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This set of wrenches will allow you to work on both, and you’ll be glad you have them. Primarily used for the brake rotor bolts, we’re now seeing a lot of shifter and brake levers using Torx bolt heads as well. It’s a cheap tool (about $10) that’s always in our tool box. We find ourselves doing this a lot when we’re swapping wheels between bikes, or when something inside the rear hub needs love. This tool allows you to remove the rear cassette- integral if you want to clean or replace it. Remember that Cassette Tool we told you to buy above? Well, it won’t do you much good without a good ‘ole chain whip. Do yourself a favor and have one of these around- for $15, it’s a no-brainer.
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#BIKE WORKSHOP BASICS INSTALL#
Granted, I don’t ride flats personally, but about 30% of our Chasing Epic clients do… which means we need to install and remove flats quite frequently. These days, most flat pedals don’t come with the ease and ability to tighten/loosen them with an allen wrench- which is why we always have a standard pedal wrench handy. With the number of mountain bikes we build and work on, this might be our favorite tool of them all!
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Not only does it help you remove the Powerlink, but with the small notches on the outside of the tool’s two tips, it also helps you pop the Powerlink back into place. Sure, you can remove a Powerlink with your fingers, but why bother? This $12 tool from Park Tool makes the process so much easier and faster. It makes working on chains SO much easier than the standard Shimano replacement system. OK, first we’ll be honest- we will never, ever use a mountain bike chain that’s not equipped with the SRAM Powerlink. Most multi-tools have one built in, but we recommend spending an extra $10 to have one dedicated to your work space. A simple chain breaker will help with the process, and it’s a great life-saver to have with you on the trail.
#BIKE WORKSHOP BASICS PLUS#
Chances are it’s stretched to the point of breaking soon anyways, plus we all want a new toy to play with and install. Let’s be honest, you should replace your chain (and cassette) every year if you’re not getting a new bike. Now you have no excuse when you hear grinding in the spring when you’re riding on muddy trails it’s only around $15. This two-in-one tool from Feedback Sports makes it even cheaper to do! One side allows you to loosen and tighten a standard threaded bottom bracket, and the other allows you to work on the lock-ring for your cassette. Two tools in one! Removing (and cleaning) a cassette and your bottom bracket are two things that should be done regularly, especially if you want to keep that machine running smoothly all year long. $20 will buy you a solid set that will last for a long, long time. We recommend buying both the “inch” and “metric” sets because hey, the US is weird and we come across both standards these days. These will help you tighten and adjust almost everything on a bike including pedals, headsets, stems, bars, derailleurs, pivots, and almost anything else you can think of.
#BIKE WORKSHOP BASICS FULL#
Whether it’s in our garage setup or in the toolbox on a Chasing Epic trip, we always have a full set of allen wrenches. This is the most essential set of tools you’ll ever use when it comes to working on bikes. Here’s our list of the top “must have” home bike shop tools:Ībsolutely mandatory. Add up a few trips to your local shop and chances are it’ll total more than all of these tools combined. The tools aren’t expensive, and it’s much more rewarding to work on your own bike- besides, if you work on (or build) your own bike, chances are you can fix it when something goes wrong on the trail. At Chasing Epic, we build all of our new demo bikes from the ground up each spring, so our work is about to begin as well.Įvery real mountain biker should have a basic setup in their garage (or basement, or shed, or back yard) that allows them to maintain their prized possession and keep it operating smoothly for their defined riding season. Soon the trails will start melting off and things will dry out, and we’ll all pull our bike from the garage and find that it needs some love. It’s the middle of January, which means most trails are currently under snow and the only thing you’re riding these days is a spin bike or a trainer.