Basic Tools to have on a bike trip
Last edited Wed Jan 28, 2015, 11:26 PM - Edit history (1)
I am doing this to see what others think of my suggestions and what they think would be a good set of tools to carry on a bike on a long bike trip. It is January and it is cold outside.
I did ride my bike to work, but I have to drive by car back home for I have to go to the County Courthouse tomorrow (I store my car in the Garage where I work and ride by bike to and from home except when I have to go to the Ebensburg Courthouse, 46 miles both ways, an increase of about 1000 feet in elevation, four hours up and two hours back if I take my bike but the Judge wants me there 9:00 am).
Given the above I was reviewing what are the basic tools one should have on their bike. First, if the trip is short enough, no tools, if something goes wrong just walk the bike back home and do the repairs where you have the right tools to do the repairs right (or take it to the bike shop to get the repair done right).
On the other hand Bikes often need adjustments and repairs while being used and on longer trips it is faster to do the repair then to walk the bike back home. On such longer trips I take the following:
1. A spare inner tube. Some people want to carry a spare tire, but tires rarely wear out and when they do you see the wear marks well before there cause a flat (or the old tire causes the inner tube to leak, which is patch-able till you get back home and replace the tire AND the inner tube).
2. A pump to pump up the inter tube if I have to.
3. An Inner tube repair kit. I have had situation where I blew the spare and needed to actual patch the inner tube.
4. Tire levers. I am male and the tire on your wheel should be close enough to the right size that you can remove it without the use of levers. On the other hand most bikes today are sold with tires TO THICK for the Wheels the bike comes with.
5. Two Park hex tools, the AWS-9 and the AWS-10. The difference is the AWS-9 has a conventional flat screwdriver and a Phillips head Screwdriver with a 4, 5 and 6mm Hex drivers. The AWS-10 has only Hex Drives, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6 MM. Thus you end up with two 4,5 and 6 mm, but you can's have everything. Park also has the AWS-11 which Includes 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm hex wrenches. You rarely have a need for an 8 or 10mm hex head thus no needed. Between the AWS-9 and AWS-10 you can do most adjustments on your bike. Park has other hex tools, but unless you need something other than the above, not worth taking with you (through you may want it at home but that is another subject).
http://www.parktool.com/category/hex-wrenches
When it comes to my Trailer, which uses ENGLISH threads, I would consider the AWS-12 which has Includes 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm ,6mm, 3/16", 7/32", and 1/4" wrenches.
http://www.parktool.com/category/hex-wrenches
I do NOT like the Mini-Fold ups, they are just to small, more gimmick than useful.
On the other hand, Park has three nice three way hex wrenches that can replace the above tools. They take up more room then a folding hex tool, but they provide a much more solid tool to work hexes with. There are combination 2mm, 2.5mm, and one with 3mm, 4, 5 and 6mm hex ends. There also have one with a torx wrench for brakes and one "ball" end 3, 4 and 5 mm ends:
6. On the other hand I have used the MT-1 - Multi-Tool and well NOT as good as the above tools, it will do most emergency repairs for it has 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 8mm hex wrenches 8mm, 9mm, and 10mm socket wrenches.
7. If you have a 9 or 10 speed rear derailleur, take with you a Chain tool. I have used both of the following:
Neither one is my first choice of a Chain tool, but both are better then nothing if your chain breaks.
8. A pair of Pliers, they come in handy when working on brakes and other wiring:
You may want to look into a folding pair, for ease of storage on your bike. Most Hardware stores carry made in China cheap pliers that are good enough. Not great but good enough (and if you lose them no great loss).
9, A Crescent Wrench. Park has a nice size one, but like the pliers I would opt for a small one you can buy elsewhere. If you do opt for a cheap one, make sure it actually works, a lot of cheap Adjustable Wrenches jam when you try to adjust them. Makes sure the one you pick up works.
10. Now I recently purchased a Bone shape wrench that has opening that Fit for Nut Size: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 mm:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Eo%2BwuEQML._SL500_SR100,100_.jpg
I kinda like it. It is NOT a real tool, but a good substitute for the Adjustable wrench and unlike other such tools with multi holes, the holes are at the ends of the tools, for maximum leverage. For emergency use it is ideal.
11. Zip ties, good for emergencies, carry a handful with you (I also tend to carry some toilet paper or paper towels, for emergencies).
12. A couple of plastic garbage bags, they come in handle and do not weight that much
13. A couple of #8 bolts and nuts. These come in handle to do emergency repairs, should have some of different lengths. Not to many. Should have the nut, bolt and washers attached together so you can find them and use them if needed (Screw the nut onto the bolt with the washers). If you know what bolts and nuts your bike takes, those should be the ones you take with you instead of #8, #8s tend to be best overall guess for the size bolt you will need in an emergency.
