THE BIKE TOOLS EVERY RIDER SHOULD OWN... AND WHY

THE MUST-HAVE BIKE TOOLS FOR BEGINNERS – PLUS: WHAT TO BUY FIRST, WHAT TO UPGRADE, AND HOW TO BUILD A TOOLKIT YOU WON'T OUTGROW.

- BY DAN CHABANOV

You don’t need a pro-level workshop to take good care of your bike.

But you do need a small set of reliable tools that fit properly, read accurately, and won't make a simple job harder than it needs to be. Get those fundamentals right, and routine maintenance becomes easier; components last longer; and your bike rides better as a result.

1. A PRESSURE GAUGE YOU CAN TRUST

The single biggest performance upgrade you can make to a modern bike is dialling in your tyre pressure.

As tyres have grown larger, they have become more sensitive to small changes in pressure. A few PSI can be the difference between a slow, harsh ride and a fast, comfortable one; yet many riders still inflate by feel, by sidewall maximums, or by trusting the questionable gauge at the base of an old floor pump.

2. QUALITY HEX AND TORX KEYS

Good tools to turn bolts on your bike are the backbone of any home workshop. Cheap or worn tools round-out bolts and result in damaged hardware, which turns basic adjustments into expensive problems.