Shimano Hollowtech II is arguably the gold standard with many brands opting to use it for external bearing and threaded bottom brackets. There is a wide variety of BB tools available due to the numerous bottom bracket standards out there and the different ways of installing and removing a bottom bracket, so making sure you have the right tool for the bottom bracket on your bike is a must. Bottom bracket toolĪ bottom bracket (BB) tool helps you remove or install a bottom bracket into the bottom bracket shell of a bike. SRAM, Campagnolo and Shimano all use different standards for these.

You will also need a splined cassette lockring tool if you want to remove your cassette for replacement or cleaning. For instance, is it suitable for 11-speed chains? It is also used to remove the cog from a fixed-wheel bike.Ī good chain whip will have a decent length handle that will help you gain some mechanical leverage and make light work of removing a lockring.Ĭheck that the chain whip is compatible with the width of the chain that you run on your bike. Chain whip and cassette lockring toolĪ chain whip holds the cassette in place and stops the freehub from spinning when removing the lockring of a cassette. You can even use it to take out a link and put a speed-link in to make removal/cleaning even easier. Use it to repair stiff links and to take your chain off for serious cleaning and so prolong the life of your chain and parts. Jack Luke / Immediate MediaĪ chain breaker tool is an essential bit of kit you should get familiar with using properly. You definitely want to have a chain breaker in your tool kit. Check out our comprehensive guide on how to remove and change bike pedals for more info. A good pedal spanner is usually flatter and thinner than a regular spanner, which you may struggle to get between the pedal and crank arm to undo.Īlways apply anti-seize compound to the pedal thread before installation to avoid wrestling with your pedals in the future.

Pedal spannerĪ proper pedal spanner will give you a better chance of leveraging off pedals, especially if they haven’t been removed in a long time. Just remember to undo the torque adjuster before throwing it back in the box. The bonus to using them is that you avoid over-tightening anything, which can affect your warranty on – or simply break – parts you regularly tighten, such as the frame, fork or handlebar. Torque wrenches are available cheaply and you can get very compact bike-specific ones.

Alex Evans / Immediate MediaĪ multi-tool is great for on-the-road repairs and adjustments but try to have a good set of Allen/hex keys in your toolbox.Ī decent T-handle set with a ball end on the long side is a good place to start – this allows you access to awkward bolts with reduced risk of rounding. A set of Allen keys is a bike maintenance essential.

Xtools pro itl bottom bracket tap