Those Go-to bike tools

srchar wrote:

These make setting up a FD a doddle.

+1 for these. Also work with Shimano.

Talking of Campag, here's a tool for removing/replacing the spring when cleaning, servicing or repairing an 11-speed shifter (L) and another for removing the fiddly Ultra Torque retainer clip (R):

Another favourite, a cassette tool with a prong that goes down the axle (for QR axles):

A cone-shaped carborundum block for finishing a cut steerer nicely:

Proper shears for cable inners and outers, that include a tool for opening out the flattened ends of cut outers;

Finally, a small collett for pulling the roller bearings out of blind-ended pedal bodies. An absolute dream to use:

Titanium fid, for opening up the plastic tube inside the cable outer.

Pricey, but had to have it, but it is shockingly useful for its intended task. Love to tell you where to find one but cannot find it.

I make mine out of spokes and a grinding wheel.

ktache wrote:

One maybe for our tool addicted squirrel friend, well I have finally discovered a multi tool featuring a Japanese Industry Standard (2) pattern screwdriver, there is a multitool article when I had asked. Bit late for me as I now have a workshop tool (shipped from Japan at a very reasonable rate) and I have moved on from Shimano to Rohloff and Hope on my every day ride. Was looking at a very nice green disk trueing tool at those good people at Abbeytools and scrolled through their fine collection.  The JIS is one of the many options, and it's in green, of course.

 https://www.abbeybiketools.com/products/4-way?variant=3439001567262

I did buy some JIS bits (standard hex drive) ages ago, but haven't wanted to use them yet - less fettling required with Di2, but I've got them for when I need them. That multitool does look very shiny, so my inner goblin is intrigued and I'll likely check out their catalogue. From the pictures, it looks like that multitool doesn't split into two pieces which is a shame as it's a slightly awkward shape.

A good JIS screwdriver is essential for working on the free stroke adjustment for Shimano MTB brake levers. Tiny soft screw used and a standard Philips will just round it out. Quite why they insist on using this rather than a hex bolt is beyond me. Same driver is also great for limit screws of course.

It did work though.

I think Pilot Pete has discussed some weakness in a redriven rivet, as I remember there is some peening on the head of the good rivet, which is removed when redriving it. Campag has its own peening tool.

https://www.ukbikefactory.com/park-ct11-rivet-peening-tool-for-campagnol...

Parks version is fairly reasonable, campag's is about £140.

Those T-handles are interesting what make are they?

Secret_squirrel wrote:

Those T-handles are interesting what make are they?

Eklind. I think I bought them from Menard's, a US chain of big box hardware stores. Fairly inexpensive and they've taken some abuse well.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools/hand-tools/hex-wrenches/eklind-reg-me...

David9694 wrote:

There is a service that can fix damaged crank threads with a helicoil; 

most LBS's can do a helicoil. Mine can at least. Sometimes screwing a good quality Steel axle pedal in from the back of the crank is enough too.  Spot of locktite afterwards optional. 

Screwing something from the other side is always goto fix no. 1 for a damaged thread - removes the minimum amount of material, and is often enough to push the thread back in place, and often there are far more threads than are actually needed to create enough friction for a bolt to stay firmly in in place if there is some damage.

Try 2 is a thread cutter - Park Tool do excellent ones of course. Every LBS can do that. Unfortunately removes metal - better for cleaning threads - my main job was for things like downtube adjusters on Specialized bikes which back in the day always seemed to need drilling out because nobody ever used them and never lubricated them and then you want to fine adjust a front derailleur (hoorah for Shimano finally putting an adjuster on the FD!).

Helicoils - expensive and time to fit, often it seems to be the left hand side crank that people have stuffed up, and that is often the cheaper fix to replace than a helicoil. Any decent bike shop has their magic corner of goodies with a few saved left hand cranks lurking.

Secret_squirrel wrote:

Those T-handles are interesting what make are they?

Looks like a set of EKLIND Cushion Grip Hex T-Key Allen Wrenches.  Example here: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eklind-Rek55166-Metric-Handle-Hexagon/dp/B0000C...

David9694 wrote:

Here's an item I think you don't need - spoke tension meter.  

Now, there's a parallel to gardening here, which I've attempted to do this year for the first time really since childhood.  We wanted to do a wild flower patch. The instructions for the so-called wild flowers said you had to prepare a seed bed, fine tilth.
Yeah, right, they're wild, so I just sprinkled them around the grass, didn't mow it and waited. Well, that went well - a patch of long grass.  

So it goes with wheel building and spoke tensions.  "Ping" on the drive side, "pong" on the non-drive - or the other way around - but the point it's simple and instinctive.  Wheel build instructions sound like such a bunch of old women some times.  In my case, it's been 5 happy years since my first wheel build, so that must count for something - right?

I've got one of those and only used it once or twice. I found it fiddly to measure each spoke and slightly unnecessary as I tend to go by the feel/sound of the spoke. When building/trueing, it's easy enough to figure out which spokes need adjusting to move the rim where you want it.

Maybe I should dig out my various spoke keys as I swear they must be breeding.

I've got one of those, but don't know where it came from.

Here's the spoke tools I could find easily. I've included the rubbish one you get with the Park Tools tensionometer and also an aero spoke holder (expensive piece of black plastic with slots in it). I'm sure I've got a long nipple driver (missus!) somewhere, but can't find it and it's easier to just use a normal spoke key in my opinion.

I also found an NBT2 cassette lockring remover (https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m13b0s72p595/NBT2-%28Next-Best-Thing%29-Cassette-lockring-remover) so that's in the photo too. Never used it as it looks like it'd trash a frame in my careless hands.

David9694 wrote:

I've got one Mavic wheelset with aero spokes - do they twist more than round ones, or is it that you can have a holder for them? 

The problem is that twisted aero spokes look bad and defeat the whole purpose of them. Also, being straight pull spokes, they will twist more than J-spokes as they can pivot all the way round.

As for a suitable tool, you could easily just make a slot in a bit of wood that would work as well. Pliers would work, but you'd want to protect the spoke a bit.

There's a mavic tool for that