BikeCyclingReviews.com » Bike Mechanics

Bike Frame Sizes, Geometry, Angles and All That!

sam — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:54:59 +0000

Your frame has to fit, that is the most important thing. Frame manufacturers all have there own ideas as to what the geometries should be for their bikes, but there are a few dimensions that you cant mess around with too much, here we take a look at frame design, just to please a certain Mr. Greene!

Bennett Greene has written to let us know his disappointment that we did not go more in depth with our article on frames. Here is what he had to say: “I was hoping that the article in the previous mailing about frames would have been more in depth. It mentions nothing about geometry, stiffness or compliance. It just says that good top frames are similar in quality, and the buyer should choose based on “color”.

Isn’t that insulting to the kind of bike rider who cares about learning these things? We all know that a Trek Madone frame and an Orbea Orca frame are different. Why not discuss those differences, or the difference between Orbea Opal and Orbea Orca?”

Well, Bennett, just for you here is a more in depth investigation into frame angles, tube lengths and overall frame geometry. We do think that there are more important issues than the color, but we still stand by our opinion that in the end your choice might come down to whether or not you like how the frame looks, remember you have to look at that frame for hopefully quite a few years.

Frame Dimensions

Basic Geometry

There are some dimensions that you can not mess about with too much, these are the length of the chain stays, the distance between the back wheel axle and the bottom bracket axle, the other is the distance between the bottom bracket and the front wheel, the chain stays of the bike must be around (F) 42 cm.

This is the basis of all bike designs and if you change anything here it will affect the handling of the bike, if you change these dimensions then you could have a dangerous bike that will not corner or descend safely or a bike that is so close at the front end that you will catch your foot in the front wheel.

The total wheel base for a normal road bike with 700c wheels should be around (G) 100 cm, this can vary from around 98 cm to 104 cm depending on the overall frame size, this length can be changed, but if it the frame is too short it will be too “lively” and handling will be unpredictable and could be dangerous.

If the bike is too long this will give a comfortable, soft ride, which is great for touring, but not for racing as it will feel like pushing a garden wheel barrow, slow to respond and a very sluggish performance.

Slopping Top Tube

The Other Dimensions

The length of the seat tube (A) used to be dependent on the length of the riders leg, but since Mr. Burrows invented the compact frame design for Giant bikes this hasn’t been the case and the length of the top tube (D) has been more important to the fit of the rider as you use a long seat pin to make sure the saddle is at the correct height.

With a slopping top tube you need to draw a horizontal straight line from the head tube (E) towards the top of the seat tube (A) or actually where the top tube would be, if it was a standard frame, like D in the diagram. You then compare this to your present set up to find your top tube length. H is the stand over height from the tube to the ground.

The size of E depends on the size of the other tubes and has to be adjusted to suit the overall frame as do the seat stays which depend on the length of the seat tube and its angle.

Frame Angles

On factory made frames the seat angle will depend on the size of the frame, the smaller the frame the steeper the angle of the seat tube (C). Smaller frames are for smaller riders who have shorter thighs so they have to sit further forwards to get over the pedals. Taller riders need a more laid back angle because their thigh is longer.

A more “relaxed” angle give a slightly more comfortable ride, but the important thing is that the riders knee has to be over the pedal otherwise you won’t get the correct leverage and this is what regulates the seat angle (C). The angle of the head (B) has to be more laid back on a smaller frame so that the wheel base is nearer the correct length as the top tube is shorter.

Then its more up-right for the longer frame to bring the front wheel closer, this can also be adjusted by the rake of the fork, but this affects the steering and handling of the bike when cornering. So with a smaller compact frame with a slopping top tube you would find that the seat tube would be around 75 degrees and the head tube angle would be around 71 degrees. With a large frame you would find a seat angle of around 72 degrees and a head angle of around the same.

