Lbxpdx

I’m relatively new to bicycles and I have a decent set of normal tools, I decided to start a winter project, a 1991 Trek 990. I thought it would be a fun an cheap(ish). Well, I’ve already spent nearly as much on bike tools as I did on the bike yet I only have bought enough tools to pull the bottom bracket and a used stand.

Should I expect to have $2/300 invested in tools to do a rebuild or are bottom bracket tools the more costly pieces that are needed?

katsup

It depends on the tools you buy. If you are buying Park, the price adds up fast. If you buy cheaper tools from China, the price is cheap, but they won't be as nice.

Maelochs

Pulling a threaded bottom bracket shouldn't take expensive tools .... and unless you plan to do maintenance on old bike for hours daily, and in return for payment .... buying the best tools doesn't make much sense. I think i spent about $7 each for a crank puller and BB wrench .... and they work fine.

Tool I plan to use a lot, I buy good stuff. Otherwise ..... I get decent but cheap stuff ....

Other than the BB, there shouldn't be a lot of tools you won't use on all your bikes. Maybe a cable cutter (I use regular dikes and clean up the housing with a pointed file) cassette locknut wrench and chain whip (you can fake or make a chain whip) allen wrenches, a small toque wrench ..... the bike stand is always handy .....

MarcusT

There are some specialized tools you cannot go without. Unfortunately, the 90s introduced several different bottom bracket tools, but they are not too expensive.
I started with one of those cased tool sets for about $50. Then as I started to see which tools I used the most, I would replace them with higher quality pieces.
Then there are tools which I just find much too expensive and I find alternative ways. For example, a headset press.
Go slow and buy what you need when the time comes. It might take some time, and by then the bike industry will change things up just to screw with us

frogman

Don't skimp on a repair stand ! It is so nice to be able to clamp the bike on the stand and rotate it to any position you want, even upside down for the maintenance and repairs.

SurferRosa

For vintage road bikes (pre '88), it's around $120 in Park tools in addition to your standard tool kit ... and then you can overhaul a ton of bikes to pay it all back and stock the stable with great rides.

hsuBM

If you’re just tinkering and not needing to cheaply get functional transportation, having nice tools is nice. Treat yourself, Park is not top shelf. Cheap stuff from our Labor Colonies overseas is just garbage and makes wrenching less of a joy and more of a mental exercise in trying to get semi-precise bike parts lined up with totally-not precise tool interfaces extra-precisely and extra-precisely directing your whole body’s force vectors like some advanced greasy yoga in slim hopes of succeeding in your main task in addition to having the tool survive the task.

Getting 1/4 into a project and bending teeth off of some cycling-specific tool which you can’t just go to Lowe’s to replace and has no replacement-guarantee sucks. You’ve got money straight down the drain and a bunch of your workspace filled with parts of a disassembled bike that is going to stay disassembled and non-functional for a week or more while you wait for another tool you had to buy to replace the broken one comes by mail. There isn’t a beer or whiskey out there that totally relieves that annoyance.

I’ve, expecting them to be at or near par with Craftsman or Snap On tools, broken/bent a couple Park products (freewheel interfaces). Some are nice. Their chainbreak is good-ish. Their open end wrenches are barely good enough. I’d rather have an old forged wrench milled thin.

Reflector Guy

Don't overlook the tools you already have. I use the same Metric wrenches on my pedals and my rim brake calipers and pads as I do on my automobile. Same with my Metric Allen wrenches. I haven't bought any "cycling-specific" tools, but thinking about it just now, I'll probably pick up one of those cable pulling and cutting tools eventually.

BobbyG

Many local bike co-ops have tools and workstations available for rent.

pdlamb

That's probably $15 each today after inflation. But I take your point, if you've accumulated tools for other things (household repairs, anyone?) I don't see how you'd rack up $200-300 with a used stand.

Of course, if you've decided to buy all Snap-on tools (like a 12" adjustable wrench or, worse, a fancy click torque wrench) to turn the bottom bracket tool...

Pratt

A lot of people seem to do most of the work with common tools and get the LBS to do the unusual, e.g. bottom bracket facing, threading, installing, removing.

Lbxpdx

I was going through my chinook book, Portland area coupon book, and noticed I had a few bike coupons that were ending yesterday, so I bit the bullet and bought a shimano chain link removal tool at 15% off, $42.50 after coupon, and I got a free tube installed.

Then I went to a community bike shop that had a 20% off coupon and scored. I think the bike gods were smiling upon me. New chain, new cables, Schwalbe Big Apples, mustache bars, new grips, fenders, 1 1/8 Bontrager quill stem and a small treasure trove of bike tools, cassette wrench, crank puller, some Park tools and other things, for a mere $70 in total.

I think, hope, I’m good for a little bit.

Maelochs

No clue what a chain link remover might be .... but a park Tool Mini-Brute is the best chain tool I have ever used ad costs about 17 bucks. https://www.danscomp.com/park-tool-c...New%20-%20Grip

sovende

You definitely did "score" at the community bike shop! On the other hand, $50 (pre-coupon) for a chain tool that you will only use occasionally, is excessive! Getting a $7.50 discount softened the blow somewhat but not enough. Hopefully, you'll really get into bicycle rehabilitation and make good use of the chain tool!

Lbxpdx

Shimano TL cn28 is the tool. I have 5 or 6 bikes hanging in my garage, and I like quality tools, so $42.50 with a free tube didn’t seem to unreasonable.
i like to tinker and I like to buy and sell stuff, so my gut tells me I’ll be using the chain tool more than once a year.

katsup

Shimano TL-CN28 is a chain cutter, "shimano chain link removal tool" sounds like quick link pliers which are different.

I think a chain cutter at that price is reasonable.

Lbxpdx

I will admit my ignorance to proper bike tool nomenclature.

Germany_chris

My general philosophy on tools bike or otherwise is; if I'm going to use it a lot I buy a good one but if it's for a project or two or a once a year maintenance thing then cheap all the way. I also get tools when I need them I don't project out or buy stuff when it's on sale.

billyymc

Yep, this tool is all you need to break a chain. And the pin is replaceable if you're dumb enough to bend it (ask me how I know).

Pop N Wood

Read your OP and couldn't figure out how you were spending so much. Now I know why. $42 for a chain tool is a bit criminal.

A "good" tool is one that works well every time, not the most expensive one. you would have been much better served with this $19 kit

https://www.amazon.com/Oumers-Breake...4320855&sr=8-5

Lbxpdx

I almost purchased that particular model but I read one too many reviews about the pin bending. I’ve have saved so much money buying tools second hand and at pawnshops over the years, I’m not too worried about spending an extra couple of bucks.

If I wanted to spend money, I would have bought the wooden handled chain breaker, the Shimano pro set HG.

Additionally, one of the tools that I bought at the collective is a $22 dollar wire stripper, not bike related, for a mere $1, so it would seem as though it was a wash financially.