Bike Parts & Maintenance: 5 Essential Bike Tools You Need
Bike parts and maintenance go hand in hand. No matter what bike you own or how often you ride, even the best cycle parts require maintenance to ensure you can get the most from your time on the road or trails. When performing bike maintenance, it's essential to use the best bike tools to get the job done right. Without the right tools, bike parts can end up damaged or broken, or they could fail during a ride.
This article will discuss bike parts and the tools you can use for maintenance success. Whether you're just starting or are a seasoned pro, you'll want these five essential bike tools in your kit to ensure you've always got the best bike parts for your rides.
1. Chain Tool
A top-notch bicycle chain is one of the best cycle parts you can buy – but it's also the part that's most likely to fail during your bike's lifespan. A stretched or bent chain is one of the most common bike repairs you'll encounter, so having a chain tool to remove and replace links and reinstall a chain is critical.
A chain tool is a multi-use tool that allows you to easily remove old pins and insert new ones when breaking and reconnecting your bike chain. These essential bike maintenance tools can also help you take your chain off for cleaning to prolong its life, stay on top of maintenance and save on parts in the long run.
2. Pedal Wrench
If you ride your bike in a variety of different settings, multiple bike pedals are the best bike parts to ensure a smooth ride. However, this also means you'll need some specific cyclist tools to switch them out. In the case of pedal removal, you'll need a strong pedal wrench to get a good grip and excellent leverage.
Pedal wrenches give you access to the axle and better hold while you rotate the cranks to tighten or loosen the parts. Some people opt to use a traditional adjustable wrench, but these often leave riders unable to apply enough force, causing bruised knuckles and loose pedals.
3. Spoke Wrench
Your spokes support your wheels against flexing and deformation, making them some of the best bike parts for challenging rides off-road. But just like the other essential parts on your bike, they'll need regular maintenance to work at maximum performance.
A spoke wrench is another essential tool you should always keep in your bike maintenance kit to ensure you can adjust and replace your spokes at any given time. Thanks to their compact size, you can easily keep it with you any time you ride to ensure you're always prepared. Just remember, spokes are always threaded from the outside of the wheel.
4. Torque Wrench
While you may not think twice about them, the various nuts and bolts on your bike are extremely important. Many parts must be cinched down to a specific setting (usually foot-pounds or newton meters) to stay tight during movement but not tight enough to damage the materials. That's why torque wrenches are some of the best bike tools to protect sensitive parts from overtightening. A torque wrench can provide the exact amount of fastening you need to ensure you won't have an expensive problem after using too much force on a nut or bolt.
Bikes are becoming more precise, and delicate materials like carbon fiber and aluminum are popping up more often, so risking the damage with a regular wrench is not worth it.
5. Bike Pump
Despite probably being overlooked, a good bike pump is arguably the most important tool in your bike maintenance kit. Having the best bike parts means nothing if your tires are sitting flat. Without adequate pressure, your performance, efficiency, handling and comfort go out the window. Additionally, riding any bike with suboptimal pressure can seriously damage your rims, leading to more costly fixes in the future.
A quality floor pump is accurate, fast and reliable, taking the chore out of tire inflation. We recommend investing in a good floor pump to ensure your tires are always ready before your ride and a mini portable pump you can take with you in case of an accident.
You've Got the Essential Bike Tools, Now You Need the Top Bike Storage Solution
Taking care of the best cycle parts is simple when you have the right cyclist tools for the job. But when storing your well-maintained beauty, things can get a little more challenging. Thankfully, the Stasdock wall-mounted bike hanger is here to help. The Stasdock is designed for small apartments and cramped spaces with little storage and can transform any wall into the perfect space to store all your equipment when you're not behind the handlebars.
With compartments to keep your helmet, bike pump and other essential bike maintenance tools, the Stasdock is the best all-in-one storage solution to ensure you have everything you need before you ride. If you have questions or need some more information, feel free to contact us at any time.