Horizontal Top Tube

That is all the science involved with frame building, the frame should fit the rider, but within reason, it must stay between those parameters so that the frame will perform perfectly, cornering, climbing, descending etc. Now when frames were made of steel the builder could tailor the frame to suit the shape of the rider, now with frames made of carbon it’s either not possible or too expensive, so “off the peg” frames are a necessity.

When you want to buy a new frame then check out the geometry on the frame makes web-site and compare to your present bike to get the correct size. Years ago you had to choose from many frame sizes in half inch or centimeter differences, now with compact frame they normally come in five sizes, making things a lot simpler.

I hope this all helps to explain the tube lengths and frame angles, but in the end, as I said before, it might come down to the nicest color, what do you think Mr. Greene? Next time we will discuss the differences between some of the more available frames on the market.

Grease For Carbon Bikes? Yip!

sam — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:58:24 +0000

You all know that here at Bike Cycling Reviews we like carbon, be it frames, handle bars, stems and components, that black stuff is what we want to be sat astride. That weave of carbon fibers just get the heart beating a little bit harder, but who knows anything about preparation of the surfaces, well we do now!

Carbon tends to be smooth, OK I know its cool as well, but I mean it is not rough on its contact points, which makes it more difficult to grip and is much more slippery than say alloy, steel or titanium, also carbon compresses when clamped so the problem is people over tighten the bolts and can cause damage to your expensive kit or worse things become lose, which is not the best thing to happen when your racing or descending off a mountain at speed.

Build-up Time

When you assemble your bike you always prepare the threads and other surfaces with grease, this makes the assembly easier and protects the threads from corrosion and also usually allows you to be able to unscrew the component at a later date, so always use a grease when building up your bike, but what about Carbon?

Now you can buy from Tacx an assembly grease for carbon components, its not really a grease its more like a paste which has miniscule plastic balls in a grease like liquid, when this is applied to the surfaces of your carbon goods, Tacx claim that it increases by 30% the friction between these slippy surfaces so this in effect means you don?t have to tighten the retaining bolts as tight, say on your handle bar stem where it clamps to the carbon steerer on the front forks, with less pressure being exerted on the carbon parts then it is less likely to be damaged by squashing the fibers.

A Lot of Balls

The small plastic balls give more grip, but they are not abrasive, they will not mark any surfaces, as they are soft enough to squash when under compression, making them harmless to the surfaces they have been applied too. There are other very good reasons for protecting you components with the Tacx Dynamic Assembly Compound, first of all you need to protect the other parts that you are clamping your carbon goods too, there are many alloy sleeves in your carbon frame that you need to protect.

The second reason you should smear the compound on places like your seat pin and steering column is that the paste also allows for easier adjustment when you are setting up your position on the bike, you don’t have to struggle to lift the saddle or stem to your exact riding height, just like a grease it lubricates the movement between the parts when not tightened up, so making the job much easier.

The third reason is the same as using a normal grease, it keeps the rain out, the last thing you want is corrosion of any part of your bike, so you must use a grease to seal any gaps that may allow liquid of any kind (rain, sweat or drink) getting into your frame.

We like this product very much as it is easy to use and a must for those expensive carbon parts, its so good that FSA, the makers of those sweet carbon cranks are using and recommending it for their equipment, so it must be good.

What Do We Think? 9/10, It would have got 10 but nobody knows you are using it, not like a new frame or a new chain set.

More Information about tacx assembly stands, cycle tools, bottle cages and water bottles at www.tacx.com

How To Change a Bicycle Cassette

sam — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:02:14 +0000

At some time in the life of your cycle your going to have to change the cassette, you can take it to the bike shop, but its better you learn you to do it your self

Replacing a cassette is not a difficult job, but there can be a couple of problems you could come up against if you decide to take on the job yourself.

The Right Tools For The Job

Before you start to take off the cassette you had better make sure you have the tools to do it! Two of these tools are very special and your going to have to buy them from a bike shop, as they are not used for anything else.

