Standard Tools
- Thread starter Rex8976
- Start date
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
A good quality bike that has been properly assembled needs next to no maintenance. Seriously. The only routine items are a floor pump and lubricant for the chain. Check the pressure every couple of weeks and top off as necessary. Same with the chain; lube every couple of weeks. Just be sure to wipe off the excess so you don't get build up of muck.
I know some people check all the nuts and bolts every once in awhile. I am a professional mechanic and I do not do that. If it is/was properly torqued when assembled, it will stay that way. Brakes and gear adjustments? There are tool-free cable adjusters on the bike. The only tools you really need to carry are those to fix a flat: tire levers, spare tube, patch kit, a pump or CO² inflator, and a wrench if the wheels are not quick release.
Of course you can buy tools for all the fittings on your bike. But those are used not so much for routine maintenance, but repair. In those cases you need more than tools to fix a bike.
I know some people check all the nuts and bolts every once in awhile. I am a professional mechanic and I do not do that. If it is/was properly torqued when assembled, it will stay that way. Brakes and gear adjustments? There are tool-free cable adjusters on the bike. The only tools you really need to carry are those to fix a flat: tire levers, spare tube, patch kit, a pump or CO² inflator, and a wrench if the wheels are not quick release.
Of course you can buy tools for all the fittings on your bike. But those are used not so much for routine maintenance, but repair. In those cases you need more than tools to fix a bike.
byunbee
Well-Known Member
@Nova Haibike, makes a valid point too. One thing I will say is that with more people buying ebikes from online vendors, “properly torqued when assembled” can be questionable at best depending on the manufacturer.A good quality bike that has been properly assembled needs next to no maintenance. Seriously. The only routine items are a floor pump and lubricant for the chain. Check the pressure every couple of weeks and top off as necessary. Same with the chain; lube every couple of weeks. Just be sure to wipe off the excess so you don't get build up of muck.
I know some people check all the nuts and bolts every once in awhile. I am a professional mechanic and I do not do that. If it is/was properly torqued when assembled, it will stay that way. Brakes and gear adjustments? There are tool-free cable adjusters on the bike. The only tools you really need to carry are those to fix a flat: tire levers, spare tube, patch kit, a pump or CO² inflator, and a wrench if the wheels are not quick release.
Of course you can buy tools for all the fittings on your bike. But those are used not so much for routine maintenance, but repair. In those cases you need more than tools to fix a bike.
myers830
Active Member
There have been many videos posted on YouTube regarding Lectric XP bikes....and they are reporting loose bolts, pedals falling off or stripped threads after a few miles, flopping fenders, etc. So as nice as it would be to have a "properly torqued" assembly (after waiting a month or 2 for the bike), there is no evidence that these bikes do not need to be checked before getting on them for the first time. In fact, I would take it even further and inspect all the welds. The Chinese are known to hurry these bikes out the door.
Darceman
Well-Known Member
A good quality bike that has been properly assembled needs next to no maintenance. Seriously. The only routine items are a floor pump and lubricant for the chain. Check the pressure every couple of weeks and top off as necessary. Same with the chain; lube every couple of weeks. Just be sure to wipe off the excess so you don't get build up of muck.
I know some people check all the nuts and bolts every once in awhile. I am a professional mechanic and I do not do that. If it is/was properly torqued when assembled, it will stay that way. Brakes and gear adjustments? There are tool-free cable adjusters on the bike. The only tools you really need to carry are those to fix a flat: tire levers, spare tube, patch kit, a pump or CO² inflator, and a wrench if the wheels are not quick release.
Of course you can buy tools for all the fittings on your bike. But those are used not so much for routine maintenance, but repair. In those cases you need more than tools to fix a bike.
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Darceman
Well-Known Member
Seriously bad advice...
All bikes need adjustments over time. Online saves you a good chunk of change as your not paying the retailer to unbox your bike to sdet it up..
There are adjustments that need to be made on a regular basis. So you do need some tools unless you don't plan on riding your bike. Brake pads wear and the calipers need to be adjusted. You need to loosen the cable with at least pliers for this if not a wrench. You also need an allen wrench. The derailleur stops for your gears need to be adjusted as the cables stretch etc. This requires a philips screw driver. There is a thumb screw that fines tunes your gears but not before you set up the highest and lowest gears with the Phillips screwdriver. You don't Ned to spend much on tools. You can watch all sorts of you tube videos that help you out learning...Lots of our members had never used any tools before and now regularly service their bikes..
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
This applies to all bikes, even the name brands such as Trek, Giant, and Specialized. They maybe be partially assembled from the factory, but they are not ajusted. The final assembly and adjustment is up to the shop and its mechanic.
