i need cheap tools

i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools to
learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.

 

In article <[email protected]>, "the dork knight"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools
> to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.

What's your budget? Bike Doctor on Commercial (from your e-mail address, I'm guessing it's within
driving distance) has a starter bike tool set for $100.

Or you can do what I do and buy tools as you need them for the job at hand.

Either way, you should start with a good standard set of tools, probably something including metric
combination wrenches, sockets, a crescent wrench or two, metric allen keys, various screwdrivers,
pliers, etc. You can't go wrong with Craftsman, but I have a generic set from Canadian Tire, and it
is well made.

oddball non-bike tools that are useful: 10 mm allen key, for doing freehub body removal and
installation.

rudimentary truing can be done on the bike.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> In article <[email protected]>, "the dork knight"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap
> > tools to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.
>
> What's your budget? Bike Doctor on Commercial (from your e-mail address, I'm guessing it's within
> driving distance) has a starter bike tool set for $100.
>
Telusplanet is the original email domain of the original TELUS from Alberta. I don't think
telusplanet email addresses were ever issued in BC.

Rick

 

In article <[email protected]>, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, "the dork knight"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools
>> to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.
>
> What's your budget? Bike Doctor on Commercial (from your e-mail address, I'm guessing it's within
> driving distance) has a starter bike tool set for $100.
>
> Or you can do what I do and buy tools as you need them for the job at hand.
>
> Either way, you should start with a good standard set of tools, probably something including
> metric combination wrenches, sockets, a crescent wrench or two, metric allen keys, various
> screwdrivers, pliers, etc. You can't go wrong with Craftsman, but I have a generic set from
> Canadian Tire, and it is well made.
>
> oddball non-bike tools that are useful: 10 mm allen key, for doing freehub body removal and
> installation.
>
> rudimentary truing can be done on the bike.
>

You can make your own dishing tool; details of how I did this available on my cycling web page -
see my sig.

--
<<|
| http://www.acampbell.org.uk/cycling/
_________ ,___o / \ __________ _\ <;_ / \ OCD Cycloclimbing ___________ (_)/ (_) / \
http://www.ocd.org.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

the dork knight wrote:
>
> i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools
> to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.

I live by the "cry once" credo for tools.

"Buy the best and cry once, when you buy it. Buy the cheapest and cry every time you use it."

You payz your money...

Barry

 

On Tue, 13 May 2003 04:24:31 GMT, "the dork knight" <[email protected]> wrote:

>i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools
>to learn on.

A _good_ combi-tool like the Cool Tool gives you something you can carry on your bike, and it also
does some obscure bike things like a chain splitter.

A long metric Allen key set will do nearly all of your fasteners and is cheaper than a "penknife"
set. Try to find one that goes up to
10mm. Tee-handle sets are nicer to use, but they often don't fit because of lack of clearance.

Wrenches aren't much needed on bikes - just a 10mm is all many need.

Spokey make by far the best cheap spoke wrenches.

Avoid Park, IMHO. Their tyre levers are great and the splined tools for cassettes & BB's are usually
your only option, but many of their more general-purpose hand tools aren't very good, IMHO. The
cable cutters are rubbish.

Very few bike-specific tools are actually needed. If you're only doing it once, you can always have
a BB swapped at a bike shop rather than buying the tool.

Essential potions are cleaners, chain lube, bearing grease, copper anti-seize and Loctite screwlock.
Rolls of kitchen paper towel, kitchen spray cleaner and old toothbrushes will help with much of the
cleaning, for little money.

>maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.

Use your bike, turned upside down. Bulldog clips and pencils clamped on as pointers help too.

For a dish stick, I'm still using a piece of plywood with a recess in one edge and a bulldog-clipped
pointer on the axle.

Some "aspirational" tools include things like a Dremel, a small torque wrench, and Allen bits to fit
it for cranks.

 

the dork knight <[email protected]> wrote:
>i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools
>to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.

If you are strapped for cash, buy tools as you need them for the job at hand.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!

 

"the dork knight" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools
> to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand
also.
>

I like the Performance Spin Doctor™ Essential Workstand. See it here:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=3636. For the price, it works exremely well.

As for truing wheels, you can always mount the bike in the work stand and use the bike itself. For
the rear, there's no real need to even remove the chain since the wheel spins freely in either
direction. That's my inexpensive technique.

Ride on, economically, Don

 

"the dork knight" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap tools
> to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.

If you're in Canada, Velotique has a bike tool set for $100 CDN. It's LIFU brand, which is okay for
most things. http://www.velotique.com/tool.htm is the link.

 

In article <[email protected]>, Java Man (Espressopithecus)
<[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> > In article <[email protected]>, "the dork knight" <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap
> > > tools to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.
> >
> > What's your budget? Bike Doctor on Commercial (from your e-mail address, I'm guessing it's
> > within driving distance) has a starter bike tool set for $100.
> >
> Telusplanet is the original email domain of the original TELUS from Alberta. I don't think
> telusplanet email addresses were ever issued in BC.
>
> Rick

whoops. then...he could ride half the Rocky Mountain 1200 to get here...