1. Cassette lock-ring tool

This tool fits into the lock-ring so you can loosen it, there are different lock-rings for Shimano or Campagnolo, but I have found that you can use the same tool for both, as they are so similar.

2. Chain whip

This tool holds the cassette so that it doest turn when you loosen the lock-ring. Its called a chain whip because this is what it looks like, a bar with a short length of chain at the end.

You also need a adjustable spanner, one big enough and long enough to shift a really tight lock-ring, anything over a foot long should do it, but the longer the better also the jaws have to open wide enough for the lock-ring tool, about 16mm.

Lets Get Started

First thing you have to do is to take the rear wheel out, remember to put the gear onto the smallest sprocket, which will make it easier to remove and replace the wheel.

Take the quick release out of the axle, put the lock-ring tool into the lock-ring with the wheel at your feet leaning against your legs and the cassette facing away.

Holding the adjustable spanner in your right hand with lock-ring tool in the jaws of the spanner.

Rap the chain of the chain whip over the top of a sprocket so that you’re holding it in the left hand thus stopping the cassette from turning the same way as the lock-ring.

Pushing down with both hands the lock-ring should come lose, this is where you might come up against a problem, you might need a lot of strength to do this as they can get tight.

When the lock-ring is loose just slide of the old cassette, to fit the new one you just slide it on to the cassette freewheel body, that’s the thing that’s on the side of the wheel hub.

The sprockets will only fit on the cassette freewheel body in one position as there are different sized splines on the inside, then you have to replace the lock-ring tightening with the adjustable spanner.

You don’t need the chain whip as you’ll be tightening the lock-ring against the freewheel.

That’s it, just put the wheel back into the bike and away you go, remember to put the chain on the smallest sprocket when you put the wheel back in, it’s a lot easier.

How to Adjust Bicycle Brake Pads – Video

sam — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:07:45 +0000

On this video, we are going to show you how to set the pads for a better braking power. You’ll learn to adjust the brake pad for a full performance.

Adjusting the brake blocks

Just as we said at the adjusting brakes article “With some brakes you can just replace the brake pad and leave the shoe in place, on a mountain bike if you do this, make sure the shoe is adjusted properly so that the pad presses flatly against the rim, blocks can “toe in” a little, this means the front of the block will touch the rim first, this makes for squeak free and progressive braking.”

The only tool you need is a 5mm Allen key; Sometimes, and just in older bikes, you may need 8 or 10mm nut. First, unscrew the old brake pads, and throw them away.

Then put the new ones to the brake bridge. (You’ll notice that this task a a lot easier on road bikes). Make sure that pads don’t touch the tire and they are parallel on the wheel rim.

It’s the same with a mountain bike, but they are more adjustable, you have to place the washers on the bolt so that the pad is level with the rim and not touching the tire.

How To Align A Bicycle Wheel

sam — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:08:59 +0000

Truing a bike wheel is one of those things you may never have to do, or never want to do, in that case take your wheels to you local bike shop and have a trained experienced mechanic true your wheels.

Aligning bicycle wheels, step by step

Building and truing wheels is a very difficult thing to do, it can take years to learn, but your wheels may only be a little out, or your no where near a bike shop and you need to straighten a wheel, its good to know what to do in those circumstances.

How to Start

To build and true wheels properly you need a lot of expensive tools, such as:

Spoke key
Truing jig
Dishing tool

but if you only need to do a little straightening all you’ll need is the spoke key and you can do the work in the bike frame, either in a bike stand or you can turn the bike upside-down on the ground.

The next step

With your eye on the wheel where passes between the brake blocks, spin the wheel slowly, now take note of where the rim touches the blocks, if it touches the left brake block then the spoke pulling to the right needs tightening and spoke on the left heeds loosening, and so if the rim touches the block on the right then the spoke on the left needs tightening and the spoke on the right needs loosening.

Now that all sounds simple, but if you over tighten or over loosen the spokes the wheel is going to be in very bad shape, so be careful. I would say that the spokes nipple should only be turned a very small amount at a time until you can see how much difference it makes. Some rims are softer than others and that can make a difference too.

