What Basic Mountain Bike Tools Should You Own?

Everyone loves the feeling of satisfaction when they fix something themselves rather than having to pay someone else to do it for you. Some people just like to save themselves some money whenever possible as well. This applies to many things in life and can definitely apply to your mountain bike too. And if you are a serious rider you know how often things need to be adjusted or even fixed to keep your bike in optimal working order.

With mountain biking more popular than ever there are more and more mountain bike specific tools coming on the market that can make working on your bike easier than ever before. But which tools do you need to take care of the basics and which tools do you need to become a mountain bike master mechanic? In this article we will discuss the simple tools everyone should own and then in a future article discuss tools that confuse most people just by looking at them!

Let's start with the basic tools that every driveway bike mechanic should have. We will not cover the obvious tools such as a screwdriver set, wrench set and various pliers. Most bikes these days use metric bolts that are usually Allen head or Torx head and you should have a set of screwdrivers or sockets that will fit these types of bolts. The most common size Allen head bolts on a bike are 4, 5 and 6 and you can purchase one tool that has all 3 sizes on it. Components such as brake levers, shifter levers, seatpost clamps and brake calipers tend to use Allen bolts while brake rotors and some shifter and brake levers will use Torx head bolts. You should also get yourself a pedal wrench so you have something easy to use when taking off your pedals. Some pedals use an Allen head on the end and some have an area to place a wrench on so it's always a good idea to be prepared and have booth tools.

Some people are good at removing tires and putting tires back on bike wheels. Other people have issues with one or the other or maybe even both. How difficult changing a tire can be depends on the tire and wheel you are working on because some are easy and some can be a real pain to work with. Just in case you run across one of those more difficult tires or wheels it's a good idea to have a good set of tire levers. These tire levers have one end to help you take off the tire and one end to help you put on the tires. The picture below shows some different types of tire levers and also how some of them come with hooks to hook them to the spokes to hold them in place to help you get the tire off.

Next let's talk about what you need to use to measure your chain to see if it's time to replace it or not. A stretched chain will cause problems with shifting and your bike not wanting to stay in gear. The life of a mountain bike chain will vary depending on what type of conditions you ride in, how you maintain your chain and also the quality of the chain. Since there is no definite replacement interval for chains it's a good idea to get a chain elongation gauge to measure how stretched out your chain is. You can get a simple tool that you insert in your chain and look at the markings to see if you are due for a new chain or you can get a digital one for more precise readings.

Speaking of chains, it's important to get yourself a decent chain tool so when it comes time to replace your chain you can measure out the old one and shorten your new one to the right size because you will rarely ever be able to buy a chain that you can just slap on your bike right out of the box. They are also used out on the trail for chain repairs when you break your chain.

You most likely have a tire pump in your garage otherwise you wouldn't be riding too often with flat tires but have you thought about keeping your fork and shock up to the right pressure for optimal performance? To check the pressure of your suspension components and add air as needed it's essential to add a shock pump to your toolkit. They are relatively cheap and you can get one with an analog gauge or digital gauge. Some of the better pumps have features such as the ability to not let air out of the fork or shock when you take the gauge off.

If you are always taking off your wheels to work on something or to transport your bike then you need a set of brake pad\caliper spacers. These are put between your brake pads when the wheel is off so if you accidently squeeze the brake lever you don't end up with your pads stuck together. Then you will need a way to separate them without damaging the pads. These spacers come in different shapes and sizes depending on your brand of brakes.

Finally for this article we will discuss some of the lubricants and other liquids you might want to get to apply to your bike when needed. You most likely know to lubricate your chain with a quality chain oil but it's important to get a type that suits your riding conditions. Some are meant for wet conditions while others are meant for dry conditions. It's a good idea to experiment with various brands until you find the one that works best for you.

Grease is another item you should keep on hand. It can be used to repack bearings, lubricated bottom brackets, seatposts, pedal threads and so on. Normally you can get by with your typical automotive white grease in a tub but there are also specialty greases made just for mountain bikes so that might be a better bet.

Rubbing alcohol comes in handy for cleaning grease and other contaminants off of components such as brake rotors. If you are working on your bike and touch your rotors with your greasy hands you will most likely contaminate your brake pads. When this happens they will either start to squeal when braking or not work as well as they used to. Once this happens you will either have to get new pads or try to take them out and lightly sand them down to get the contaminants off of them.

Bike degreaser is another item you definitely need to keep on hand. There are chain specific cleaners as well as drivetrain specific cleaners. We are a fan of the Finish Line Super Bike Wash to clean the drivetrain as well as for light chain cleaning. If you want to do a more thorough chain cleaning then you should get a chain cleaning tool and some chain specific solvent.

Finally to keep your bike looking like new you can use a bike cleaner such as White Lightning Wash & Shine. With this cleaner you can spray it on the frame, wheels, tires and so on and then wipe it down to keep your bike looking like new. Try not to spray it on drivetrain components or brake components but rather spray it on a rag first to clean around those areas.

Posted by Preston Mason