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

I started playing bike mechanic about two years ago and went for cheap and got an Avenir case full
of junky tools at REI. I have to admit it was good enough to get me started on a new
addiction/hobby, but after building up 3 bikes I realize this set of tools is junk. The headset
spanners don't fit well and round off headset nuts, the pedal wrench is also not exactly the right
size and rounds off the intended pedal nut (also not long enough to provide appropriate leverage. BB
tool is also funky. I agree if you think there is a good chance you will use tools more than once,
buy quality.

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup "@thankyou.com> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> the dork knight wrote:
> >
> > i am new to bikes and very new to bike mechanics but i ma looking for some decent and cheap
> > tools to learn on. maybe an inexpensive truing stand also.
>
>
> I live by the "cry once" credo for tools.
>
> "Buy the best and cry once, when you buy it. Buy the cheapest and cry every time you use it."
>
> You payz your money...
>
> Barry

 

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup "@thankyou.com> wrote in
>
> I live by the "cry once" credo for tools.
>
> "Buy the best and cry once, when you buy it. Buy the cheapest and cry every time you use it."

i live by the whimper for a while and then upgrade when possible credo. i boguht a fifty dollar
(with shipping) nashbar set a few years back, and have got a lot out of it. yes, the cone wrenches
are not so hot, and the lockring remover is crap, but if you calcualted out the cost of the separate
park tools it goes way over waht i paid, and i couldnt possibly have afford more at the time.

anyway, using this toolset is the 'whimper' stage. they arent as nice as park, pedro, and so on, but
they work. and they were cheap, and thats all i could afford. overtime i have upgraded the lockring
tool, cone wrenches, and spoke wrenches, and bought/made a whole lot more tools that i didnt have as
i found them necessary.

tools from that original kit that i still use regularly:

long 10mm allen, metric allen set, crank puller, bb and cassette splines, odd-size cone wrenches
(16, 17mm), 8,9,10,11 mm wrenches, tire levers, (and i used up the tube patch kit), crank bolt
(14mm?) socket wrench for older cotterless cranks, chain tool, chain whip, headset wrench.

of dubious quality but still in use were the adjustable wrench, normal size cone wrenches, etc.
there is also a little plug that i think enables you to pull a splined crank with teh included
crank puller.

tools that were total crap: lockring tool, spoke wrench.

anyways. i think i got full value. if youre looking to keep costs down until you can afford better,
its worth a look.

 

Andy Dingley <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Spokey make by far the best cheap spoke wrenches.

i just boguht a pedro spoke wrench, and i have yet to use it, but i like it (in advance..)

it has the normal three sided easy-on bit, as well as the three-corner hold so much loved in
expensive spoke wrenches. the best of both worlds, right? but i never see anyone mention it, whereas
i have heard many loving words about the spokey.

is the pedro tool new? bad? unknown?

curious, anthony

 

On 13 May 2003 16:03:14 -0700, [email protected] (ant) wrote:

>is the pedro tool new? bad? unknown?

I've not seen it (I'm in the UK). I went from a Park ring-handle spoke wrench to a Spokey, and the
difference is enormous in going from a two sided grip to three. If the Pedro has three sides too,
then it's probably worth a look.

 

I agree, I think the Nashbar kit has at least $50 worth of useful tools. Although the cone wrenches
and the headset wrenches are a little rough, I've gotten some use out of them and haven't ruined
anything yet. The only tool I think is worthless is the lock ring wrench (that I ruined).

Steve.

ant wrote:
> "B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup "@thankyou.com> wrote in
>
>>I live by the "cry once" credo for tools.
>>
>>"Buy the best and cry once, when you buy it. Buy the cheapest and cry every time you use it."
>
>
> i live by the whimper for a while and then upgrade when possible credo. i boguht a fifty dollar
> (with shipping) nashbar set a few years back, and have got a lot out of it. yes, the cone
> wrenches are not so hot, and the lockring remover is crap, but if you calcualted out the cost of
> the separate park tools it goes way over waht i paid, and i couldnt possibly have afford more at
> the time.
>
> anyway, using this toolset is the 'whimper' stage. they arent as nice as park, pedro, and so on,
> but they work. and they were cheap, and thats all i could afford. overtime i have upgraded the
> lockring tool, cone wrenches, and spoke wrenches, and bought/made a whole lot more tools that i
> didnt have as i found them necessary.
>
> tools from that original kit that i still use regularly:
>
> long 10mm allen, metric allen set, crank puller, bb and cassette splines, odd-size cone wrenches
> (16, 17mm), 8,9,10,11 mm wrenches, tire levers, (and i used up the tube patch kit), crank bolt
> (14mm?) socket wrench for older cotterless cranks, chain tool, chain whip, headset wrench.
>
> of dubious quality but still in use were the adjustable wrench, normal size cone wrenches, etc.
> there is also a little plug that i think enables you to pull a splined crank with teh included
> crank puller.
>
>
> tools that were total crap: lockring tool, spoke wrench.
>
> anyways. i think i got full value. if youre looking to keep costs down until you can afford
> better, its worth a look.