Up and down too!

If your wheel is true from left to right maybe it isn’t round and the rim goes up and down or has a “flat spot” this is the most difficult problem to sort out, it can be done, but it takes time and practice, also if it is very bad it means a new rim needs fitting.

This is how you try to fix it. If the rim dips loosen the spokes if it seems to rise then tighten them, but be careful, not too much!

And all Together

This is the tricky bit, to get the wheel straight and round at the same time, it’s a case of tighten a little here and loosen a little there until you get it right.

The other thing you have to remember is that the wheel also has to be in the middle of the axle of the hub, so that its in the middle of the bike frame, there is a special tool for measuring this, but you can do this in the frame, either buy looking down at the bottom bracket where the wheel is closest the frame and measuring the gap between frame and rim, or up at the brake you can do the same.

And Finally

There is a lot to remember, the wheel has be round, not going up and down, the wheel has to be true, not going from side to side and the rim has to be in the middle of the hub axle.

If that wasn’t enough the spokes also have to be at the correct tension, this means if the spokes are loose it makes for a sloppy, soft ride and the wheel might fall apart and if the spokes are too tight it makes for a ruff ride and the spokes might snap.

Truing wheels takes a lot of patience and practice, you may not be able to do it and in many cases it’s a job for the professionals, but if you are brave enough, give it a go, but beware you could ruine your best wheels if you are not careful, it could all end in tears.

How to Adjust Bicycle Brakes – Video

sam — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:11:47 +0000

As your brake blocks wear you will have to adjust your brakes, you’ve followed the instructions for replacing an old brake cable and now the brakes need adjusting, maybe they are rubbing against the wheel and slowing you down or maybe the brakes are not releasing properly, well its all covered here.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

Check the brake blocks

First thing have a look at the brake blocks, are they worn? If so replace them, your local bike shop will sell you the right things, remember there are different blocks for different rims; steel, alloy or now carbon. If you like the feel of the original blocks try to get the same again, but you can experiment with different blocks until you find the compound that suits you.

Replacing the brake blocks

With some brakes you can just replace the brake pad and leave the shoe in place, on a mountain bike if you do this, make sure the shoe is adjusted properly so that the pad presses flatly against the rim, blocks can “toe in” a little, this means the front of the block will touch the rim first, this makes for squeak free and progressive braking.

With a 5mm Allen key (older bikes may be 8 or 10mm nut) unscrew the old brake blocks and throw them away, bolt the new ones to the brake, with road bikes it is easier, you have to make sure the blocks don’t touch the tire and they are level on the wheel rim, it’s the same with a mountain bike, but they are more adjustable, you have to place the washers on the bolt so that the pad is level with the rim and not touching the tire.

Watch the video on how to adjust the pads

Brake adjustments

OK, so your new brake blocks are fitted, what next?
First check that the cable is running freely, this helps the brake release properly (see cables master class), are the brake blocks making contact with the wheel rim evenly?

Are both the brake blocks touching the rim at the same time.

If not you need to adjust the calipers, loosen the bolt at the back of the brake that holds it to the frame (on a road bike), either with a flat spanner or your hand hold the brake where you want it, so the blocks are at a equal distance from the rim, and then tighten the bolt again.

With a mountain bike, if one block touches before the other you have to adjust the little screw that tightens the return spring on that brake arm, this pulls the brake arm further away from the rim so that both touch at the same time.

Adjusting the pull on the lever

How big is your hand? Or how long are your fingers? This affects how much pull you want on the lever. Small hands will want the lever closer to the bar before the blocks start to slow you down, if the blocks are far away from the rim it takes more lever to pull the brake on, for big hands the cable needs to be tighter.

Every one is different so experiment until you find what you like.

On some mountain bike levers you can adjust the reach on the lever to bring it closer to the bar for smaller hands without having to leave a large gap between the blocks and the rim.

