.

[tommytebco]

You should be able to remove/ adjust the wheels and seat. You should be able to lube the chain, cables and crank.

Some specialized tools sometimes required for crank disassembly. Free wheel removal does require special tools or a lot of ingenuity.
The more upscale the bike, the more sizes of wrenches seem to be needed.

That's about it. Always carry flat tire repair stuff unless walking home is a reasonable alternative. I carry a tube. Patch kit and tire irons are lighter and smaller, but when you're lucky for a long period of time, the rubber cement has a way of drying out and leaving you up a creek (to mix the metaphor)

Best how to is http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary-h.html in my opinion.

[jacob]

To do the level of maintenance that the bike shop does, you need something akin to Park Tools advanced kit. Surprisingly this does not contain superfluous stuff except maybe it'll have the wrong cassette and crank tools if you have a non-modern bike.

http://www.parktool.com/product/advance ... -kit-ak-38

I didn't buy that kit but spending two years fixing bikes that's about what I ended up with. I'd also recommend a wire cutter and a 4th hand. All my tools fit in a shoebox. I don't have a stand.

Keep in mind that those $150 buys you way more service than most people put in, e.g. regreasing all bearings.

Being a minimalist, you can do a lot with just this
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10 ... 1___204835
My saddlebag contains this tool + spare tube + tire levers.

[C40]

Forget about that bicycling.com article. They're recommending a special pair of scissors for cutting bar wrap. That is absolutely ridiculous.

I'd recommend that first you just:
- Get in the habit of cleaning and lubricating the chain fairly often
- Learn how to adjust the shifting, the brakes, and cable tension

Regularly lubing the chain, and doing the shifting and brake adjustments as needed will all but eliminate the need for the bike shop "yearly maintenance". Most of these adjustments are done with only allen keys. The other stuff - like headsets and bottom brackets only need to be messed with if there is a problem.


Tools - The very basics:

TAKE WITH YOU ON THE BIKE:
- Hex key set (allen keys.). It's better to get the normal key/wrenches rather than a multi-tool type thing. The plain keys work better (you can use either end), they're lighter, take up less space, and they are cheaper. When riding, you'll generally only need to carry two sizes. Check your bike to make sure.
- Two tire levers
- Tubes
- Inflation device. (I like ones like This which uses threaded cartridges. Don't buy your cartridges form bike stores - they're way overpriced. You can buy them in bulk for much cheaper from paintball gun equipment places, or maybe hardware stores. Check which size you need for your tube/tire size. Of course, you can get a normal type pump and not have to worry about cartridges.

Optional additions:
- Tube patch kit
- Chain tool (you should have one at home, but it will only aid you out on the road in very rare cases - only certain types of chain problems.
- Spoke wrench - again, have one at home, do your wheel truing at home. The only time you should need to use it on the road are very rare spoke failures - in which case you might be able to ride home by adjusting the other spokes a lot to make up for the difference.. but I don't think it's worth carrying unless you ride a long ways from home and have a fear of walking/riding with a stranger (if you're walking along a road with a fair amount of traffic, eventually someone will offer a ride)

FOR HOME:
- Lube. (Get a small container for application - either buy one bottle of lube or use some other container.. Then make your own lube - 75% Mineral Spirits, 25% motor oil.)
- Rag - for cleaning/oiling the chain
- Spoke wrench (the size(s) you need)
- Chain tool (they aren't entirely universal, check to get the right kind)



Tools - more:


For more serious maintenance, it depends on what you're going to do. Cheapest options:
- Buy a set of tools from someone who's getting rid of them to clean house
- Find somewhere that has a community set of tools.
- Find what you specifically need cheaply, or get a really good deal on a tool set.

If you buy a tool set, you'll probably be buying a ton of tools you won't need..


Things you would eventually need for bicycle maintenance:

- If you install new cables, you'll need: The cables, cable cutter, end crimps, possible new housing and housing end caps, and a 4th hand tool.

