The resulting kit will depend on the skills you already have and what you’re prepared to learn. You might also consider making a list of the repair skills you need to practice before you set off. So as you read through the list below, consider which repairs you would be able to carry out on your own, and cross-reference this with the tools you put on your own list.įor example: If you don’t know how to replace a broken spoke, and you aren’t bringing any spares, do you need a spoke key? Probably not.ĭo you know how to remove a cassette from a freehub? If not, is a cassette tool necessary? Do you know how to remove the lockring without a chain whip? You get the idea. The point is that a toolkit is dead weight unless you know how to use everything in it.

The kit itself is simply the tool that allows them to carry out that task. You might say that the function of a puncture repair kit is to mend a puncture. But it would be more accurate to say that it is the person using the repair kit who mends the puncture. (I ask my readers to do this in all my gear-related articles.) a Rohloff, hydraulic brakes, or a very old bicycle), you’ll be able to use this guide to assemble a toolkit tailored to your bike and plans, throw it into one of your bags, set off on your ride… and hope you never need to use it! The One Thing You Mustn’t Forget About Bike Tools

Unless you’ve got some very specialised requirements because of an unusual bicycle configuration (e.g. These are the questions that I will help you answer in this article. Is it even possible to construct such a kit? If it is, which items have earned the strongest reputation for reliability on worldwide bike trips? And finally – which of those items should make it into the toolkit you’re putting together for your next bike trip? What tools and spares would the perfect cycle touring or bikepacking toolkit contain?

Mtb tool kit