mechanic starter set

[ice109]

hi everybody! (first post)

i'm a peace corps volunteer in africa (uganda) and i ride a specialized hardrock. no clue what year it is and the only identifiers on it are "double butted 4130" and "crmo chromium molybdenum."

as you can guess riding here is tough; dusty dirt roads, terrible pavement, lots of mud when it rains, and lots of rain when it rains. i'd like to be able to do repairs on the bike myself because ugandan bike mechanics, from what i've seen, tend to just bang on the bike with a hammer. to that end i'm looking to get a set of tools that will enable me to do the following repairs

repack bearings in the headset
repack bearings in the bottom bracket
repack bearings in the wheel hubs, front and rear
replace the cassette or set of cogs in the rear¹
replace the chain rings
replace the chain

i anticipate having to repack bearings often because of the dust and mud i ride in. most of these things i've done at one time or another at the local bike shop when i was in college so i'm confident i can actually perform the repairs (and where i'm not i can google). so i'd like some advice on a starter set of tools that i'll have sent to me (weight isn't a big deal). i could google what the particular tool for each job is called and then search for it but i figured someone might have a good catch-all solution. maybe an adjustable flat-wrench? that'd be awesome. also i was hoping someone could maybe tell me a way to figure out what size flat wrenches and etc i need for my bike without taking it apart and using calipers. though i'm considering getting a decent set of wrenches so i can help other volunteers do these repairs...

i have 2 of those little repair kits that people usually put in saddle pouches that have a few allen wrenches, a few spoke wrenches, and one of them has a chain tool (but it's not a good one) hence i can (and do) perform basic preventative maintenance like oiling the brake cables and replacing break pads.

¹ can someone tell me a quick way to figure out whether i have a cassette or cog set? i know on a cog set the smallest cog is a locking ring but i don't know how to recognize that.

cross-posted at bikeforums so i can get as much advice as possible so plz don't be mad

[whittierider]

maybe an adjustable flat-wrench?

Most modern bikes don't have a single thing that an adjustable wrench would fit.  For repairs on the road (which should be rare), allen wrenches and a spoke wrench are the ticket for most anything.  Beyond that, you're into the specialty tools for your particular parts.  For example, there are quite a few different bottom bracket tools but you only need the ones that fit yours.

Bearings these days are pretty well sealed up with rubber rings, even if they use loose ball bearings.  They're not perfect, but they're probably a lot better than you're thinking.  Most people who get their bikes really muddy just give them a good bath, being careful not to give bearings a high-pressure water blast that could push through the seals.

The online Park Tool repair manual should be a lot of help to you.

As for a starter "kit," you could spend a couple hundred dollars on one of the kits sold by Performance or Nashbar for example, but most people just get the tools they need as they need them and probably end up with more of what they really need for a lower price in the long run.  I do all the work on my family's bikes.

1 can someone tell me a quick way to figure out whether i have a cassette or cog set? i know on a cog set the smallest cog is a locking ring but i don't know how to recognize that.

They're the same thing.  The more appropriate question might be "Do I have a cassette and freehub or do I have a freewheel?"  The picture at the top of this page should answer that adequately.  Basically in the cassette & freehub system, the "clicker," ie, ratchet assembly, is part of the hub, although it can be replaced, whereas with the freewheel, it's part of the freewheel that screws onto the hub.  Cassettes always slide onto the freehub body.

The problem with freewheels was that as they went to more and more speeds, the right-side hub bearings got farther and farther from the dropout in the frame, and made it easier and easier to break the axle.  The freehub remedied this by putting the right-side bearings in the right end of the ratchet assembly, closer to the frame's dropout.

[ice109]

As for a starter "kit," you could spend a couple hundred dollars on one of the kits sold by Performance or Nashbar for example, but most people just get the tools they need as they need them and probably end up with more of what they really need for a lower price in the long run.  I do all the work on my family's bikes.

that's really not an option for me. there are no bike shops here, mail takes anywhere from 15-60 days, and my bike is critically important.

They're the same thing.  The more appropriate question might be "Do I have a cassette and freehub or do I have a freewheel?"  The picture at the top of this page should answer that adequately. 

so i took a closer look at my cassette/cogset and i see lines in the metal that would fit something like the Park FR-1 or Park FR-4 (can't no way to know which) from the sheldonbrown page. i guess that means i have a freewheel? i guess what i really want to know about cogsets/cassettes is whether i can replace the cogs individually (because i tend to only ride on the smallest one). so now how do i find out what kind of freewheel tool i need?

supposing the bike hasn't been modified extensively would it help to email specialized and ask them what tool sizes/types i need?

i also noticed there's a little bit more play in the rear axle than i'd like. is this something i can fix with just two sets of pliers (the only tool i have right now)?

