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- Metric Hex Key Set – This might just be the most important thing you can own. 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm
- Small 8oz Hammer – Metal or Rubber will suffice. Sometimes you will just need to whack something with it to get it into place.
- 6″ 150mm Adjustable Crescent Wrench – This will allow you to do many more things on your bike than just adjust nuts.
- Slip Joint Wrench – This is another generic tool that is great to have in order to get a steady hold on things.
- T25 Torx Wrench – While this is more of a specialized tool specifically for mountain bikes, many basic tool kits do have a T25 bit or Torx set included.
- Phillips and Flathead Screwdrivers – Make sure the heads are properly sized with what you are working on the bike.
- Flat 10″ File – Great for tons of little things that you won’t know you need it for until you do need it.
- Box Cutter – There are many practical applications for this tool.
- Small Round or Three Sided File – For getting to bits that the large file will not.
- Exacto Knife – Great for cutting electrical tape.
- Pliers with Wire Stripper – Another great tool for having a leverage point when dealing with certain items.
- Generic Wire Cutters – To remove old housing or cables from the bike without having to pull out the good, bike specific pair.
- Scissors - for cutting tape, wire, etc.
- Metric Measuring Tape – For adjusting your bike height, seat, handlebars, etc.
- Any Small Flashlight – Sometimes needed to look down the seat tube, especially needed to easily calibrate disc brakes.
- Sharpie Markers – Writing things down, labeling parts, and other uses.
- Multi-Tip Screwdriver – If you are fiddling with several small things, sometimes it is easier to change the tip than grab another screwdriver. Also a lifesaver if for some odd reason you need two screwdrivers of the same type as once.
Open Ended Wrenches and Cone/Pedal Wrenches –
There’s a big need for cone wrenches in a bike repair tool kit, since
not all bolts or nuts are as thick as your standard open ended wrench.
Never hurts to have both.- Open Ended Wrenches - 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 3/8″, 10mm, 7/16″, 12mm, 1/2″, 13mm, 9/16″, 5/8″
- Cone Wrenches - 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 19mm
- Pedal Wrench – Here is the one important exceptionality. The pedal wrench is needed, since it takes quite a bit of muscle to either install or remove a pedal (especially if it is seized) The 15mm Pedal Wrench is thicker than a cone wrench and just a bit longer to give you a better leverage point. Make sure you have one of these.
- Socket Wrenches – I have not seen much need for these, but my tool kit is the primary place to stash all of my tools, so why not? If you need any specific ones, I would suggest the 8mm, 9mm, and 10mm.
- Goops/Adhesives – Your bike is a machine with a lot of moving parts; parts that need to be protected from weather or other metals to prevent galvanizing, rusting, or excessive wear.
- Carbon Paste – For clamping carbon seatposts/stems/handlebars/etc
- Marine/Outboard Motor Grease – If it is made to protect things in the high seas, it can protect things on your bicycle. – All of the little screwdrivers are to have a way to apply the grease to small areas without getting my fingers messy!
- Thread Adhesive Compound/ Locktite – Great for any bolt that has wiggled loose. Make sure you get the Blue or Purple Kind, in order to be able to remove the bolt again…
- Two Part Resin Mix – Just pray you won’t have to use this, but it is great for covering over scratches in carbon from laying your bike down in a spill> I also say it is great for saddle repair if you have ever torn the edges of your seat.
- Anti-Seize Compound – reduces friction in threaded and press fit connections and, protects parts from corrosion and rust under the most extreme conditions.” Sounds good to me!
- Electrical Tape – use it for everything
- Bike Specific Tools – These are the only tools specially made for bicycles that I own for fixing/adding/removing parts on my bikes. Not a whole lot, huh?
- Chain Whip – Use this and lockring remover to remove cassette from rear wheel
- Cartridge BB tool – Need to remove bottom Bracket from an older style bike? This is what you need. If you have an external cup bottom bracket, more than likely you will not need this.
- Cotterless Crank Remover – This tool is used for MTB’s and older bikes. You may not need this on a road bike.
- External Cup BB Tool – This is needed if you have an external cup BB (most these days). Try to find one that totally encompasses the entire bottom bracket to engage with every tooth.
- Shimano/SRAM Cassette Lockring Remover – Removes the lockring from your rear wheel’s cassette in order to perform any maintenance.
- Chainring Nut Wrench If you ever need to change out a chainring for another, this tool is handy for holding the bolt still while you use an allen key on the other side. Not necessary on all chainring bolts.
- Single Speed Chain RiveterI use this on children’s bikes or anything under a 7-spd chain.
- 9/10 spd Chain Riveter To remove a pin from a 7-10spd chain, use this.
- Shimano TL-FC33 Bottom Bracket Installer - engages with every tooth, and needs a 1/2″ ratchet driver to work with
- Generic Spoke Wrench – helps true or retension spokes. I don’t use mine, since I am not knowledgeable enough to attempt this yet.
- Tire Levers – Having trouble removing your clincher tire? Don’t use your screwdriver, just get a couple of these! You can never have enough of them.
- Cable/Housing Cutter Self Explanatory. Keep this as the pair you only cut new cables/housing for. Replace when it isn’t performing well
- Headset Wrenches. They’re huge open ended wrenches meant just for threaded headsets.
- Freewheel Remover – Once again, if you have an older bike with a freewheel cassette instead of a splined cassette, get one of these
- Floor Pump – this is for home or shop, not for a road trip unless you have space in your car.