Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
habiburk86
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Joined: 2 Mar 2019, 10:15am

Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by habiburk86 »

Morning all.

Where is the best place to buy bike tools? I did see some in halfords but not sure about the quality. It's tools to rebuild bikes etc etc

Thanks
thelawnet
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Joined: 27 Aug 2010, 12:56am

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by thelawnet »

You will need various tools to rebuild bikes and there are many places to buy them. You will rarely go wrong with quality (expensive) tools but maybe you can make do with cheaper ones

Decathlon has a good price/quality balance more so than Halfords. If you want pricey branded ones any online bike shop will likely sort you out.

Some tools are not really bike specific such as Allen keys and you'd be best off buying them from other places. I think I got my Bondhus Allen keys from eBay
habiburk86
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Joined: 2 Mar 2019, 10:15am

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by habiburk86 »

Thanks.
I ended up buying a halfords tool kit. Not the best of quality - just like their bikes - but for a starter tool kit why not.
Ugly
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Joined: 14 Jul 2009, 8:34am

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by Ugly »

WeblineUK everything you need and plenty you didn't know you wanted, plus helpful advice
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The utility cyclist
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Location: The first garden city

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by The utility cyclist »

habiburk86 wrote:Morning all.

Where is the best place to buy bike tools? I did see some in halfords but not sure about the quality. It's tools to rebuild bikes etc etc

Thanks

You can buy a full bike tool kit for not very much, I bought something similar to this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Bike-Cycl ... SwaSVcDjyT from LIDL circa 12 years ago for about £15 and I've still got most of the tools. Not sure the allen keys are same quality as the ones I got but the rest of it looks the same incl the rubberised red handles. Here's another with slightly different tools https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28-in-1-Bike ... SwH4lccsrk
For home/occasional use these will be fine, you probably may not use the pin spanner, bottom bracket lockring tool and the traditional threaded spanner but if you're into buying older bikes they might come in handy one day. If not sell them as a set to recoup a few quid back.

If you'd rather buy individual tools from a branded manufacturer then Park tools are okay as are Pedros and not overly expensive, ebay is generally your best bet as people will be selling their used tools or excess new tools as well as many retailers so you can easily compare tool prices.
thelawnet
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Joined: 27 Aug 2010, 12:56am

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by thelawnet »

I'm not that keen on toolkits because there will be stuff you don't need and stuff that's missing you do.

I changed some housing and brake cable today, tools used were cable cutters (don't buy very cheap ones, and tool kit probably doesn't have some), Allen key (you should buy these separately imo though for this you can just use an IKEA leftover or whatever), plus the housing, brake cable, cable ends, oil, and housing ends.

Ideally you'd have a third hand tool as well but I don't so I didn't use one.

Each job has its own bits - a new chain needs a chain breaker tool (though for this probably a multitool is as good - you don't need a separate tool and it's nice to have a pocket one) and maybe you would like quick link pliers , oh and then there's the chain wear tool (eBay ?)

If your hydraulic disc brakes require an 8mm spanner then you might have one at home anyway, so why buy a 100 piece toolkit that duplicates that.
Jamesh
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Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by Jamesh »

I have cooltool multitool
Does anyone else have one?
Adjustable wrench
Chain splitter
Allen keys
Chainset bolt spanner to name a few
Great tool!
JohnW
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Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by JohnW »

Depends where you are. I always think I'll not do better than Spa - my LBSs in Cleckheaton, Queensbury, Mirfield, Hebden Bridge, Halifax all have all I ever need - I don't build my own wheels though. I have a LIDL bike stand, and whilst it's not up to professional or workshop standards, it is "sufficient unto the day thereof" (as they say) for me to maintain and build my bikes. I've had bad experiences with LIDL bike tools. I take the view that we only buy any tool once, so it's not worth being penny-pinching on them - especially allen-keys.
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freiston
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Location: Coventry

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by freiston »

I buy tools as I need them or if I spot a "bargain". For bike specific tools, online, LBS or chain store are all worth looking at. For starters, given your intended use, I would make sure I had some decent cable cutters, chain tool, some cone spanners, chain whip and cassette tool on top of more generic tools like allen keys and spanners. There are many tools that I don't have and on the rare occasion that I might need them, I would consider the LBS to do the work instead (such as reaming and facing).
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
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The utility cyclist
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Location: The first garden city

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by The utility cyclist »

Jamesh wrote:I have cooltool multitool
Does anyone else have one?
Adjustable wrench
Chain splitter
Allen keys
Chainset bolt spanner to name a few
Great tool!

Yup, Gerber cool tool and still got the pouch :D
Abu Milhem
Posts: 68
Joined: 14 Jun 2010, 9:07pm

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by Abu Milhem »

Another shout for Webbline here. Spend good money on cone spanners and make sure they are properly hardened. My favourites are Park Tools. A good quality cable and housing cutter is also essential. I have found the following very useful in no particular order of importance:
4th hand brake tool (to tension brake cable)
Chain whips
Pedal spanner (a lot of rubbishy ones out there)
Spokeys
Wheel trueing stand
The rest are old fashioned relative to current bike technology and I wont bore you with listing them;
See for yourself:
The workshop
The workshop
philvantwo
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Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by philvantwo »

Where's the vice?
mercalia
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Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by mercalia »

I buy sockets as I need them. Halfords tools are perfectly fine no need for better esp the spanner sets
habiburk86
Posts: 4
Joined: 2 Mar 2019, 10:15am

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by habiburk86 »

Thanks all for the reply. U ended up buying a tool kit from Halfords.. Not the best btw





I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-G955F using hovercraft full of eels.
JohnW
Posts: 6667
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Where is the best place to buy bike tools?

Post by JohnW »

Abu Milhem wrote:Another shout for Webbline here. Spend good money on cone spanners and make sure they are properly hardened. My favourites are Park Tools. A good quality cable and housing cutter is also essential. I have found the following very useful in no particular order of importance:
4th hand brake tool (to tension brake cable)
Chain whips
Pedal spanner (a lot of rubbishy ones out there)
Spokeys
Wheel trueing stand
The rest are old fashioned relative to current bike technology and I wont bore you with listing them;
See for yourself:
20190223_170513.jpg

Where's the kettle and teapot? :D :D :D :D
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