Aldi tool kit

[Tiger]

Aldi have this tool kit https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/wednesday-02-october-2013/wednesday-detail-wk40/ps/p/premium-bike-tool-kit-37pc/. Any opinions on how useful these particular tools are? I don't have any specialist bike tools but now everyone in the family is riding bikes, i would like to service them so am looking for bike tools.

[corbs]

You're not going to get anything better at that price :)

The tools won't be great quality but they will get you started, as the break or wear out you can replace them individually with better quality tools. That's what I would do if I didn't already have my own kit :wink:

[Master Splinter]

My guesses:
287573

Many of the tools (purists, cover your eyes) are not essential but are nice, as then you don't have to miss-use multigrips, punches and chisels. The majority of weird lookin' stuff is for things like cotterless cranks, top and bottom bracket tools, and things for spokes and chains.

I've got one on my shopping list.

I see that bike mechanics have joined the not-too-strong-and-not-too-hot-décaffè-caffè-latté-on-söy-milk-with-a-touch-of-chai-and-no-chocolate-powder-dusting* set and have a special tool for tightening up the rear cluster. In my day we just used our hands to tighten it up.

*Edit - revised after finding out how many new tools have been spawned for bike repair tasks. I remember back when all the tools you needed to repair one's velocipede were a cold chisel and a brick! You could even use a broken brick, too!

[Tiger]

Thanks boys, Master S really appreciate you identifying what you get in the kit. We have a bmx, 2 mountain bikes and 2 racers, can i ask what tools not included in the set will i need for servicing/repairs? I have allen keys, spanners and socket set.

[Master Splinter]

Your biggest stumbling block will be speciality tools specific to one make/model - generally the only one that can't be improvised is the tool for removing the rear cluster. But it's not like you'll need to remove this often, if at all. If you're keen on trying a cross-four rather than cross-three spoke pattern, or want to change to a different style of quick release hub, you'll need one...but don't hunt 'em all up just in case!

I'd add a good ring/open ended spanner set, decent screwdrivers, a hammer and a tube of blue locktite and some brake or carby cleaner spray (you spray the fastener with the carby cleaner then use the loctite...loctite isn't keen on oil or grease!)

[Tiger]

Ok, thanks for that, it sounds like this kit has most of wat i'll need. In the past 2 tools that would have come in handy are thin (cone?) spanners and a cable puller (fourth hand?), i've managed to work around these but at the time i wish i'd had them. Pity they are not included in this set.

[Master Splinter]

They make cable pullers now????

I've revised my description of today's bike mechanics to read "Not-too-strong-and-not-too-hot-décaffè-caffè-latté-on-söy-milk-with-a-touch-of-chai-and-no-chocolate-powder-dusting" in my above comment.

Locking pliers FTW!

[Mr Brush]

What corbs said - you won't find anything much to compete at that price, and being Aldi you can take them back if they turn out to be made of a steel/cheese alloy....:rolleyes:

The ones that break will be the most used/useful items, so replace those with better quality tools as you go.

Definitely better to service your bike yourself and learn how everything works, as well as saving big $$$. With the demise of new bike sales through traditional shops, several in our area make most of their living out of servicing the latest high-tech mountain bikes, etc. I know several mountain bikers who think nothing of spending a few hundred $ for a "service" :oo:. Of course, its always funny when something minor goes "ping" while on a long ride, and they have no idea how to fix it (e.g. disc brakes).

I'm starting to think that if it weren't for blue loctite, the entire planet would have shaken itself to pieces by now.

[Master Splinter]

Ok...tell me that this isn't a parallel universe - people spend a few hundred $ on bike servicing????? For that sort of price it should involve manually polishing the spoke nipples!

[Mr Brush]

We're in the wrong business - I know of one local bike that shop did a complete strip-down service on a fancy pants mountain bike (front and rear shocks, disc brakes, etc.) for just under $300.....

This was a "once a year" job in preparation for a season of riding - re-packed bearings, the works. Nothing you couldn't do yourself though. Funny thing is I was out riding with the person concerned just after they had the service done, and their front disc brakes stopped working about 15 mins into the ride. I wandered back up the track 50m, found the clip which had pinged off, and refitted it using nothing more than the end of a tyre lever.

Maybe they shouldn't have gone for such a cheap service?? :D

From this you can see that small bike shops can easily make more from servicing (almost 100% labour) than the mark up on new bike sales these days. So.....an Aldi toolkit plus a bit of time spent learning how your bike goes together is well worthwhile.