Speaking of pedals falling off, I have been repairing an unusual amount of crank arms in the past month. The pandemic has kept me extremely busy.
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
Nope. The stops do not need to be adjusted as the cables stretch. That is what the inline cable adjuster is for. Assuming the stops are adjusted properly in the first place, they should never be re-adjusted again. Ever. Period. Unless the derailleur is a piece of crap and the screws move when you look at them. Seriously, do not touch the limit screws unless you know what you are doing.
I teach people maintenance and repair at my co-op...or at least I did before the pandemic. If you do not know what you are doing, you can easily screw up your bike more than if you did nothing at all. I see it all the time. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. LOL.
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Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
Let me rephrase the question:
I'd like to keep a few small hand tools with the bike (and some duct tape...solves every problem!)
for small issues away from home.
Hex keys. You can buy a set with 2.5mm to 10mm that will cover everything, but 4, 5, and 6mm should suffice.
#2 Phillips or better yet a #2 JIS screwdriver.
Chain rivet tool and a spare connecting link for your specific chain.
The above mention stuff to fix a flat. You can add a tire boot (to patch a seriously damaged tire)...the duct tape can be the tire boot.
Some people buy Swiss army type multi tools made for bikes. I prefer separate tools as they are easier to use if not quite as handy to carry.
Rex8976
New Member
Thanks.
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Seriously, it never hurts to get one of these little kits and take it with you/check tightnesses now and then.
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Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
I highly recommend a chain degreaser tool. My brand new Trek came with really greasy stuff on the chain that collected tons of dirt within a couple of weeks. Even my local Trek guy agreed it was far too greasy and needed to be replaced. I cleaned the chain with a Finish Line degreaser tool and then used some dry lube to relube.A good quality bike that has been properly assembled needs next to no maintenance. Seriously. The only routine items are a floor pump and lubricant for the chain. Check the pressure every couple of weeks and top off as necessary. Same with the chain; lube every couple of weeks. Just be sure to wipe off the excess so you don't get build up of muck.
I know some people check all the nuts and bolts every once in awhile. I am a professional mechanic and I do not do that. If it is/was properly torqued when assembled, it will stay that way. Brakes and gear adjustments? There are tool-free cable adjusters on the bike. The only tools you really need to carry are those to fix a flat: tire levers, spare tube, patch kit, a pump or CO² inflator, and a wrench if the wheels are not quick release.
Of course you can buy tools for all the fittings on your bike. But those are used not so much for routine maintenance, but repair. In those cases you need more than tools to fix a bike.
Darceman
Well-Known Member
Honestly this is not rocket science Yes you are correct about the stops. But when you get these bikes they can be out of adjustment and need to be adjusted.I was being a little bit general but scaring everyone into not working on their own bikes is crazy these things are simple not difficult. A small child can work on these without difficulty. No reason to scare people and make it more difficult and complicated than it really is. That's why we have this forum to discuss and share our knowledge not scare people away from working on their own bikes
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
No, it is not rocket science, but I will disagree about small children. 
I am certainly not trying to scare anyone away from working on a bike. But it helps to know what method of learning works for you for sure; watching a YouTube video does not work for everyone.
I am certainly not trying to scare anyone away from working on a bike. But it helps to know what method of learning works for you for sure; watching a YouTube video does not work for everyone.
Darceman
Well-Known Member
As I notice your also a "Well known member" im surprised you say that some are unable to learn from a video. There's many seniors and non mechanically minded members that have simply watched a couple videos that we have recommended and have consequently never taken their bikes in for repair again. We are here to learn from each other and a lot of members have discovered how incredibly simple these bikes are and have increased their confidence level not only by being able to ride a bike again but also simply by being able to repair their own bikes. I stand behind that a child could work on these. At six years old my son built a remote control car from a kit and maintained more than one throughout his career racing them. I have worked on both and an ebike is not much different electronically and is less complicated than a RC Car
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
I am surprised you are surprised. "Some" of course is the key word. Regardless, I stand by my words, because I have first hand experience with this all the time. People bring me bikes that they have attempted to adjust by watching a video, but they have done it incorrectly. There is no shame in not being able to learn from a video, especially if the instructor is not a good communicator. But also sometimes the things shown in videos is not quite like the component you are working on.
FWIW, I have often referred members here to videos by Park Tool and others.
Kimbo
Active Member
This is what I carry along with a small floor pump. I found that the tires although only 20" need more air than my regular Zefal bike pump can supply so I bought a 1/2 size floor pump at the local dollar store which fills the tubes very easily. All of the tools fit in the red (dollar store again) pouch which attaches under my seat and then it's "out of sight and out of mind"...at least until needed! I find that I have everything I need but should add a little bit of duct tape for real emergencies!
