Build Your Own Starter Kit

[KC-Steve]

I didn't want to hyjack another thread with this starter kit question so I decided to start this thread instead.

If you could design your own starter tool kit for under $100, what would you put in it?

Thanks,
Steve

[JonB]

For modern MTBs (£63 budget = 100 dollars ish)

Draper (or similar) Allen Key set (£6) 2-10mm
2x 20ml syringes, 7mm hose, 3mm hose barbs (i.e. components to make a bleed kit for almost all brakes) (~£4)
Pedros Tyre levers (£3, best ones ever!)
screwdriver with hex cup on the end, with various inserts inc. Torx T-25, phillips and flat screwdrivers in a few sizes (£8-10)
Hollowtech BB spanner (£6)
Chain Whip (£9)
Chain tool (£5)
multi-sized cone spanner (£6)
Multi-sized spoke key (£6)
Lock-ring cassette tool (£6)
Medium adjustable spanner (£4)

Given that these are the prices for the individual tools, you could probably get a bundle deal going so it would probably work out closer to £50 for that lot, so I'd throw in an adaptable crank puller (so it will do Square taper, ISIS and Octalink) with the money left over to make it approx 100 dollars.

These tools are fairly basic and made by the cheaper manufacturers, but you have all the universal MTB tools in one box. You just need some specific tools for other parts (such as sockets for servicing forks, which vary from year to year nevermind manufacturer) and a cleaning set, but it will do for most MTBers primarily doing serious off-road.

[KC-Steve]

Kewl starter kit JonB!

I totally agree on many things, but definitely state that your starter kit is designed for a MTB. Mine would lean toward classic road bikes and even so might be different from late model road bikes.

Definitely; Allen set, tire levers, a multi-tool driver set (handle and inserts), chain whip, and multi spoke wrench. I'm not sure I know what the others are though.

Do you have hydraulic brakes? I never heard of that unless they are disk brakes. Good choices for a starter kit though, but I think we are going to see a wide variety of starter kit choices. I could be wrong though.

Thanks,
Steve

[JonB]

hydraulics today are almost exclusively disc brakes, though Magura went and did something odd by making hydraulic rim brakes; and over here most serious mountain bikes come with hydraulic disc brakes these days and there is a huge distinction between roadie and MTB kit and culture over here as well.

I put the bleed kit in component form in because what you need for different manufacturers brakes varies from literally a bit of tube and a bag to the full contents listed above (though a syringe is a handy thing to have no matter what brakes they are).

I think you're right though, I'd expect a wide variety of kits, but that's the nature of bikes these days. I think manufacturers have missed a trick by not classing kits as "Mountain," "Road," "classic" etc. as it is very hard to find a starter set that will work with most serious high end bikes (for instance only very basic bikes use square taper these days, it's all about external BBs) and you end up buying half the tools listed in my set. If you like mine is basically a wish-list of what I'd have liked to have had when I started out.

[RobAR]

My first requirement would be the Park Tool BO-2. If I'm going to have a shopping-headache anyway, I may as well have a few beers!

[GeorgeET]

Well that would depend if you want a on the road repair kit or at home maintenance kit. Some overlap applies.

When I started to service my old bikes and restoring a vintage 1985 Fuji del Rey, despite having lots of tools for motorcycle maintenance I needed some special tools.

First I did the wheels so cone wrenches were needed, spoke wrench, freewheel and a cassette wrench.( I used chain visegrips I had instead of chain whip) Than I did the head , got head wrenches, allen wrench set,(had this ) and last the BB and got the BB tools and crank removal tool.. These tools will vary depending on your hardware. Tire levers, pump, patch kit.

Grease and lubs of your choice. I like Bel Rey Marine grease, and Teflon spray also "Liquid Wrench"
or "Kroil" to loosen stuck parts.

In addition pliers, cutting pliers,(dykes) screwdrivers, and adjustable wrenches , 6" and 12" , handles most work

[KC-Steve]

(01-25-2011, 03:52 PM)RobAR Wrote:  My first requirement would be the Park Tool BO-2. If I'm going to have a shopping-headache anyway, I may as well have a few beers!

After hearing the usual platitudes out of the prez's mouth I decided to come here for some fun.

I couldn't quite remember the BO-2 tool so I looked it up and had a good laugh right away.

Thanks, I needed that.
Steve

[FredS]

Did I here BEER, anyway I hope to get back to work on my bikes next week, but with the newborn I lost a lot of my funds to more needed things, I like the lists i seen here and will slowly get what I need as I need them.

[RobAR]

(01-26-2011, 11:57 PM)FredS Wrote:  Did I here BEER,...

I think Steve mentioned Sarsparilla but, dudes... I am holding a Park Tool PZT-2 Pizza Cutter in my left hand. Hungry? We can ride it off later!

[GeorgeET]

"I think Steve mentioned Sarsparilla but, dudes... I am holding a Park Tool PZT-2 Pizza Cutter in my left hand. Hungry? We can ride it off later!" RobAR


Wow they have everything.How did you find that? I love the pizza cutter but wife said we got one.

