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In addition to an air pump, a cloth and some oil, every cyclist should at least have access to the absolute basic tools with which he or she can carry out light maintenance work or adjustments on their bike. Of course, the scope of the tools required always depends on the work that you feel you can and want to do yourself. It's less about saving money and time for unnecessary visits to the workshop, but rather that simple wrenching skills can maintain your own mobility and also ensure greater safety.
Plus: Screwing it yourself creates a deeper connection to the bike, which in turn makes you much more aware of its technical condition and any maintenance and repair work. Conscientiously replacing a corroded, stiff brake cable with a new one, for example, is not difficult, but significantly increases safety. The necessary equipment is hardly more expensive than a visit to a specialist. As we have often mentioned, the workshops are permanently overloaded due to the lack of staff after corona and the more extensive work on more and more pedelecs, so waiting times are sometimes very long.
Tools for bicycles should be of high quality!
Before we start with our buying advice, let's start with a basic tip about tools: don't buy anything cheap! Rarely is this as important as with tools! Even if you don't screw much, it's not about the durability of the tools, but about their dimensional accuracy. Thousands of times, Allen keys that do not fit exactly have not loosened the screw when force is applied, but have turned the hexagon socket "round" due to an ill-fitting shape.
And then what? In the best case scenario, you only slip and hit your knuckles, but much more annoying is a screw that now has to be drilled out because the tool head no longer grips. Of course, this applies to all screw types and heads! In addition to a lack of dimensional accuracy, cheap tools can usually be recognised by their very flat material, which looks more like it has been punched out, the lack of sharp edges at the points of contact with the screw, handles that don't fit well in the hand and, of course, the dumping price. Even the DIY store is no guarantee of quality; good tools cost money here too.
Tip: Save the screw head
If a tool does have play in the screw head, don't try 20 times to see if it works. A mechanic's life hack is to use thin rubber bands, such as those found in preserving jars or balloons. They not only fill gaps between the tool and the screw, but also increase the friction between them. However, the pressure on the tool must be quite high.
Quality also required for bike tools for travelling
Unfortunately, the demand for quality applies to tools at home as well as mini tools for travelling. Whether you "mess up" a screw one way or another, it always costs a lot of money, time and nerves afterwards, as forcibly removing a round screw could damage the expensive wheel. The good news is that you can save money on tools for travelling - on the functions, not the quality.
In addition to a pump and tyre lever, a small set of Allen or Torx keys and a small Phillips screwdriver will suffice, depending on the bike model. If you are travelling longer, you can choose a tool with an additional chain riveter. Socket spanner sets such as the "Greenslide 11CT" from Syncros have proven to be space-saving and very practical to use instead of classic folding tools.
What tools do you need for travelling?
Apart from the pack size, the manoeuvrability between the tool tip and the body of a folding tool often leads to the tool being used at too much of an angle and little force being applied to the blade. Powerful "all-inclusive" sets, as thick as Swiss army knives, are neither necessary nor easy to handle due to the often cramped working environment on the bike.
Tip: Before buying tools, you should actually walk around the bike and make a note of what type and size of screws are installed; unfortunately, some manufacturers mix an extremely large number of screw types by buying in third-party components. Sooner or later, however, everyone will probably revert to the standard Torx screws used in cars.
Attention: When logging, don't forget the wheel fastening, with thru axles these are relatively large Allen heads, rarely are they included on minitools, with hub dynamos and gearsticks the 15 mm open-end spanner is still often used, this should also be carried separately.
Tip: Grease the thread?
There are several opinions on this. Park Tool recommends always greasing bolted connections, but sensitive connections with a prescribed tightening torque are tested without lubrication. Therefore the MYBIKE tip: Grease large threads, such as on pedals or thru axles, but leave small bolts with a tightening torque of less than 10 Nm dry!
Base station: The most important bike tool for at home
In the garage at home, you can do a little more. In addition to changing inner tubes and tyres, replacing brake pads, cables and the chain, it is mainly the fitting of accessories and adjusting the seat position that you should be able to do yourself. We have not included the "nipple tensioner" for loosening or tightening spokes on the list for centring wheels from the ground up - this should be left to experienced mechanics. But anyone can tighten a loose spoke so that it won't get in the way for the next few days or remove a defective one from the wheel.