What else can I do?

First keep your brakes clean and adjusted properly, regularly check the brake blocks for wear then adjust them or replace them and keep all moving parts oiled or greased (specially after rain), a bit of oil on the bolts of the brake caliper and on the bolts and moving parts of the lever. Your brakes are very important, look after them and they will look after you.

How To Change A Gear Or Brake Cable

sam — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:38:45 +0000

Your brake and gear cables will eventually need changing, this is a job you can take to the local bike shop, but you could do it your self, save some money and learn a bit more about your bike.

First have a look at your cable, has it broken? That one is easy. If the cable is rusty or if it has frayed change it, it might snap and if you are descending a long or steep hill and your brake cable snaps you’re going to be in trouble.
If the cable is not running smoothly you can take it out grease it and put it back, this is just like fitting a new cable, but cheaper.

Gear or brake?

Brake cables are a little thicker than gear cables, on the end of all cables there is a “nipple” this is the lump on the end that locates into the gear or brake lever, so it can be pulled.

Nipples for brake cables are different for road and mountain bikes, for road it’s a pear shape and for mountain bike its like a barrel, gear cables are also like a barrel, but smaller and are either the cable comes out of the top or the middle of the barrel.

The good news is that most cables you buy have the different nipples on either end, so you can cut off the one you don’t need.

Tools you need

Small screwdriver.
5mm Allen key.
A good pair of cable cutters or pliers.
Oil & grease
With older brakes and gears you may need an 8 or 10mm spanner.

Brakes First

Road and mountain bike brakes are nearly the same when it comes to changing the cable, first loosen the cable clamp bolt and pull out the cable from the lever, paying attention to where the cable runs as the new cable will be in the same place as the old one.

To do a very good job, pour or spray some oil into the cable outer and put some grease on the cable before you feed it back into the outer cable.

First cut off the nipple you don’t need, and then locate the nipple into the lever, then feed the cable through the lever and into the outer cable, pushing it through until it comes out the other end, this could be at the end of the outer cable at the brake or where the cable is open on the frame.

Feed the cable through the rest of the outer cable to the brake, on a mountain bike with “V brakes” you need to push the cable through a “V brake pipe” and then into the cable clamp, pull the cable tight holding the brake blocks to the wheel rim and tighten the clamp on the cable.

Pull the lever a few times to stretch the new cable, then re-tighten the cable, cut the cable to leave about an inch of cable extra from the clamp and if you have a cable tidy (a small metal cylinder to go on the end of the cable) squash this on with pliers or the cable cutters.

Now the Gears

Basically this is the same as the brake cable, loosen the clamp bolt and push the old cable out, looking for where the nipple comes out of the gear lever, normally the gear lever has to be in highest gear to allow this, this is where you are going to push the new cable in.

As with brake cables cut off the nipple you don’t need, oil the outer cable and grease the inner cable and start to feed it through the outer cable till it comes out the other end or across a bare cable gap, until you get to the gear mechanism.

pull the cable tight and tighten the clamp bolt onto the cable, cut the cable about an inch from the clamp and fit a cable tidy if you have one.

If it is a new cable it will stretch, so you will have to adjust your gear mechanism again later, following the instructions for the article:

“how to adjust your gears”

and you’ll be OK.

Read more questions/answers about Breaking Gear Cables here!

How To Fix A Puncture On Your Bike Tire

sam — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:22:04 +0000

Maybe you have had a puncture, or maybe its time to put new tires on your bike, whatever the reason, if you own a bike will need to know what to take a tire off and put it back on again.

Bicycle repairing guide, How to Fix a Puncture

If you are out on a bike ride, miles away from a telephone or helpful people and have a puncture you need to have the correct tools, a spare inner tube (2 is probably safer) and the knowledge to do it, or it could be a long walk home.

Where to start

You don’t need many tools to change an inner tube or tire, a pair of tire levers and a pump and if you are fitting new tires and tubes some talcum powder to put on the inner tube, this stops the inner tube sticking to the inside of the tire if water gets in.