 

ant wrote:
>
> "B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup "@thankyou.com> wrote in
> >
> > I live by the "cry once" credo for tools.
> >
> > "Buy the best and cry once, when you buy it. Buy the cheapest and cry every time you use it."
>
> i live by the whimper for a while and then upgrade when possible credo. i boguht a fifty dollar
> (with shipping) nashbar set a few years back, and have got a lot out of it. yes, the cone
> wrenches are not so hot, and the lockring remover is crap, but if you calcualted out the cost of
> the separate park tools it goes way over waht i paid, and i couldnt possibly have afford more at
> the time.

I buy what I need, when I need it.

Here's what I started with:

$8 Allen wrenches from anywhere else but the bike industry $20 Park shop cone wrenches $6 The one
Park lockring remover that fits _your_ bike $25 Park Pro pedal wrench $10 Chain Whip $5 The one Park
spoke wrench to fit _your_ bike $5 Hobby shop hard wire cutter for cables

EVERYBODY owns a screwdriver, so I'm leaving that out. <G>

For a bit more than what you paid, you can do 99% of a modern bike's repairs, and pay for no junky
tools, and nothing that you won't use.

Barry

 

On Wed, 14 May 2003 00:18:44 GMT, "B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup
"@thankyou.com> wrote:

>$20 Park shop cone wrenches

Almost any other make is better made than Park's. Maybe the black ones are OK

>$25 Park Pro pedal wrench

Snap-on (commercial car-fix range) are stronger and cheaper, and still narrow enough.

You can also get any cheap open-end wrench, and spend 30 seconds with an angle grinder.

>$10 Chain Whip

Length of chain, pair of Mole wrenches / Vise Grips. With a bit of effort, a piece of steel and a
drill, you can make your own (I'm assuming a bike mechanic has plenty of spare chain)

>$5 The one Park spoke wrench to fit _your_ bike

Spokey. The Park wrench just isn't much good (only two side contact)

>$5 Hobby shop hard wire cutter for cables

No ! Hard wire cutters are diagonal cutters, and they make a nasty cut on soft cables. Get a pair of
bypass shears If you're in the UK, these are good:
http://www.axminster.co.uk/default.asp?part=119/02

 

[email protected] (ant) wrote in message
>
> long 10mm allen, metric allen set, crank puller, bb and cassette splines, odd-size cone wrenches
> (16, 17mm), 8,9,10,11 mm wrenches, tire levers, (and i used up the tube patch kit), crank bolt
> (14mm?) socket wrench for older cotterless cranks, chain tool, chain whip, headset wrench.
>

whoops. thats 8mm allen, not 10. kit also included a pedal wrench.

had a few more thoughts, and im gonna go out on a limb here- i run a woodshop in the basement of my
dorm, and i bought the 250 (@ nashbar) dollar park toolset. i think that its overrated, and
expensive. i would have the functionality of the park ak-32 toolkit by adding 45 dollars of tools to
my own set. the major differences would be slightly less padding on my handles, no (silly, imho)
chain cleaner, and my chain tool will not last as long.

 

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the newsgroup "@thankyou.com> wrote

> Here's what I started with:
>
> $8 Allen wrenches from anywhere else but the bike industry $20 Park shop cone wrenches $6 The one
> Park lockring remover that fits _your_ bike $25 Park Pro pedal wrench $10 Chain Whip $5 The one
> Park spoke wrench to fit _your_ bike $5 Hobby shop hard wire cutter for cables
>
> EVERYBODY owns a screwdriver, so I'm leaving that out. <G>
>
> For a bit more than what you paid, you can do 99% of a modern bike's repairs, and pay for no junky
> tools, and nothing that you won't use.

yeah, but not included are a number of quite useful, durable-enough tools. crank puller, spline
crank puller, crank bolt socket, bb/cassette tools, headset wrenches, chain tool, etc etc etc. i
maintain that the nashbar toolkit, and the ones like it which are sold under many names (mostly
repackaged lifu i think) are a good deal in teh long run if you are like me. if you have a comfy
salary, or a bike shop, than it woudl make less sense.

with a 50 dollar tool-by-tool initial buy, you would be severely limited.

ah well. to each their own.

anthony

 

Andy Dingley <[email protected]> wrote in message

> Length of chain, pair of Mole wrenches / Vise Grips. With a bit of effort, a piece of steel and a
> drill, you can make your own (I'm assuming a bike mechanic has plenty of spare chain)

yep. did that, when i needed a second whip. mine is nicer than the lifu. (heck of a lot longer, for
more leverage)

>
> >$5 Hobby shop hard wire cutter for cables
>
> No ! Hard wire cutters are diagonal cutters, and they make a nasty cut on soft cables. Get a pair
> of bypass shears

seriously. those cables are impossible without the right tool.