to compete with the top quality brands. Just seems like a waste to make inferior quality tools in Europe in the modern world. I would still recommend their wrenches if you can get them on a good discount, those are not bad at all. Also the puller tools are good, as well as the sockets. Pliers and screwdrivers and allen keys and ratchets I rather avoid, they're just not that great anymore.

 

[JMP]

Saddens me a lot (I'm Slovene, it's "our" tool company), but that's been my experience with many modern Unior tools too. Their quality dropped compared to the past and they make little effort to compete with the top quality brands. Just seems like a waste to make inferior quality tools in Europe in the modern world. I would still recommend their wrenches if you can get them on a good discount, those are not bad at all. Also the puller tools are good, as well as the sockets. Pliers and screwdrivers and allen keys and ratchets I rather avoid, they're just not that great anymore.

That's a shame. I have heard good things about their cone wrenches so I had checked out their other offerings.

 

[fishwatcher]

I do like my fully adjustable wheel holder that cost 1/3rd that of from Park.

That’s a great use case for the rotating bench vise feature. I have to clamp mine at different angles. I have the more basic model WH-2 from Park Tools.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Is that a Waltly frame?

Very good guess! Yes indeed

 

[YukonRally]

Very good guess! Yes indeed

Nice! How are you liking it? I built one up a couple years ago. Guessed the geometry based on some other bikes I had owned, and it ended up spot on exactly how I wanted it.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Nice! How are you liking it? I built one up a couple years ago. Guessed the geometry based on some other bikes I had owned, and it ended up spot on exactly how I wanted it.

Ah nice bike too! The bike is very beautiful, which was of importance to me, as I am vain haha, communication with Waltly was good, a small hiccup was that it was 41 days on the road( I thought Id never get it)
As for the frame itself, I could find no blemishes, no defects, the welds are very nice.
Riding wise I have not much to compare it to. I dont feel it harsh, but its not a couch either, and I run 28mm tires at 80psi. I dont put much power so I cant feel it flex and Im trying to be more objective than these <<specialists>> that can feel a miniscule change in the stiffness or that.
The frame wasnt light, at 1860g with hanger, but that also was to be expected, with 86mm bottom bracket shell and a 194 long 1.5 inch headtube.
Overall it turned out as I expected and its a keeper, no worries of a new model coming out.

These brooks scape im considering buying.
Is the saddlebag stable?

 

[YukonRally]

Ah nice bike too! The bike is very beautiful, which was of importance to me, as I am vain haha, communication with Waltly was good, a small hiccup was that it was 41 days on the road( I thought Id never get it)
As for the frame itself, I could find no blemishes, no defects, the welds are very nice.
Riding wise I have not much to compare it to. I dont feel it harsh, but its not a couch either, and I run 28mm tires at 80psi. I dont put much power so I cant feel it flex and Im trying to be more objective than these <<specialists>> that can feel a miniscule change in the stiffness or that.
The frame wasnt light, at 1860g with hanger, but that also was to be expected, with 86mm bottom bracket shell and a 194 long 1.5 inch headtube.
Overall it turned out as I expected and its a keeper, no worries of a new model coming out.

These brooks scape im considering buying.
Is the saddlebag stable?

I had no issues with the tailpack swinging around. I really like the attachment, and the look complimented the bike (I'm vain too). I'm running 40mm gravel tires on mine, and overall it seems to smooth out the chatter over my previous carbon bikes. I enjoyed being able to spec a T47 bottom bracked, and 1.5" top and bottom head tube so I could run Deda bearings and internally route my cables. That plus SRAM AXS makes for a very clean build. Looks like you had the exact same idea as me!

 

[quadrcr87]

I am glad I found this thread, there is a lot of great knowledge in here. I started out with the basic maintenance tools and slowly expanded to the point that I can assemble a new bike from the frame up. I have not fully dived into suspension tuning, but I am sure I am headed there eventually. In hindsight, I wish I would have started out with a good tool kit as a base rather than sourcing and piecing it all together separately.

I have really shifted from MX racing to mountain biking the past few years. I decided to change my old portable Craftsman box to match. The MX tools found a new home in the US General box below.

Although time consuming and not the most compact storage, I do love kaizen foam in the right application. If I go on a big bike trip, I can bring the box with me knowing it will all stay in place. Several pro bike mechanics build out Pelican cases with stacked levels of foam. I don't think they would be as easy to work out of in the home garage.

I am not brand loyal on tools. I buy a little bit from each company based on reviews and friend’s feedback.