- If your bike has a quill stem, get the wrenches for adjusting at the top of the headset (forget the name now). You don't want those coming loose.

- Freewheel removal tool (but for you, you'd probably only use this if/when you change your freewheel, which is probably not often, so don't buy one until you buy a new freewheel). You'll also need a chain whip (or be willing/able to just use a chain instead of the chain whip - I've never tried that)

- If you're going to be removing the crankset and bottom bracket, the tools for that. It depends on what design you have.

- Pedal wrench. (if you change pedals.. or maybe if yours work themselves loose over time)

[KevinW]

Others have covered this pretty well, but for grins, here's what I can remember using in regular tune up maintenance:

- wrenches in various metric sizes (something like 4 through 11 mm, depends on the bike)
- medium size Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
- hex drivers for the seatpost bolt and braze on screws (you may not need these)
- tire levers
- floor pump (I like Lezyne)
- tire patch kit
- chain lube
- penetrating oil (WD-40)
- anti-seize
- household scissors
- household cleaning supplies (brush, sponge, paper towels, mild soap)
- eye protection

Specialty tools for specific jobs:
- pedal wrench
- wire cutter/crimper (I wish I had a 4th hand tool as well but made do without one)
- chain tool
- truing stand
You can wait on acquiring these until you need them, but for everyday transportation you rely on, it might be prudent to have them ready and waiting.

A bike stand will make things a *lot* easier but is not necessary.

To be fastidiously correct you should have a torque wrench, but it is acceptable to do without if you can feel the difference between different levels of hand-tight.

There are two schools of thought on flats: the "guerilla" tactic of being prepared to repair flats easily in the field, and the "castle" tactic of adding armor like Slime sealant, Mr. Tuffy, and high pressure, and assuming flats won't happen. Of course each tactic involves different gear.

Cyclists hold Park Tool in high regard but IMO their quality is fair and not BIFL level. They use a lot of plastic and the finish scuffs easily. I use their bike-specific tools but not general-purpose items like wrenches and drivers.

A kit can be a reasonable buy if you are starting from scratch. They usually cut you a bit of a bulk discount vs. buying the components individually. And that kit comes with an appropriately sized case, which is nice. Tool storage and organization is a whole "thing."

A bike co-op just started nearby and I joined. I can use their well-stocked and spacious workshop for a modest fee. That might be a more minimalist way to go, but is less ERE since it isn't self-sufficient. Also there have been times when something broke and I limped home, and was happy to have tools at home.

Good luck!

[jacob]

@henders - I didn't buy the set. But I got the equivalent of the set on eBay in bits and pieces as I needed them. The set might have the wrong crank tools and cassette puller (there are like 10 different of those) for your bike. (You can always sell those and get the right ones).

[Gilberto de Piento]

I agree you should carry a pump, tire levers, a spare tube, tube patches, and a multitool. I also like to carry a tire boot in case a tire gets cut: http://www.parktool.com/product/emergen ... -boot-tb-2. Carry it all in an underseat bag.

For specific jobs buy tools as you need them. If you buy the park tool set you won't use most of the wrenches and you probably already have screwdrivers and hex wrenches. Chain cleaning tools aren't very useful either in my opinion. Use a rag.

[man_is_obsolete]

I've used the Topeak Alien 2 for many years, has everything I need.

I don't think a typical cyclist (with a modern bike) would need most of the tools in that bicycling.com article. That includes the floor pump--I fill tires once a month or less, my frame pump (Topeak Road Morph G) works fine. Maybe I'm just lucky, or my bike is atypically durable or something.

Like the OP, I have a Trek FX. (a 7.3 made in 2008). In thousands of miles of road riding, I've had only 3 tube punctures and no actual repairs that I can remember. Just occasional brake pad adjustment and minor cleaning/lubing. It never rains where I live and the roads are clean, so YMMV.

In 6 years and thousands of miles, I've needed $12 of shop time (couldn't dial in my front derailleur for the life of me, shop did it in 2 minutes). Again, YMMV for older/cheaper bikes. Maybe I'm atypical.