Tonight I am covering both bases pizza and beer for dinner. :-)))

[JonB]

It is hard not to want one when it looks like this:

[RobAR]

Hey Steve! KC is a point on the American BBQ triangle (Memphis, KC, Texas). Would you, perchance, happen to have a Park BBQ-3?
All of this Ice and Sn*w has me hankering for some brisket, slow-cooked in a pit with some peppery sauce on a warm Summer day. It adds to the usefulness of the BO-2, ya know!

It is dang COLD here. My garage (unheated unless I fire up a kerosene) is usually 15 degrees warmer than outside. It is 12 degrees out there right now. I think I don't like it.

G G George. How is t t t the wwww weather in C CA? BB B Bill, things in t t the new eng land area?? ? <--- cccc cold question mark.
I mean JJ J ON,,, my brain is icing over.

[GeorgeET]

Hey Rob its 70 degrees and sunny. Man I so do not miss freezing my ass. Glad I got out of Boston.

BTW KC I was looking for photo of your vise mounted bike holder and could not find it.

I see on craigs list the parker stand head and arm without the stand being sold , all it needs is legs. I thought I'd put it on a pipe and clamp it in a vise. Easy to store to boot.

[KC-Steve]

George: My hard drive crashed Monday so I am reinstalling my software. Fortunately, all my files are on my F-drive and it was safe. Here's a couple of photos of that bike stand. I welded two pieces of angle iron, forming a Tee, to the bottom of the steel pipe for the vise clamp jaws.

Rob: Yup, I love BBQ from almost anywhere (even South Carolina). It tastes even better on days like this. My smoker doesn't work at all in this weather though because it only gets up to 225-degrees inside on a HOT day. I'm sick of Winter, but a new snow blower helps.

Steve

[Bill]

Hmmm I know where I would start. Order some custom made cone wrenches 10-35mm from KC-Steve LLC. lol .
Probably quite a few park tools
Uggh let me make a list and I will get back to ya. (So many choices)



Hey Rob we just had one helluva winter storm over here 10in of snow, sleet, and ffffrrrreeeeezzing rain! Then to top it all off single digit numbers for the rest of this week! I really think the ground hog and it's shadow can go you know where lol!!!

[JohnV]

Quote:Hey Rob its 70 degrees and sunny.

George, I feel your pain for all this winter weather. It's been short sleeve and air condition weather here in FL for the past few weeks. We are suppose to have a cold front coming this weekend with a high of 68.

[KC-Steve]

(02-03-2011, 02:37 AM)Bill Wrote:  Hmmm I know where I would start. Order some custom made cone wrenches 10-35mm from KC-Steve LLC. lol .
Probably quite a few park tools
Uggh let me make a list and I will get back to ya. (So many choices)

He-he, glad you liked them! I think I may have figured out how Park finishes those cone wrenches. I think they start with a fine mist of water to CAUSE them to rust. Then they use a rust converter that turns it black, and rust "resistant." But I still haven't figured out how they get the coating to be consistent.

It's sort of like black-oxide coatings on impact sockets. But new Park's tools smell like vinegar, hence, the rust conversion thought. And don't get caught standing in a bike shop sniffing tools.

Steve

[KC-Steve]

Here is my suggested Starter Kit for a classic road bike. It is very difficult to keep it under $100, especially when buying Park Tools, so I found that there are substitutes available that work equally well. And I added a couple of optional items below that list. But overall, this set would have both quality tools where quality is important as well as useful tools. And you have to shop around for the best pricing. If you buy all Park Tools then you can add another 50-percent in cost to the bottom line.

Starter Kit for classic road bikes
AWS-12 Hex Wrench Set-Fold Up (substitute) $5
BBT Bottom Bracket Tool (whichever fits your bike) $15
BCB-4 Bike Cleaning Brush Set (can be substituted) $5
CN-10 Cable Cutter (can be substituted) $10
Cone Wrenches, multi-sized $15
Crank Puller (whichever fits your bike) $10
CT-5 Chain Tool $14
Chain whip, Pyramid, $12
FR-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 Freewheel Remover (whichever fits your bike) $7
MW-SET Metric Wrench Set (substitute Craftsman) $20
PPL-2 PolyLube 1000 Grease $4
FinishLine Teflon dry chain lube $10
SPA-1 Adjustable Pin Spanner (substitute) $5
SD-3 Screwdriver, 3mm Flat Tip (substitute Craftsman) $4
SD-2 Screwdriver, #2 Phillips (substitute Craftsman) $5
SW-7 Triple Spoke Wrench $6
TL-1 Tire Levers $6

OPTIONAL
AV-1 Axle Vise, $10 (requires an actual vise)
BT-2 Fourth Hand Brake Tool $35
SBS-1 Socket Bit Set $28 (if you don't already have sockets)
TL-10 Tire Lever Tool $25

Steve

[GeorgeET]

Hey KC , thanks for photo. I was just thinking on tightening the pipe in the vise. Simple.

Hey JohnV, I used to live in Coconut Grove Miami Fl. Know about Florida, love the Keys.
Its getting colder now 40 at night and 65 in day, sunny.

Ye most of the country is being hit with sucky weather, my brother in NYC send me photos. Its like Alaska.