Your favourite bike tool.

[gerryattrick]

These home made tools save me a lot of bother.

The one on the left holds the BB extractor on firmly to allow me to apply pressure via the spanner without it slipping.

The one on the right is a bent spoke which clips the rear mech arm close to the chainstay to make chain removal/fitting much easier

 

[saulus]

These home made tools save me a lot of bother.

The one on the left holds the BB extractor on firmly to allow me to apply pressure via the spanner without it slipping.

The one on the right is a bent spoke which clips the rear mech arm close to the chainstay to make chain removal/fitting much easier

Nice idea. I've just had dramas removing a nylon BB cup. Insufficient pressure was a key reason why the socket slipped & knackered the plastic splines. Leaving me to use alternative method for extraction...lessons learned!
I'd like to make one of those. What's the outer dia of the two repair washers? Is it determined by the inner dia of socket shaft?

 

[gerryattrick]

As long as the washers are bigger than the diameter of the bb removal tool you'll be OK. It needs quite strong springs to exert enough holding pressure. I'm not sure of the correct size bolt to fit into the bb axle as it was just trial and error with bolts I had in the shed and luckily I had one the right size.

1.5" washers, 3" bolt and springs from an old bike pump.

It's made even very stuck BBs a one-man job and hasn't failed me yet.

 

[RockiMtn]

why hasn't anyone mentioned a 2x4 and ductape??? :?

 

[Baulz]

My fav is a short sharpened spoke. Great for opening up the end of a freshly cut piece of cable housing, cleaning grime out of tight spots, and poking your friends when they aren't looking.

 

[Andy R]

My wide jaw bahco adjustable spanner. Not strictly a bike tool but does sooooo many jobs.

Bahco make some excellent stuff. The adjustables ...are very good.

The only adjustables worth bothering with, in my opinion, and besides, Bahco invented them

 

[gtRTSdh]

My wide jaw bahco adjustable spanner. Not strictly a bike tool but does sooooo many jobs.

Bahco make some excellent stuff. The adjustables ...are very good.

The only adjustables worth bothering with, in my opinion, and besides, Bahco invented them

I'm afraid these trump Bahco, bloody fantastic, the mole grip bot only protects the nut when heaving but also attaches the spanner to the nut!!!

 

[Fudd]

The last bike specific tool I bought was one of these -

It's a Shimano chainring tool and an absolute joy to use after all those years faffing with ill fitting screwdrivers and washers held with pliers

Only £5 from that auction site too...

 

[kingoffootball]

I think I'd have to go with my Cyclo tyre removal/fitting tool. I didn't think it was necessary, but it certainly speeds things up, especially where it's a tight fit.

 

[Neil]

At the moment my Unior crown race remover. Money very well spent.

Is that a sort of small fork looking jasper, with square sides, that you slot over the crown race from below and sort of whack the end of it, and the sides tape so they grip the crown race?

Yep thats pretty much the one IIRC. I saw one in a mtb maintenance manual I was glancing over the other day.

I was wondering about these - I've seen this type - I assume it's this and the other kind, like this one - and kinda wondered how they compare?

I read some comments, somewhere, about the Cyclus tool sometimes not working on certain types of forks? But otherwise, does look easier to use, with less chance of damaging something than the other one - but having not used either, I'm making assumptions, there.