[paddleboy17]

It sounds like among other things, you need a set of cone wrenches.  A complete set usually covers 13MM-18MM.  You will need them to repack wheel bearings, and it sounds like the cones are loose on your rear wheel now.  Cones have a hex nut on one side, and a conical protusion on the other.

You at least need a repair reference.  I think Zinn and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance (or something close to that) is a good one.

[whittierider]

You can get individual cogs (if they're available at all) from loosescrews.com .  Complete freewheels are only around $20 though, and you will never be able to perform well if you only use the smallest cog.  That's why there are a bunch of them, to keep your cadence up in the general range of 80-100 rpm (the lower end of the cadence range being for climbing).  Out-of-the-saddle climbing may go lower, otherwise you're killing your knees!  My road bike's highest gear is 52/12 (52-tooth chainring and 12-tooth cog) and I don't use it below 37mph (60km/hr).

If you have a cassette, You will need a chain whip to keep the cassette from rotating while you loosen the lock ring.  For freewheels, you would need at least one chain whip to change individual cogs, maybe two chain whips, but none to remove the freewheel from the wheel.

Do your hubs have any play when the wheels are in the bike and the skewers are closed?  If you have quick release, keep in mind that the skewers do compress the axles slightly, so a proper adjustment will demostrate a little play when the skewers are open.  Removing that play will make the bearing adjust waaaaay too tight when the skewer is closed, dramatically shortening the life of the bearings.  As Paddleboy said, you'll need a set of cone wrenches to adjust the cones.  You might need more than one of a given size.  My Shimano 105 rear hub takes two of the same, 15mm if I remember correctly.  I opened it up at 8,000 miles because the freehub body had started skipping and needed replacement.  The grease in the wheel bearings was still that greenish yellow color that Shimano uses, and transparent, totally clean-looking, so I did not bother to wipe it out and put new grease in.  Now the bearings have at least that much more and are still perfectly smooth.

[ice109]

It sounds like among other things, you need a set of cone wrenches.  A complete set usually covers 13MM-18MM.  You will need them to repack wheel bearings, and it sounds like the cones are loose on your rear wheel now.  Cones have a hex nut on one side, and a conical protusion on the other.

You at least need a repair reference.  I think Zinn and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance (or something close to that) is a good one.

so i looked around on amazon and one of the reviews for a set had some good advice: get double ended 13/14, 14/15, and 13/15 so i have to of each of 13,14,15 which are the most common. but nowhere can i find a 14/15 wrench? is such a thing manufactured?

You can get individual cogs (if they're available at all) from loosescrews.com .  Complete freewheels are only around $20 though, and you will never be able to perform well if you only use the smallest cog.  That's why there are a bunch of them, to keep your cadence up in the general range of 80-100 rpm (the lower end of the cadence range being for climbing).  Out-of-the-saddle climbing may go lower, otherwise you're killing your knees!  My road bike's highest gear is 52/12 (52-tooth chainring and 12-tooth cog) and I don't use it below 37mph (60km/hr).

well i have a mtb not road and it's fairly hilly around here so i'm climbing often. i've been riding like this for years and my knees/legs feel great. i'm a firm believer in eustress causing growth in the body.

If you have a cassette, You will need a chain whip to keep the cassette from rotating while you loosen the lock ring.  For freewheels, you would need at least one chain whip to change individual cogs, maybe two chain whips, but none to remove the freewheel from the wheel.

Do your hubs have any play when the wheels are in the bike and the skewers are closed?  If you have quick release, keep in mind that the skewers do compress the axles slightly, so a proper adjustment will demostrate a little play when the skewers are open.  Removing that play will make the bearing adjust waaaaay too tight when the skewer is closed, dramatically shortening the life of the bearings.  As Paddleboy said, you'll need a set of cone wrenches to adjust the cones.  You might need more than one of a given size.  My Shimano 105 rear hub takes two of the same, 15mm if I remember correctly.  I opened it up at 8,000 miles because the freehub body had started skipping and needed replacement.  The grease in the wheel bearings was still that greenish yellow color that Shimano uses, and transparent, totally clean-looking, so I did not bother to wipe it out and put new grease in.  Now the bearings have at least that much more and are still perfectly smooth.

there's a tiny tiny bit of play with the skewers closed. it's reassuring that i won't have to repack bearings for a while but i don't think i'll make 8000 miles because i'm not riding in conditions similar to you. it's unimaginably dusty here.