14. A poncho, in case it rains and you need emergency cover.
The above tools will get you home where a proper repair can be done.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Three is you include walking. As to the other two, the first is opting for thicker tubes. These are sometime hard to find for racers want the thinnest tubes possible for rotating weight has more negative effect on biking then any dead weight in the frame itself. Thus racers want the lightest and thus the thinnest tubes possible and have lead to thinner and thinner tubes since the 1950s.
REI is selling some "Thorn Resistant" inner tubes, thicker tubes then normal (These are for 700cc wheels only NOT for 26 inch wheels):
http://www.rei.com/product/884284/sunlite-thorn-resistant-presta-valve-bike-tube-2014-overstock
The other option is to install a sealant into the tube that seals any holes as their develope, Slime is a product that does this:
http://bicycling.about.com/od/bikeequipmentaccessories/gr/slime_sealant.htm
My brother once tested Slime by installing it and then punching small holes into a tire and inner tube. Slime worked sealing the small holes. Like thicker Inner Tubes walls, Slime ends up being rotating weight and some people dislike it for that reason.
Slime also sells inter tubes at $14 a pop that combine both of the above, thicker tubes AND sealant. That is what I am using and I rarely get flats any more:
http://www.rei.com/product/768651/slime-self-sealing-smart-superthick-presta-tube-26-x-175-2125
Please note Slime sells conventional thin tubes with Slime in addition to the Thicker Tubes which I use. The reports on this thinner tubes are NOT good, I suspect it is the thinner walls that is the problem.
Now, I do change tires in the winter, I had to install my tires with studs right after Christmas. One of the problems with Slime is it can clog the air value and that is what it did to me. I ended up buying a stem removal tool to remove the clog value and taking a value from another inner tube to replace it. The inner tube was saved, but now I have to make sure I keep any air values of any inner tubes that I replace. The Park Tool work nice, easily removed the clogged value and installed a new value thus saving the inner tube.
Slime thus have two huge disadvantages, one it increase rotations weight, second it can (but most cases will NOT) clog air Values. On the other hand. slime will seal any small leaks and thus increase the life of an inner tube. If you opt for one with a thicker wall, that is more protection.
A third disadvantages is that these thicker tubes tend to be much less flexible then conventional tubes. Thus a conventional tube that is 26x1.75 to 2.25 is easy to install in a 26x 1.25 tire (I have done it) but a 26x1.75 to 2.25 inner tube with slime and a thicker wall was almost impossible to stall in a 26x 1.5 tire. Thus if you opt for a Slime tire and thicker walls makes sure it fits your tires, and right now I can NOT find any Slime thick tires smaller then 1.75 inches. My studded tires are 26x1.75 but in the summer I tend to run on 26x1.5 slicks. I have NOT run across any thick slime tires other then 26x1.75. REI says they are selling a "29x1.85" which would be a 700 cc inner tube but for a wider than average 700 cc tire, 45 mm, most 700s are 35 mm or smaller, I suspect such an inner tube will NOT work inside a 700x35mm tire).
Side note: I have also used liners inside a bike tire, these also seems to reduce flats. Thus I have a tire, a liner, then a thicker then normal inner tube that also has slime in it.
Just some comments on how to minimize flats beside the conventional wisdom of keeping your tires at their maximum pressure.
Now, I have read reports on the new tubeless tires and that they tend to have less flats then conventional tires (but when they go flat harder to replace in an emergency for a conventional tube has to be used). Most cars have used tubeless tires since at least the 1960s (and my father had a problem with one set and ended up putting in an inner tube to solve the problem of them going flat in the 1970s). On the other hand, most auto tubeless tires have worked quite well since their introduction right after WWII.
As to bicycle Tubeless tires, most require wheels designed for tubeless tires (but some do not, but require you to "Sell" your wheel). Tubeless bicycle tires work like tubeless auto tires, you install the "Sealant" into the tire and on the wheel, install the tire, make sure it is "set" i,e, the sealant in the tire also sealed the wheel and you are set to go. In theory it should be like if you installed Slime into inner tube, but then excluded the inner tube. The sealant being a semi-liquid will also seal up most small holes AND make the tire "Thicker" in the sense that any puncture would not only have to go through the tire but the sealant AND stay a hole after it did that (i.e. the sealant did not reseal the hole as soon as the hole developed).