First take the wheel out of the bike remembering to release the brake, so you can get the wheel out.

Undo the quick-release on the wheel, if it’s the front wheel there maybe small on the ends to stop the wheel falling out accidentally, if you have these you’ll have to loosen the quick-release a little bit more to get the wheel out.

If your taking the rear wheel out remember to put the chain on the smallest cog as this makes it easier to get the wheel in and out.

Getting the tire off

Let the air out of the tire, if there is any left after a puncture, if you have two tire levers (plastic is best).

Lever one under the tire and over the rim, then with the other.
Lever it under the tire either next to the other and then pull the lever round the rim taking the tire off away from the rim, or put the lever under the tire on the other side of the wheel from the first and run the lever back toward the other, both ways achieve the same, but some times its easier one way over the other.

If you have three levers, put one lever under the tire and the other further round and then the third in between levering the tire off all round. Now you can take the inner tube out or take the tire and tube off together.

Putting it all back

With one side of the tire on the rim, put the valve through the hole in the rim, put a little air into the tube and then feed the inner tube into the tire round the rim, replace the other side of the tire on the rim with your hands.

Don’t use the levers as they could damage the rim, then pump the tire up checking that the inner tube isn’t trapped between the tire and the rim as this will either puncture the tube or push the tire off the rim.

Next put your wheel back into the frame and make sure the quick-release is holding the wheel in properly, and then get back on the road.

Cleaning and Greasing Bike Components

sam — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:54:00 +0000

Looking after your bike is not just repairing things when they break, prevention is a much better idea, and probably cheaper as your bike parts will last longer is you look after them, this means cleaning your bike regularly and then after all the road dirt and grime has gone, oiling and greasing all the moving parts so that they will run more smoothly and work better and last longer.

A clean bike will function better than a dirty one and is a pleasure to work on Start with the cleaning

To clean your bike you will need some supplies, below is a list of the basics.

Buckets
Sponge
Clothes
Water
Washing up liquid
Degreaser
Old paint brush

Then for after you’ve cleaned the bike you will need more clothes, oil and grease.

How to clean your bike

Start by taking the wheels out of the bike and hang the bike up some where, if you have a work stand all the better, but if not use a washing line or a handy tree.

First clean the chain with the degreaser and the old paint brush, if there is any sticky marks on the frame its self put a bit of degreaser there as well, but be careful not to get the degreaser on the saddle or handlebar tape as it could ruin them.

Then with soapy hot water and the sponge give the whole bike a good wash getting the entire bike clean, especially the chain, make sure you get all the degreaser off.

Once your happy that all the dirt has gone, rinse of all the soap and dirt with fresh water, then either dry the bike with clean clothes or leave it dry in the sun. Inspect the frame and components for any damage, cracks or wear.

Next the wheels

With the old paint brush and the degreaser clean the sprockets, remember to keep the degreaser away from the tires, as it will not do them any good.

Then with the sponge give the wheels a good wash, paying a lot of attention to the sprockets and the tires, this is a good time to look at the condition of the tires, if there are any cuts or worn sections of the tread, if there is, this is a good time to change them.

Wash all the spokes and the rims, inspect the rims for any wear or if they are cracked or damaged. Now dry the wheels with a cloth and leave them to dry in the sun, but be careful not to leave them too long in the sun or the tires might explode with them expanding in the heat.

Put the bike back together

Put the wheels back into the bike, with a good chain oil, either spray or pour oil on the chain and then wipe off any excess so it doesn’t drop on the frame. With a lightweight oil, spray onto all moving parts, the front and rear gear mechanisms, the brake pivot bolts, the inside of the brake levers and the gear and brake gables.

If the cables are stiff then take them out and grease them and pour oil into the outer cable and put grease where the cables rub under the bottom bracket and any other places where they might rub. If you want the frame to sparkle use a household polish and a soft cloth to make the frame shiny.

