Bicycle Mechanic Tools For Beginners- Which Tools Will I Need?

Maintaining your own bicycle is fun. You will learn how a bicycle works, save money on costly repairs and have fun while doing so. Many tune-ups cost over $60 and they are simple tasks that can be easily accomplished in your garage or hallway with the right tools and a little know-how. Spend the initial money on some quality tools and save yourself alot of money and headaches in the long run.There is no reason that we cannot learn to change tires or tubes, or tighten loose components during a rough and rocky ride.

If you are new to biking and don't know which tools you will need yet, you will definately need to focus on creating two sets of tools.

• The first set you want is a small mechanic's tool kit that fits in a waterproof bike pouch, usually under the seat.
• The second set would be a bicycle mechanic's tool kit, a slightly larger kit with more tools for accomplishing more involved tasks like replacing a brake cable, or straighting out a rim which is also called truing the wheels. For this article, I will mainly focus on the first emergency mechanic tools kit.

The first portable set is small enough to fit into a saddle bag or an under the seat waterproof zippered bag. Your portable set will be for emergency repairs that need your attention immediately during the ride. I mean bicycle repairs like changing a flat tire, or tightening or adjusting an uncomfortable seat. Note that some bikes are customized and require different sized tools, but generally your beginner tool list should consist of:

• 8, 9,10 and 11mm metric wrenches
• Hex wrench set. From 1.5mm to 6mm.
• Spare tubes.(Inner tubes for tires) I don't carry a patch kit because I never use them. You usually have to wait for the glue to dry, and they just never stay sealed for me. But then again I ride my bikes like I stole them!
• Tire Levers. These will help remove the tire from the rim when you get a flat and need to take the tube out.
• Bicycle air pump. For pumping up a new inner tube that you just changed after you had a pinch-flat mid ride.(A pinch flat is when a tire recieves a strong blow from a curb or pothole, and the inner tube becomes sqeezed and pinched between the curb/street and your tire rim. Then the tire rim pinches through the tube, and they usually look like a snake or something with fangs bit the inner-tube. Bicycle air pumps can usually attach to the top tube of the frame, becuase they will not fit into the small seat pouch.
• 13, 14, 15, and 16mm Cone Wrenches. For removing and tightening front and rear wheel hubs.(actually connecting the wheels to the bike.)
• Screwdriver fittings. Both phillips and flat-head.usually for adjusting screws on the derailers.

That is a lot of things to muster into one small pouch. Luckily the pros have made it easy, with swiss-army like bicycle repair tools. Make sure that you use a durable, professional multi-purpose tool that won't let you down when you need it most.

These tools should also be separate from any tools that you may keep in your house, your car, or garage. It just becomes a big hassle when you want a small phillips screwdriver to tighten a drawer-knob in the house and you have to run all the way out to the garage to grab the tool from your bigger bicycle tool box...or vice versa.

I know this personally becuase I always need hex keys and small wrenches that I usually keep in my home, but they are always out in a seat pouch on one of my many bikes...it's just inconvenient. If you have extra tools laying around then use those, but keep in mind that one can never have enough Bicycle Mechanic Tools.