Everyone should have these bike tools in their toolbox
- Open-end or ring spanner for hexagon bolts are normally only found on wheels in four sizes: 8, 10, 13 and 15, even simpler or older pedals can be removed with a narrow 15 mm open-end spanner (depending on the direction of rotation of the wheels). Numbers: 3, 8, 9, 10
- T or L spanner for Allen screws can be found on bikes in sizes from 2 ½ to 10, mainly on components that are fitted to the frameset, such as posts, dropouts, stems, brake callipers and bottle cages. If you do not yet have an Allen set, we recommend a small ratchet with socket spanners and extension, ideally even a lightweight torque spanner. A large Allen key may be required to remove thru axles. Numbers: 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 8
- If you buy such a tool, you should also buy attachments, so-called bits, for Torx screws size T10 to T30, maximum T40. They can potentially be found in the same places as Allen heads, especially in safety-relevant areas. Due to their good power transmission, we recommend so-called T spanners with a short and a long lever instead of a ratchet when buying individually. Numbers: 9, 1, 7
- Phillips and slotted screwdriver are only used as adjusting screws on gears or for attaching add-on parts such as bells and lights. One or two small sizes are sufficient. Numbers: 5
- Tyre lever for removing the tyre from the rim belong in the workshop and jersey pocket. Two are sufficient, three are better, and they should be made of plastic, as metal rim surfaces could damage the inner tube if they are used incorrectly. Numbers: 4
- Chain riveters for opening and closing endless chains are available in compact and workshop size. The one shown here would be too big for travelling; if you only want to buy one, you should choose a portable one. Even if you use a chain with a lock, you never know whether you will have to use the riveter to press out a defective link. Please note: 1x chains use different rivets than 8-, 9-, 10-, 11- or 12-speed drivetrains. Numbers: 6
- Speaking of the chain: with a Gauge to wear them, you can prevent defects and rapidly deteriorating sprockets without having to go to the workshop - simply put them on and, depending on the manufacturer, read off the chain wear. The same applies to retensioning a drive belt: Carbondrive and others now offer auxiliary gauges that can be used to determine the tension. Numbers: 6
- The Counterholder for the chainring bolts is only necessary on a good two thirds of the drives. The narrow metal bracket holds the bolt in place on the frame side, while an Allen key loosens the bolt. You rarely have to replace chainrings, but they often make creaking noises caused by dirt between the chainring and crank. Remove, clean, fit, rest. Numbers: 7
- Train cutter are often replaced by combination pliers with a cutting edge. However, straight-cut elements crush the cable and fray it immediately after installation. The pre-bent "blades" of the special tool cut the wires and also the cable sheaths cleanly. You can also carefully press the end caps together. The purchase is amortised after two applications. Numbers: 5, 9
- The Combination needle nose pliers does not tighten screws, but is more of an assistant, but important. It can be used to tighten cables, lever off caps or, with a little skill, open chain locks, which saves the need for special pliers. The narrower the tips, the better for this. Numbers: 1-10
- Depending on the bike, a Damper pump in the box if the fork and/or frame have air suspension. We have already covered what you need to replace the gears on the rear wheel in issue 6/23. How to do the practical Straightening tool for brake discs correctly in the next issue of MYBIKE.
Of course, there are exceptions in the cycling world, so we cannot guarantee the completeness of our list. However, this applies to 95 per cent of bikes!
Overview of different screw heads
- Slotted head: They can only transmit a small amount of force, do not guide the tool well and the tool tends to break off at high torques.
- Cross recessed head: Significantly better fit of the tool even when positioned at an angle, but the size of the screw and driver must match exactly.
- Torx head: The latest generation hexagon socket head also transfers the highest torques, even when set at a slight angle, and does not push the tool out of the screw as with the Phillips head.
- Allen head: Hexagon socket, the most common screw on the wheel, allows high torques with precise fit of the tool, angled application only with tapered head.
- External hexagon: Found on the wheel almost only as an axle nut and on the pedal, can be gripped with a suitable ring spanner or open-end spanner or adjustable "Englishman".
How tight is tight? The correct tightening torque
Basically, we would like to encourage all bikers to tackle one or two bike repairs themselves. There are plenty of tutorials on the internet and in past and future MYBIKE magazines. However, we would like to urge caution, especially when it comes to sensitive screw connections on lightweight and especially carbon parts: Too much force or leverage can quickly turn fibre materials into plastic waste.
If you are screwing without help, stick to the basic formula: The index finger must not be a millimetre away from the axis of rotation, so you have to grip the tool very closely. A lot, However, it is much better to use a torque spanner such as the Topeak Torq Stick, preferably in the "pro" version with a practical extension. The tightening torques are printed on many bolts, especially on sporty bikes such as modern gravel bikes, but are ignored thousands of times. By feel, it is only possible, if at all, for professionals to work without such a ratchet spanner, which signals when the set value is reached with a noticeable click.
Tool finds
We would like to share three editorial highlights that we came across during our research: At the Eurobike in July, the "Torq Stick digi" from Topeak was introduced. The digital version of the torque spanner will be even more sensitive and easier to set, and the torque limit will also be indicated acoustically. It will be available in shops including a ratchet set for the 2025 cycling season.
The all-in-one solution for travelling comes from the same manufacturer. In the saddle bag "Elementa Gearbag DX" contains the Mini-Ratchet-Rocket as well as a tyre tensioner set and some storage space for a tube, chain tool or a gel; this is sure to cover 98 percent of all punctures. This practical cube for owners of suspension forks comes from Park Tool. The Fork Cap Tool is placed on the profiles of the sometimes very stiff caps for adjusting spring stiffness or opening valve access points. Turning should be much easier with the non-slip cube. Currently only available to order in the USA for around 14 dollars.