Greasing other parts

Years ago the hubs, bottom bracket, head-set and freewheel needed to be striped down, cleaned and greased, most now are sealed bearings and don’t need maintenance, also you cant open them to do any greasing or adjustment, if they are worn you have to replace them. If you have some old equipment that can be striped down, it’s a good idea to do this every six months at least. Hubs can be opened by unscrewing the cone nuts; you can then clean the bearings and then put grease back in the hubs.

Older headsets are very similar to the hubs, you loosen the lock nut, clean inside and then grease, with an A-headset you loosen the stem and just open the head-set, clean it and then grease it, bottom bracketshave been sealed now for years, but if you can open it, then do the same, clean inside and grease the bearings.

Most of these jobs need special tools and can be very fiddly, probably best left to an expert, but it is very unlikely that you have any old stuff that you can grease, you can try to oil these sealed units, but if its worn it’ll need replacing. Your bike should now be gleaming and running smoothly, and hopefully it should last longer if you do this regularly.

Bicycle Repair Tools

sam — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:57:11 +0000

If you are going to look after your bike properly you’ll need the proper tools and supplies. Here I will list the more basic necessities for keeping your bike in top riding condition, to do certain jobs you need specialist tools, these are expensive, so its better to take your bike to the local cycle shop and get them to do the more complicated repairs.

If you want to spend a bit of money you could buy a bottom bracket fitting tool or a freewheel cassette tool and if you want to try wheel truing you’ll need a spoke key. The first two are jobs most people could do, but wheel truing is much harder, we will cover it here later, but it’s not the job for everyone.

What tools do I need?

These tools you can buy in any hardware store or tool specialist, they can be found anywhere, the more you spend, the better quality tools you’ll get and hopefully they will last longer.

Allen key set.
Various size screwdrivers.
Crosshead screwdriver.
9mm Allen key.
Scissors
Adjustable wrench.
Chain link tool.
Tire levers.
Cable cutters.
Pliers.

With these tools you can do most jobs, anything more complicated you are better to get the bike mechanic at the shop to sort out.

The correct tool for every job

On most bikes these days Allen keys fit nearly every bolt or nut, the 5mm Allen key is the one you’ll use the most, the brakes, the seat, the gears and all the bolts on the stem for tightening onto the steering column and all the bolts to clamp onto the handle bars, occasionally the 4mm Allen key is used for the bar clamp and for brake blocks, some V-brakes on mountain bikes need a 2.5mm to adjust the tension on the return springs, the 9mm you need for crank sets and pedals, some pedals need a open ended spanner, but most now use the 9mm Allen key.

A small screwdriver is needed for small adjustment screws on the gears limit bolts and for the spring adjusters on mountain bike V-brakes and a large screwdriver is needed for your shoe plates. Scissors are for cutting bar tape or grips. An adjustable wrench for any nuts and bolts that maybe on your bike, as I said before most bolts are now Allen keys, but with older bikes you might find nuts, also if you buy a cassette or bottom bracket tool you will need a large adjustable wrench.

You will need a chain link tool to fit a new chain as you usually have to shorten a new chain that’s straight out of the box or if you snap a chain it can be repaired, tire levers are a must for repairing a puncture or fitting new tires and cable cutters and pliers for cutting and crimping cable ends on brake and gear cables.

Other supplies needed

As well as tools you also need oil and grease, its best to have a thin spray oil for cables and a heavier chain oil if you live in a wet area, in a dry area you can get away with a lighter chain oil, there are many different kinds of chain oil (some very expensive) ask your local shop as they will have the best knowledge for your area and they will take into consideration if you ride road or off-road.

Grease you need for the gables, hubs, bottom bracket, heat set and any other moving parts. Many headsets, bottom brackets and hubs are sealed units and cant be greased and when they are lose or worn must be thrown away. Grease or oil any parts that move and your bike will work longer and better and with the right tools you can tackle any jobs.