LET’S GET SPECIFIC

If you’re comfortable pulling most of your bike apart and putting it back together again, you’re going to need to add to the tools you have.

A few small items make frequent work easier. A collection of ‘spikey things’ like the Park Tool Pick Set Up is great for popping seals, opening the ends of cable outer, and all sorts of odd jobs. Similarly, the Feedback Sports Valve Tool at $13.95 pays for itself if you’re often trying to unclog tubeless valves, or change cores. If you are servicing hubs or other bearings a lot, a grease gun like the Park Tool GG-1 makes everything a lot simpler.

If you are moving onto bigger jobs, many tools become more specific. A bottom bracket and headset press is fantastic, and Park Tool’s HHP03 home mechanic version is affordable and highly functional. But if your frame uses a drop in head set and threaded bottom bracket, you don’t need them. A pipe cutter, or cutting guide, and crown race setter and star-fangled nut setter are very useful. But only if you’re frequently buying new suspension forks. A very useful tool is the Park Tool Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool – or DAG2.2. All it does is make sure your hanger is straight. But sometimes that’s exactly what you need to do. If you have one, your friends will come around to use it. Charge in beers. If you’re a little pedantic, really like boutique builds, or just want to trim some weight from your race rig – some scales are a must. Use a small worktop scale for parts, and a larger type for bikes and wheels. My two models from Park Tool have been super reliable. Working on your suspension is a more complicated job and therefore needs specific tools. Aiden Lefmann, head mechanic at Cyclinic Suspension, says simple, high quality tools make the difference. He believes Knipex wrenches are one of the most commonly used tools in his shop. While they look like a multigrip, they are anything but. With flat surfaces that don’t mark, and a secure fit, they are one of the most versatile tools they use – along with a selection of tiny hex keys.