Last week I asked my instagram audience what they would include in a beginner mountain
bike toolbox.
Overwhelmingly, they agreed on hex wrenches, and tacos.
Good start, but something’s missing.
Last time we assembled a new mountain bike, and if you’re following with a real life
purchase of your own, well you might have just spent all your money.
This is why we’re talking about tools today.
Good tools can outlast you, and most certainly your bike.
They’ll keep paying you back the longer you hold on to them, and therefore tools are
the smartest investment you can make in your new hobby.
So today, we’re going to take this bread loaf sized plastic box, and fill it with the
most essential tools you should have as a beginner.
While there are cleaning supplies, lubricants, and other consumables essential to caring
for a bike, this video will focus on what you need to swap parts and make adjustments.
This all starts with the toolbox itself.
If yours is cheap like this one, it will come with a sticker on it which is near impossible
to remove.
Once you’ve done the impossible, it’s ready for your stickers.
This will make it look and feel like your toolbox.
And if your toolbox is like most, it already contains one of the most useful tools you’ll
ever come to know: A tray.
When working on your bike, parts and tools will have a tendency to walk off.
So, use the tray to keep them contained.
Of course there are other containers you can use to keep track of parts, but at the end
of the day they’re just trays.
Get in the habit of using this very important tool, and save yourself a lot of frustration.
Now before you put anything in your toolbox, you should have a floor pump.
I mentioned this in the bike assembly video but I wanted to reiterate it here.
A good floor pump will be bike specific, and include a pressure gauge.
As you go up in price, you start to get other features like more volume per stroke, and
even air tanks that can help with seating tires.
Maintaining your tire pressure isn’t something you’ll want to visit a shop for, so this
should be one of the very first things you buy, even before the toolbox itself.
Also in the last video, I mentioned the shock pump.
These only cost about $20, and they too will eliminate your reliance on a shop to make
a simple and routine adjustments.
If your bike doesn’t have air suspension, then obviously you don’t need this.
Chances are you already own the next one: A multi tool.
Multi tools give you a lot of wrenches per dollar, and can help fill in the blanks as
you build your tool arsenal.
You can always find a missing hex, a T25, or even a spoke wrench in your trusty multi
tool.
Even an all purpose multi tool can be useful.
Between this Crankbrothers F15 and this Leatherman Wingman, we have a mini version of all this.
For that reason, it never hurts to have some multi tools around if you want to get up to
speed quickly.
But like I said, multi tools fill in the blanks.
They rarely provide the leverage or capability you’ll get from dedicated tools.
So pick up a set of metric hex wrenches very early on.
Compared to the wrenches in your multi tool, they have more leverage, can fit in tighter
spaces, and are overall much easier to use.
It’s also important that you have duplicates of the wrenches in your multi tool because—sometimes
you need two of the same size.
Since 3/4 of everything on your bike is fastened with hex bolts, you’ll get your money’s
worth real quick.
There are many styles of hex wrenches like these T handles, and this highly ergonomically
three way tool.
But usually you’ll get the best cost to performance out of these L style wrenches.
For the sake of this video I bought a $7 set of these from Harbor Freight, and they’re
honestly not bad.
But to me, the sweet spot lies at around $15, which will get you a set of plated hex wrenches
from Bondhus.
These have more leverage, are made of harder steel, and will resist rust for longer.
They’re not as fancy as a set of T handles, but they offer similar utility at a considerably
lower cost and footprint.
Next, you’re going to want some plastic tire levers.
Most mountain bike tires can be installed by hand, but when you do need a tire lever,
you need just that—not a screwdriver.
So for a couple bucks, they’re a no brainer to keep on hand.
Next pick up a set of really good needle nose pliers, and I stress, a really good set.
For this video I bought a cheap pair from Harbor freight, and unlike the hex wrenches
which worked fine, these are truly terrible.
The handles move around when you squeeze hard, they are unable to cut shift cable without
the help of additional tools, and I could actually see the dents in the cutting blade
after using them.
On the contrary these pliers can do the job of several tools, including a cutter, a crimper,
and of course a normal plier.
It can even cut housing in a pinch.
Any set of pliers can also be used to undo a master link.
Just grab your chain like so and squeeze.
With so many uses, needle-nose pliers should be high on your list, but to cut with them
you’ll need a decent set with good leverage and hard steel.
The next tool is a T25 which is a size 25 torx wrench, not to be confused with a torque
wrench.
Torx bolts can be identified with this little star pattern, and the most popular size is
25.
In fact the T25 is so common on bikes that it’s usually the only torx you’ll find
in a multi tool.
I have an entire set of park tool T handle torx wrenches, but the only ones I keep in
the face of my workbench are size 25 and 15.
In fact, I have T25’s all over my shop for easy access.
So while you could buy a whole set of these wrenches, one good T25 will serve you well.
The next tool is a an adjustable wrench with a rubber grip.
Make sure it’s big enough for your fork, which is usually just South of 30mm.
Although there are very few things on a modern mountain bike that require this style of wrench,
they can all be turned with an adjustable one.
Also, you can use it for extra leverage to crack loose a stubborn pedal.
In a pinch, you can use the rubber handle as a mallet, which you’ll need more often
than you think.
A good adjustable wrench will also have measurements printed on it, so in some cases you can use
it as a caliper.
You’ll also need a big wrench in the future, since it’s required to use most cassette
tools, and some bottom bracket tools.
So get this early for its many uses.
Finally I’m going to add one more essential tool to the list: The pick.
Picks are so inexpensive that it doesn’t make sense to leave off the list.
From messing with bike accessories, to removing o rings, to getting dirt out of bolt heads,
it’s surprising how often we go looking for a nail or a pen to do the job of a pick.
Most people don’t realize how often they need a pick until they own one.
Believe it or not, but with the tools we just went over, you can perform the vast majority
of repairs.
Even things we left out like the phllips screwdriver, in the rare case you need it, are available
in your multi tool.
But as you begin relying on the specialty items in your multi tool, you should pick
up dedicated versions to make your life easier.
First on the list will likely be screwdrivers, spoke wrenches, and a chain tool.
From there, buy tools as they become necessary.
It won’t be long before you need a cassette tool, a torque wrench, a bottom bracket tool,
dedicated cutters, a bleed kit, and the list goes on.
You’ll also fill your box with little supplies like crimp caps, spare derailleur hangers,
and extraneous hardware.
In another video we’ll go over specialty tools, consumables, and some of the things
you’ll need as you gain experience, but for now this is a great start.
You can easily buy this box and everything in it for well under $100.
Just take care of these tools and you can use them for life.
What does taking care of them entail?
Keeping them clean, putting them away, and protecting them from your friends and family
who will surely lose them.
In the description I linked to an entry level and premium version of each tool featured
in the video.
If you missed the last video where we assembled a brand new bike, I’ve included it below
as well.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.