Excellent excellent excellent tools list advice - reprinted from my friend Vincents blog. I’ve reproduced it here. Its also prompted me to create my own tools page, based largely on this to begin with. What follows is Vincents post.
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I was asked to look over the following list for consideration on a “home bike tools set”
Home Bicycle Mechanic’s Tool Kit
Park HCW-15 32/36mm Headset Wrench
Park HCW-13 36mm Fixed Cup Spanner / Bottom Bracket Lockring Wrench (inner 2 dawgs can be ground off to fit more rings)
Park Green Pin Spanner For Bottom Brackets
Park BBT-2 Tool For Shimano Bottom Brackets
Park CWP-6 Cotterless Crank Puller
Park CNW-1 Chainring Bushnut Wrench
Park Cable / Housing Cutter
Bondhus Ball Hex Key Set (1.5 – 10mm)
Park HCW-16 15mm Pedal Wrench / Chain Whip (Sprocket Tool)
Park Hyperglide Cassette Lockring Tool
Park BBT-5 Bottom Braket and Cassette Lockring Tool for Campagnolo
Cyclo Rivoli Chain Tool
Park Multi-Size Spoke Wrench
Eldi Tire Levers
Dualco Grease Gun
Park DCW-1 13-14mm Cone Wrench (2)
Park DCW-2 15-16mm Cone Wrench (2)
Park TL-1 Tire Levers (3) (These are by far the best we have ever used.)
Sears Metal Tool Box
Before just dismissing it out of hand because I have personal issues with Aaron’s various ideologies and just leaving everyone to the sage advice of Sheldon Brown. I decided I should do a line by line on why I think this list is excessive for your average unexperienced home user.
So here we go, the * in front means I actually recommend it, or am recommending a replacement, otherwise its just a description of the part.
Park HCW-15 32/36mm Headset Wrench: Unless your dealing with threaded headsets daily, its hardly worth the expense. Just get a decent crescent wrench, or better yet a HCW-5 and if you run into real issues, call your bike friends to look at the problem
*Park HCW-13 36mm Fixed Cup Spanner: also known as the HCW-5, I have a generic one that doesnt have the center pin on it, and guess what, its also a 36mm wrench that works on headsets.
Park Green Pin Spanner For Bottom Brackets: This is a big maybe, I used to use this in a shop very little and only on way older bottom brackets only. in a pinch you can just use a red spanner.
*Park BBT-2 Tool For Shimano Bottom Brackets: Pretty much needed for bikes from 90-2004 this has been replaced by the new outboard bearing style bottom brackets, which requires a different tool.( bryan I have a bb2 you can have )
*Park CWP-6 Cotterless Crank Puller: required for removing tapered shaft crank arms.
Park CNW-1 Chainring Bushnut Wrench: I have NEVER owned or used this tool, at the shop we just bastardized a cheap screwdriver, or used a regular one.
Park Cable / Housing Cutter: I am on the fence with this one, I went years just using sidecutters, unless you plan on installing a lot of brake housing, skip it and borrow a friends.
*Bondhus Ball Hex Key Set (1.5 – 10mm): Overkill, get a decent pocket folding tool that goes really small, and maybe a decent three way allen wrench if you feel thrifty.
Park HCW-16 15mm Pedal Wrench / Chain Whip (Sprocket Tool): borrow a friends.
Park Hyperglide Cassette Lockring Tool: borrow a friends
Park BBT-5 Bottom Braket and Cassette Lockring Tool for Campagnolo: know what campy stuff is? No? then skip this tool.
*Cyclo Rivoli Chain Tool: worst chain tool ever, I swear they make these things to keep people coming back to bike shops. get a Park CT-5
Park Multi-Size Spoke Wrench: NO, if your brave enough to start messing with wheels just do your self a favor now and buy real spoke wrenches, the park red one is for most older bikes. the black fits most newer nicer wheels, and every other odd ball will be the green wrench.
Eldi Tire Levers: crap buy a quikstik and never hate tire levers again
Dualco Grease Gun: why? just get a tube of phil wood grease and use your fingers like man.
Park DCW-1 13-14mm Cone Wrench (2): borrow a friends.
Park DCW-2 15-16mm Cone Wrench (2): borrow a friends.
Park TL-1 Tire Levers (3) (These are by far the best we have ever used.): crap buy a quikstik or two and never hate tire levers again
Sears Metal Tool Box: sure whatever
Stuff thats missing that I can remember:
A set of simple screwdrivers, you really only need the long skinny flat head and one decent phillips, but its nice to have options.
I mentioned a three way allen wrench above, but you should also have a three way “nut wrench” usually 8, 9 and 10mm they are super handy.
cheap decent crescent wrench that can open at least 36mm
one, 10mm open ended wrench. get it cheap as possible, cause you will lose it.
one enamel hammer, never hit your bike with anything harder, unless its a rubber mallet.
TRIFLOW! or dumonde tech lube. the former is cheaper. NEVER PUT WD40 on a bike for lube, IT IS NOT A LUBE, and will attract dirt and dust.
cheap plastic dial caliper.
EDIT: THINGS I REMEMBERED LATER
I took for granted people would have a pump, get a silca pista. Everything else is a waste of money, ask around and look in shops, I am not alone on this opinion.
If you really like standard tire levers and can’t figure out how the quik stik works, then try something like the soma steel reinforced levers. I found a unbranded version at a LBS and they worked great till they got lost. Quik stiks come in obnoxious colors so you don’t lose them.
