Improper use of a tool can easily damage it, or damage the bicycle.

Bicycle mechanics use wrenches more than any other type of tool

The road tool kit is the most important one. It gets you home or to a bicycle shop.

What tools should you carry with you?

Stories abound of bicyclists who go on tour carrying 10 or 15 pounds of tools with them, ready to fix almost anything on their bicycles. That might be reasonable for a traveling bicycle repair service! On the other hand, a road racer to carries no tools at all. The team mechanic follows in the team car, ready to supply a replacement wheel or entire bicycle as needed.

On the third hand, a utility bicyclist, tourist or racer on a solo training ride should have a tool kit which avoids a call for a ride from afriend, spouse or taxi for 95% of on-road repairs. A reasonable toolkit keeps the weight down to a pound or two and covers the most common on-road repair needs. The weight can be even less on a modern bicycle which exclusively uses Allen wrench fittings. Here's my preferred list:

• Multi-tool which includes several metric Allen wrenches, flat-blade and #2 Phillips (cross-head) screwdrivers and often a small socket wrench. The multi-tool provides a single, convenient handle for all of these tools.
• Additional Allen wrenches which your bicycle uses and are not included in the multi-tool.
• 8-9-10 mm socket Y wrench.
• Tools to fix flat tires -- pump, tire levers, patch kit, tire boot. A spare tube and folding tire are advisable for rides in rural areas where no bicycle shop is nearby.For more details see the article on flat tires on this site.
• 6-inch adjustable wrench if your bicycle uses nuts and bolts with hex heads -- and to strighten bent parts or be prepared to help other bicyclists. See Sheldon's article on adjustable wrenches. The adjustable wrnch also can remove and replace pedals -- though many pedals have an Allen wrench fitting on the end of the spindle. Keep pedal threads well-greased.
• Crank puller, unless your bicycle uses an Allen wrench (or to be prepared to help--). More details are in the article on cotterless cranks.
• Crank bolt wrench, unless your bicycle uses an Allen wrench, or to be prepared... More details are in the same article.
• Chain tools: chain breaker, replacement pivot pins if your bicycle has a Shimano chain; Powerlink pliers if a SRAM chain; spare PowerLock if a 10-speed SRAM chain..
• Spoke wrench to fit the spokes of your wheels.
• Hypercracker (on-road cassette lockring tool)
• Spare cables
• Old toe strap to use as a "third hand" tool to hold brakes shut
• Lightweight cloth or rubber gloves, to keep your hands clean
• Cell phone in case everything else fails.

Especially if you are traveling in rural areas, you do well to carry a few supplies:

• Spare inner tube
• Spare folding tire
• A few spare spokes and spoke nipples
• A few links of chain matching your bicycle's chain
• Small bottle of oil
• Spare batteries for bicycle lights

Improvised tools for road repairs.

These should cover most repairs for anything short of a tour into very remote areas.

Knowing how to use tools --

Hardware-store tools: Combination wrenches 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 mm. Screwdrivers, flat and #2 Phillips. Nutdrivers 8, 9, 10 mm (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/nutdrivers.html) Metric Allen wrenches, 2-6, 8, 10 mm. Maybe 7 for some old stems. (L-type, plus "T-handle" and/or screwdriver type handle in 4 & 5 mm. Balldriver preferred. Vise. Bench grinder. Hammer. Heavy rubber mallet. Plastic or rawhide mallet. Small round file; half round file. Pliers --------------------------------- Bike specific tools: Chain tool Cable cutter Headset wrenches Cone wrenches: 2 x 13mm, 15 mm. [2 x 14 mm, 16 mm, 17 mm] Bottom bracket tools 4th hand ...see: http://harriscyclery.com/toolsThe text continues and possibly ends here. This part might be empty for a short page. This part has a 10% indent on the left and right of the paragraph.