The cost of repairing a bicycle on the road can be incredibly expensive if you are not properly prepared. Regular maintenance and a home shop will go a long way in ensuring things are well done and work out properly. The first step in this is to have the proper home shop tools in place. Just a few of the basic tune up tools that every bike owner should have and a bottle of chain lubricant will make sure you are fully prepared every time you go out on the trail or road. As you continue, add tools and gear to your collection as needed to make sure that whenever a repair comes up, you have what you need to accomplish it.
The first thing you should remember is that most regular tools are not made for bicycles. Even the most expensive wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers are built for much more durable and tougher machines than a bicycle, plus they can cost much more than standard cycling tools, so try not to spend extra money on these tools when you could easily save a few dollars and buy bike specific tools.
Tune Up Tools
The following tools will help you complete a standard tune-up on a bicycle every time before you go for a ride:
Allen Keys – Make sure you have all of the necessary sizes: 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and a long handle for those deeply seeded 9mm bolts.
Screwdrivers – Have three sizes of standard screw drivers and a small and medium Phillips.
Wrenches – Have at least one complete set of open ended metric wrenches – 8mm-19mm should be efficient.
Floor Pump – Make sure this has a built in pressure gauge.
Steel Ruler – For checking chain wear
Pliers – Have needle-nose, standard, and reversible pliers
Cutters – Diagonal cutters for cutting cables
Spoke Wrench – Make sure this is a three-way to fit all sizes of nipples.
Pedal Wrench – Make sure you pick up one that matches a headset wrench to save yourself some money.
Crank Bolt Wrench – A good option for those without allen bolts.
Third Hand Tool – This helps when you work on your brakes.
Chainring Nut Wrench – The easiest tool you will find – comes in one-size-fits-all.
Other Possible Tools You Might Use
While the above list is good for any standard tune-ups, it will be insufficient if something breaks and you need to start making major repairs to your bicycle. The following tools might need to be purchased at a later day to provide additional repair assistance when working on your bike.
Chain Rivet Tool
Cassette Lockring Tool
Crank Extractor
Deraileur Hanger Tool
Cone Wrenches
Chain Whip
Tire Levers
Sealed Bottom Bracket Tool
Flat Line
Mallet
Adjustable Wrenches
Bottom Bracket Lockring Tool
These tools will all go a long ways toward making sure your bicycle keeps operating on a regular basis without any issues every day you take it out for a ride.