The tool you bought that proved a revelation ??

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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Tangled Metal
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Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

The tool you bought that proved a revelation ??

Post by Tangled Metal »

Simple idea, have you ever got by without a tool for so long then bought by it and found out that it's a very useful tool? I recently bought molegrips for an issue I had (now resolved). I've never felt I needed them until I found my usual tools wouldn't work. I tried them and problem solved in seconds when I'd been taking ages getting nowhere. I have no doubt that they'll be used a lot, so much so they're in a set of drawers by my back door.

So, have you had a similar tool based revelation? What was it and why? Preferably cycle maintenance related but not exclusively because I guess we're all info DIY for house and other areas too.
Last edited by Graham on 13 Jun 2020, 9:46am, edited 1 time in total.
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rmurphy195
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Joined: 20 May 2011, 11:23am
Location: South Birmingham

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by rmurphy195 »

Brompton, Condor Heritage, creaky joints and thinning white (formerly grey) hair
""You know you're getting old when it's easier to ride a bike than to get on and off it" - quote from observant jogger !
rotavator
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Joined: 6 Jun 2016, 9:50pm
Location: North Wales

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by rotavator »

A pop riveter is ideal for attaching mudflaps to mudguards.
Cyclewala
Posts: 277
Joined: 7 Nov 2019, 11:07am

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by Cyclewala »

I had to buy a rivet gun for a car job. It ended up being used extensively for other DIY jobs.

One of these was to add corrugated plastic sheet to the outside base of my Carradice panniers to protect the cotton duck when the bags were put on the floor.
PH
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Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
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Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by PH »

Toe straps. I've never used them for the intended purpose, but they are so useful at home and on the road. Hold the front wheel from swinging on the stand, fitting tight tyres, attaching stuff to a rack, holding broken bits together... I can't remember how I got my first pair, they might have come with a box of secondhand bits, I've now got a few.
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geomannie
Posts: 1093
Joined: 13 May 2009, 6:07pm

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by geomannie »

For decades I have fiddled to set brake pad toe in. Last year I spent a few quid on aJagwire Brake Pad Toe-in Tuner Tool. Worth every penny.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/2255911723
geomannie
Grandad
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Joined: 22 Nov 2007, 12:22am
Location: Kent

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by Grandad »

Toe straps. I've never used them for the intended purpose, but they are so useful at home and on the road. Hold the front wheel from swinging on the stand, fitting tight tyres, attaching stuff to a rack, holding broken bits together..

Far better than metal or plastic trouser clips
Mike_Ayling
Posts: 385
Joined: 25 Sep 2017, 3:02am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by Mike_Ayling »

Tangled Metal wrote:Simple idea, have you ever got by without a tool for so long then bought by it and found out that it's a very useful tool? I recently bought molegrips for an issue I had (now resolved). I've never felt I needed them until I found my usual tools wouldn't work. I tried them and problem solved in seconds when I'd been taking ages getting nowhere. I have no doubt that they'll be used a lot, so much so they're in a set of drawers by my back door.

So, have you had a similar tool based revelation? What was it and why? Preferably cycle maintenance related but not exclusively because I guess we're all info DIY for house and other areas too.


I have at least four Molegrips stashed in various spots around the house, shed, in the car.

Mike
tim-b
Posts: 2091
Joined: 10 Oct 2009, 8:20am

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by tim-b »

Hi
Headtorch. Perfect for seeing into those shadowy nooks and crannies while working on the bike, I think that cables get thinner and clamp bolts smaller as I get older :)
Regards
tim-b
~~~~¯\(ツ)/¯~~~~
nirakaro
Posts: 1578
Joined: 22 Dec 2007, 2:01am

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by nirakaro »

Conversely (apologies for thread drift), the tools you're really glad you've got although you hardly ever use them? I was well chuffed a while back when I needed a bearing puller, and to my surprise, was able to go straight to it, though it was at least fifteen years since it had last been used.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by reohn2 »

Cordless drill/driver,how I ever managed my job and their many uses about the house and on the bike I'll never know,great for starting off nipples on spokes when wheel building :)
A small multitool with most allen key sizes sits on the bench permanently,very handy.
I can confirm toestraps due to their quick release and infinite positioning can be indespensible at times.
Head torch :wink:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by Tangled Metal »

Mike_Ayling wrote:
Tangled Metal wrote:Simple idea, have you ever got by without a tool for so long then bought by it and found out that it's a very useful tool? I recently bought molegrips for an issue I had (now resolved). I've never felt I needed them until I found my usual tools wouldn't work. I tried them and problem solved in seconds when I'd been taking ages getting nowhere. I have no doubt that they'll be used a lot, so much so they're in a set of drawers by my back door.

So, have you had a similar tool based revelation? What was it and why? Preferably cycle maintenance related but not exclusively because I guess we're all info DIY for house and other areas too.


I have at least four Molegrips stashed in various spots around the house, shed, in the car.

Mike

And they come in different sizes too!! I might have need of a few more having learnt that!!
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by Tangled Metal »

tim-b wrote:Hi
Headtorch. Perfect for seeing into those shadowy nooks and crannies while working on the bike, I think that cables get thinner and clamp bolts smaller as I get older :)
Regards
tim-b

I often thought that a torch for that use would be better placed below your eyeline so that the light gets to what you're working on sand reflects back to your eyes. I've used good headtorches placed in the designed for location when checking cars or van out. Usually I don't illuminate what you need to so usually I end up holding it lower down. Perhaps a neck torch???

That's not as daft as it sounds. I've read respected outdoor journalists giving the advice of wearing your headtorch round your neck when night navigating to reduce its impact on your night vision. Also use a green or blue light since red light makes OS gradient lines disappear.
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freiston
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Joined: 6 Oct 2013, 10:20am
Location: Coventry

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by freiston »

I echo the sentiments on water pump pliers, toeclip straps and headtorches. For brake pad toe-in, I once read a handy tip of using a couple of thick elastic bands tied into a loop and slipped over the end of each brake block.

Not a tool but a material - I bought a large spool of paracord and for me, it comes in handy at a similar rate to duct tape, especially in the garden.
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
PM999
Posts: 102
Joined: 6 Sep 2016, 11:56am

Re: The tools you never needed until you got then use a lot thread!!

Post by PM999 »

I hate using traditional chain whips for cassette removal and frequently skin my knuckles. Using one of these https://www.decathlon.com/products/chain-whip-cassette-remover was an eye opener. Recommended if it fits your cassette/cassettes.

(Note - link is to US site as UK site temporarily down. The tool is normally available in the UK).
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