I have spoke wrenches and a spoke tension gauge, but I still need the wheel truing stand to build a wheel from scratch. For maintenance I true the wheel on the bike using a zip tie on the frame for reference. A stand would be easier.

The last drawer has the bulky tools for cutting down steering stems and handlebars as well as the big derailer alignment tool.

My latest tool is this WERA 2-6 nm torque driver. I have to be honest; I don't like it. I did not realize how much force it would take to hit 6 Nm with a straight driver. My hand slips on the grip and when it reaches torque, the snap hurts my wrist. I need to look into a T handle style.

I have been pretty happy with my Park tools bike stand. It seems to work well and is stable with every bike I have tried including a 70lb tandem!

Stumpjumper EVO build for a riding buddy:


During the restoration of my 1971 Schwinn Deluxe Twinn:

 

[HannibalLecter]

I had no issues with the tailpack swinging around. I really like the attachment, and the look complimented the bike (I'm vain too). I'm running 40mm gravel tires on mine, and overall it seems to smooth out the chatter over my previous carbon bikes. I enjoyed being able to spec a T47 bottom bracked, and 1.5" top and bottom head tube so I could run Deda bearings and internally route my cables. That plus SRAM AXS makes for a very clean build. Looks like you had the exact same idea as me!

Yeah, it seems we thought the same. The goal was future classic. Did you opt for Sram UDH? It seems so

 

[honcho]

I have been pretty happy with my Park tools bike stand. It seems to work well and is stable with every bike I have tried including a 70lb tandem!

I've been disappointed by just about every stand I've owned over the years. They all seem to wobble and attaching bikes, even with the well-regarded Park clamp, just feels janky to me. My first stand was a Minoura and I've had both the cheap (white color) and more expensive (Blue color) Park portable stands. I currently have two Feedback Sports stands which see more use holding up a photo backdrop than holding up bikes. I owned the heavy duty Park workshop stand for a short while but never actually used it. Perhaps I find them all lacking because most of my work is on tandems which, due to their larger size, are by nature going to be harder to handle on any stand.

 

[HannibalLecter]

My latest tool is this WERA 2-6 nm torque driver. I have to be honest; I don't like it. I did not realize how much force it would take to hit 6 Nm with a straight driver. My hand slips on the grip and when it reaches torque, the snap hurts my wrist. I need to look into a T handle style.

I really want to buy this wera driver, it complements nicely the 4-20nm Norbar TTI I have. But I was afraid of this too. There is a smaller scale driver also, 1-3 Nm I think
The good thing with this wera is that it slips, preventing from going over. Curious, did yours come with a certification of calibration?

 

[quadrcr87]

Yes, it did come with a cert. I would recommend getting one of their pistol grip types rather than this straight version.

 

[boom_bap]

@JMP What do you use a pliers wrench for on a bike that warrants EDC?

 

[Meursault74]

I guess this is the thread to post this. Inner tube patch.

About 4 months ago I had the "injector valve" (a rubber tube) fail on the laundry washing machine. I've replaced them before, but it's not something I'd stock or could find locally. Takes about a week to get. You can't really wrap it in tape, I've tried in the past.

As I'm holding it and looking at a tub full of wet clothes, it struck me that it feels like an inner tube for bikes. I mean it kind of gets thin at the expansion point, and that's where it sprung a leak. The tube isn't under constant pressure, it just sort of helps throttles down the water flow when the solenoid valve opens.

What do I have to lose by trying to patch it? A patch and some glue, which I stock anyway. It worked. I did order the part (and more spares as they're only a few dollar). I just got around to replacing it today along with some other maintenance on the dryer. Held four months. I bet the other side would have given out before the Rema Tip Top patch.

Figured cyclists would appreciate the jury-rigged fix.

 

[JMP]

@JMP What do you use a pliers wrench for on a bike that warrants EDC?

Generally for random things that come up, especially since I ride in a community with different types of riders and bikes from fixed gear to custom chopper bicycles welded from random bits of steel. They are not a tool that has a super specialized function yet when something out of the ordinary arises they can suddenly become essential. They actually came in clutch during my last bike packing trip. Somehow a piece of a large stick had lodged itself between my crank arm and the large chainring. It was wedged so tight I could not remove it with just my bare hands (no leverage where it had broken) despite my best efforts until I remembered that I had some tools to help. I used the plier wrench to work it back and worth until I dislodged the stick. I could see using these pliers to pull a brake or shift cable to add some tension if you have to undo a cable and set things up from scratch. These pliers might be a tad small but if you drop your bike and bend the derailleur hanger I would think you could use them to straighten the hanger back into shape rather than be stuck with major shifting problems / stuck in a single gear (yes you can bring a spare but not everyone does and not every bike has a replaceable hangar). I'm sure they will come in handy down the road for unforeseen issues I've yet to encounter.