[Mr Brush]

MS - sorry, you'll have to polish your own nipples......:D

[Tiger]

Mr brush, good advice, I'd hate to think of the number of times I or family members have been out and there's been some sort of mishap, anything from a flat tyre to something coming loose so learning to service is worthwhile. There's 5 bikes so if each needed a service we'd be up for a bit. I'm going to get the Aldi kit and if anyone thinks there are other tools I also need I'll look at those too.

[bsrlee]

I bought one of these about a year or so ago, I think it was the second time they had been offered, and gave it to my neighbour's bike & athletics mad son. He regularly pulls apart his flash road bike with it, does his own servicing (every week or so) and works on the rest of the families bikes too. He also ended up with my Aldi bike work stand as it took up too much room in my laundry. All his parents had to get him was one of the plastic chain washer/oiler and he is pretty much a one man bike shop, and so far (fingers crossed) none of the tools have broken or otherwise needed replacement.

[Tiger]

I bought the kit yesterday and there were only 2 left. Don't know about the quality but certainly popular item. Thanks to everyone who provided some information here. Also bought the pump, so far not all that impressed with it, it struggles to blow up a football, I'll see how it goes with bike tyres.

[Foo]

Everything is a pain in the #### when trying to work on new stuff, compared to when I raced back in the 70/80s, when all the brands where inter changable.:~ Campagnolo and Shimano chain rings, cluster, bottom brackets, cones for wheels, chains you could mix and match and you didn't need a torque wrench. :no:


But I do love riding my Carbon Fibre bike. :D

Foo

[Master Splinter]

A torque wrench....you have to be kidding!!!!

[Foo]

I kid you not! Everything is speced up to the limit and this especially applies to Carbon Fibre bikes and components. :D

Foo

[Handyjack]

When changing brake cables I use vise grips, quick acting clamp and the correct size ring or open ended spanner.

Having the spare when the cable snaps is the problem though.

[corbs]

My brake cables have hydraulic fluid running through them.

[Foo]

^^ What? ^^

Please explain! :screwy:

Foo

[corbs]

Actually it's mineral oil but they are hydraulic disk brakes on my mountain bike. CX bikes have had them for a while now and they are just making their move into road cycling as well. Shimano (http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2013-Colnago-C59-disc-brake-road-bike-gray.jpg) & SRAM (http://rcdn.roadbikereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SRAM-22-speed-Red-group-and-hydraulic-disc-brakes.jpg) have their own road versions out already. They've been in the MTB world for years now.

[Foo]

No no, what I meant to say was. You say oil running through your cables but did you mean to say fully hydraulic like a motor bike? :doh: :)

Foo

[corbs]

No no, what I meant to say was. You say oil running through your cables but did you mean to say fully hydraulic like a motor bike? :doh: :)

Foo

Fully hydraulic, I guess like a motor bike. They run the same principle I think. Pull the lever, pressure pushes the oil in the line which in turn pushes the piston onto the brake disk. If I want to stop faster, I pull harder (but not too hard, they work very well ;) )

[delbs]

Fully hydraulic, I guess like a motor bike. They run the same principle I think. Pull the lever, pressure pushes the oil in the line which in turn pushes the piston onto the brake disk. If I want to stop faster, I pull harder (but not too hard, they work very well ;) )

I had hydro discs on all my bike's and im 100kgs, stops me on my downhill bike no worries at all. Just need to lean back far enough not to go over handle bars lol :)

[Tiger]

Bought the kit, first job to do was tighten the bottom bracket. The adjustable lockring spanner is useless, resorted to pipe wrench to remove lockring on the bottom bracket, other tools look ok but a little flimsy. All in all though it's a good starter kit. I think i would buy more of their tools particularly the bike repair stand but that hasn't been on sale recently.

[Foo]

I have the bike stand and am happy with it. :2tsup:

Foo

[Tiger]

I have the bike stand and am happy with it. :2tsup:

Foo

It looks like more expensive stands and generally the feedback has been good. Not sure but it seems that Aldi haven't had it in for a while.

[kiwigeo]

A torque wrench....you have to be kidding!!!!

If you're running a carbon fibre frame or components then a torque wrench is mandatory. After you've overtightened a CF seat tube clamp and split the tube you'll then realise that the cost of a wrench would have been a small percentage of the cost of a new bike frame.

[Foo]

I missed out on the Aldi torque wrench as I was away in the truck and forgot to tell my wife to get over there and get me one. :doh:

I do however take special care not to over tighten on my CF bike though. :wink:

Foo

[Foo]

Jeez, 5yrs have passed since being in this thread. :oo: My tool kit has grown greatly since then, with the inclusion of a torque wrench set, cable cutter, a full set bike specific open enders and a chain wear measurer. Bottom bracket tools for different BB's and cluster remover. :U

Foo