Do you take your bike to the shop for every minor repair but want to start doing more yourself? You're not alone. I’ve been working on bikes for more than 15 years. In this series of articles, I’ll guide the novice home mechanic and help you avoid the many mistakes I’ve made over the years. It’s a cliché, but also a truth: good tools are half the battle.
Over the years, I’ve collected an enormous amount of tools. Yet for 90% of all repairs, I use only a few. You don’t need to buy everything at once; getting your tools bit by bit is a much better approach. Also, beware of pre-made bike tool kits—they often include tools you’ll never use, and the quality can be mediocre. Today, I’ll focus on the six essential tools that, in my humble opinion, every novice home mechanic should have.
Nearly all bolts on a bicycle can be tightened and loosened with an Allen wrench. A decent set of Allen wrenches is therefore essential. Allen wrenches come in two types: standard and ball-end. The latter allows you to insert the wrench into the bolt at an angle of up to 30 degrees, which can be very useful in certain situations. Some sets have a regular end on the short side and a ball-end on the long side (see photo below), meaning you’re covered with just one set. It’s worth spending a little extra on these. For just a bit more, you can get professional quality that will last a lifetime. With brands like Gedore, Wera, Facom, and Wiha, you can’t go wrong.
Photo: ball-end on the left, standard on the right.
The cassette of a bicycle is held in place by a lockring, which you remove using a lockring removal tool, also known as a cassette removal tool. You have two options: a complete wrench or just a socket. If you choose the socket, you’ll need a large adjustable wrench to unscrew it. A complete wrench is generally more convenient, but the socket is useful for particularly tight lockrings that a regular wrench might struggle with. You’ll also use this tool for tightening and loosening disc brake lockrings. The brand isn’t too important—any basic model should suffice. However, if you ride Campagnolo, you’ll need a specific tool. SRAM and Shimano use the same standard.
Photo: a basic lockring removal tool can last a lifetime. © Mantel
We’re still focusing on the cassette. When you try to loosen the lockring with the lockring removal tool, you’ll notice the cassette spins along with it. To prevent this, you hold the cassette in place with a chain whip. There are many types on the market, but for simplicity, I’ll divide them into two categories: the regular model (left in the photo) and the plier-style model (right). Personally, I’m a big fan of the plier-style, especially for beginners. It makes holding the cassette steady a breeze. The downside is that it’s more expensive.
One of the easiest ways to save money on maintenance is by replacing your chain on time. If you wait too long, there’s almost a 100% chance that you’ll need to replace not just your chain, but also your cassette and chainrings—a costly repair. A chain wear indicator allows you to easily check how much your chain has stretched and when it needs to be replaced. It’s a simple tool, often costing no more than ten euros, but it can save you hundreds.
Photo: a cheap tool that can save you hundreds of euros. © Decathlon
If I had a euro for every tire lever I’ve broken over the years, I’d be close to a millionaire by now. It's unbelievable how many poor-quality tire levers are on the market. With the rise of tubeless tires and tubeless-ready wheels, changing a tire has become increasingly challenging, making strong tire levers essential. Based on my experience, I highly recommend tire levers from Decathlon, SKS, and Pedros.
To size a chain correctly, you’ll need a chain tool. With some chains, you’ll also need the tool to reconnect the chain, though nowadays a missing link is often used for this. There’s a significant difference in the quality of chain tools. If you only need the tool to adjust the length of your chain, an entry-level model will do just fine. You can even use the one from your multitool (if you have one). But if you plan to regularly break and reconnect chains, it’s worth spending a few extra euros on a higher-quality model.
In the next episode: five optional tools.
|
|
|
|
|