I have NOT used tubeless tires, but on the surface they MAY provide more protection from holes then conventional tires. On the other hand it may be the only reason they seem to be doing better is do to how thin conventional inner tubes have become since the 1960s. i.e. it solved the problem that should never have developed if inner tubes had kept to the thickness they were in the 1960s. Thus Thicker inner tubes, liners and Slime may be a better combination then tubeless tires, but I have read favorable opinions about such tubeless tires and flats.
Last edited Fri Jan 30, 2015, 01:02 AM - Edit history (1)
My problem with them is they tend to be to small for any real repairs, or tend to have so many tools that are useless. Most of the Hex Head, screws heads and Phillips Head I have on my bike, I need something with more leverage then in most Multi-tools, thus I prefer the full size tools. My problem is I have used them AND used full size tools and in my old age I tend to go with the full size tools more and more).
Through when I looked at the 18+, its chain tool seems to be nice sized, the tool appears to be a chain tools with other tools added on, thus not a bad combination.
The 18+:
http://www.topeak.com/mediafiles/products/158/
Tools 18 total
Allen Wrenches 2/2-L/2.5/3/4(2 each)
5/6/8/10mm
Torx® Wrench T25
Spoke Wrenches 15g/14g
Chain Tool Cast CrMo Steel
Tire Levers Super Hard
Anodized Aluminum*
*The metal tire lever is designed for durability and for emergency use only
Screw Drivers 1 Phillips/1 Flat
Bottle Opener Steel
Chain Pin Tool Chain Pin Breaker
Tool Material Hardened Steel
Body Forged Aluminum
Bag Material Neoprene
Size (L x W x H) 8.2 x 4.3 x 2 cm
3.2” x 1.7” x 0.8”
Weight 185 g / 6.51 oz
Art.no. TT2518
This is typical, very short body and tool and some useless tools (for example I have NEVER had to use a spoke wrench for an emergency repair, even if I broke a Spoke. I could get the bike home, by riding it, it was would wobbler but usable. I did have to replace the SPOKE to get the wheel true, but that could be done at home OR in a proper repair shop.
As to the "Tire Levers" on such tools, they are way to small to be useful. When I use them they tend to bend, thus you will have to opt for other tire levers to get a tire off a wheel. I have broken many a full size plastic tire levels for some tires are a pain to get off the wheel. (I recently purchased and used some Park steel tire levers, ohh they are nice...., but to heavy to carry on the bike, through if I was maintence on a group trip I would carry a set along with some other full size bike tools).
http://www.parktool.com/product/heavy-duty-steel-tire-lever-set-tl-5
I also rarely need a Bottle Opener, very useful as late as the 1970s but then companies opt for twist caps on water and soda-pop (and pull off tabs on cans). As the 2, 2.5, 3, and 4 mm Hex, why do you need two of each??? One is generally sufficient. The T-25 Torx wrench is useful if you have brakes that require that wrench (which I do NOT have) thus useless for me (would be useful on a bike that requires such a wrench, but in my opinion the Park Tri-tool with a 4mm hex, 5 mm Hex and 25mm Torx end would be a better option):
4mm hex, 5mm hex and T25 Torx style set
Side note on Torx wrenches: Torx was invented for production line on an assembly line. This had also been true of Phillips and hex wrenches. Slot screws had been the standard for centuries but takes take to get into the slot and stay in the slot. Phillips opt for a cross that made getting the driver into the slot easier and faster. Hex drivers were even easier and faster, and Torx has been found to be the fastest and thus easier to make computerized machines to do the screwing. As such operations on assembly line became less and less human driven and more power driven, the advantages of using Torx became more and more cost effective. Now, given that Torx and Hex and Phillips were all developed for factory use, there is no reason to retain them on your bike, thus Hex are still the norm on bicycles, long after Torx have become the norm in automobiles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx
Hydraulic brakes use Torx for most came out of Motorcycle production that used Torx wrenches. Unless you are using a Torque Wrench to make sure the bolt is at a set torque, you can replace most Torx bolts with hex bolts (Torque Wrenches can be had in Straight, Phillips and Hex nut heads, thus unless they is some other reason to keep the Torx head I would get rid of it if Possible). I would also look into doing the same for any Phillips and convention straight bolts on your bike, hex bolts are the most popular thus easier to replace every other type AND try to replace any hex head with a hex head that is already on your bike, to minimize what you need as spare hex heads. I try to do this on my bike, but I still end up with a lot of different hex, straight and phillips head bolts. I am just pointing out that one way to minimize the tools you need to repair your bike is to make sure the bolts on the bike tend to use the least number of different bolt heads.
The reason I started this thread is to hear how other people view what they need on their bicycle AND and a place for them to make their choices known. This is a discussion group, we need to discuss and that means saying different things which is what I what. On the other hand part of discussing anything is also to make my position clear and that is what I am doing here.