 

[boom_bap]

Awesome, I've got 180s but was looking for an excuse to pick up the 125, for now I'll keep me current setup. Sounds like you've got a specific need.

 

[mikey03]

Im thinking of getting into biking again and now I’m doing all of my own car work and a bunch for my family and feeling confident with tools and fixing stuff. I also got a respectable tool collection going tbh.

What am I getting myself into if I want to buy a bike maybe a fixer upper and also keep it maintained on my own and never take it to a shop. I’m guessing it’s all just various hex and maybe torx fasteners and I already got a nice collection there. VIM tools 1/4 drive stubby set and some sweet snap on 1/4 ratchets in different sizes.

idk what kind of speciality tools I might need and I’m just looking to ball park this so I know if you guys tell me I need some massive tools or so I basically have everything except for like one or two special tools to work the chain and the derailler?

used to pay the bike shop 50 bucks or so for a “tuneup” each year and idk what that even includes it was a while back.

 

[f121]

Im thinking of getting into biking again and now I’m doing all of my own car work and a bunch for my family and feeling confident with tools and fixing stuff. I also got a respectable tool collection going tbh.

What am I getting myself into if I want to buy a bike maybe a fixer upper and also keep it maintained on my own and never take it to a shop. I’m guessing it’s all just various hex and maybe torx fasteners and I already got a nice collection there. VIM tools 1/4 drive stubby set and some sweet snap on 1/4 ratchets in different sizes.

idk what kind of speciality tools I might need and I’m just looking to ball park this so I know if you guys tell me I need some massive tools or so I basically have everything except for like one or two special tools to work the chain and the derailler?

used to pay the bike shop 50 bucks or so for a “tuneup” each year and idk what that even includes it was a while back.

You can do pretty much everything on a bike with a set of hex wrench’s and maybe a Torx or two and a chain tool. It’s worth having a cheap 1/4 torque wrench because the biggest issue car mechanics and diyers have when working on bikes is stripping threads (because they are all tiny and go into aluminium).

You need more specialist stuff for removing and installing cassettes, bleeding brakes and replacing bottom brackets, but there’s a massive variety of imported rebranded tools, so none of it’s expensive.

Buying a fixer upper bike is probably a false economy if you want to go cycling.

 

[fishwatcher]

Im thinking of getting into biking again and now I’m doing all of my own car work and a bunch for my family and feeling confident with tools and fixing stuff. I also got a respectable tool collection going tbh.

What am I getting myself into if I want to buy a bike maybe a fixer upper and also keep it maintained on my own and never take it to a shop. I’m guessing it’s all just various hex and maybe torx fasteners and I already got a nice collection there. VIM tools 1/4 drive stubby set and some sweet snap on 1/4 ratchets in different sizes.

idk what kind of speciality tools I might need and I’m just looking to ball park this so I know if you guys tell me I need some massive tools or so I basically have everything except for like one or two special tools to work the chain and the derailler?

used to pay the bike shop 50 bucks or so for a “tuneup” each year and idk what that even includes it was a while back.

You can do a lot with basic every day shop tools, cleaning and lubricants.

Some bike specific products will depend on what bike you get and what components are on it. Park Tools on YouTube give great how to videos on bike repairs and of course bike tools. I also like Seth from the Berm Peak / Express channel.

He recently reviewed bike tool starter kits. You can learn what’s in these kits that you already have and what bike specific tools you might want to get later.

Be careful with your idea of a fixer upper. Something that’s just dirty, and needs a clean up and adjustments, maybe a few minor replacement parts is fine. Something you have to go and replace a whole lot of parts when you’re just starting out.. I’d say stay way from.

Have fun.

 

[boom_bap]

+1 I'd recommend buying something modern (2020 and beyond). The geometry will be much better. Parts will wear out so you'll be fixing stuff no mater what you do. If you're planning on MTB, you'll need to change fork oils, and seals every 50 hours so there always work to do even on a new bike.

+1 on tools. You'll need specialty stuff for forks, shocks, bottom bracket, cassette removal, etc. Ebay is a great place to find aftermarket tools from home machinists that are better than OEM and significantly cheaper.