A bike tool kit is a great choice if you’re just getting into cycling or you’re looking for a more comprehensive set of tools for the car or garage.
Many people build up their collection of bike tools over time, but a specialist tool kit is an easy and often more affordable way to get all the tools you need for virtually any bike maintenance, from replacing a cassette to installing new brake cables.
Take a look at the best bike tool kits that we have tried and tested below, and our guide to some of the essential tools a kit should include.
Best bike tool kits in 2024
PRO Advanced Toolbox
- £200 / $290 / AU$453 as tested
- Quality feeling tools
- Needs to be topped up to be comprehensive
The PRO Advanced Toolbox has 25 tools that are well-made, a decent weight and feel like they’ll endure the test of time, as you’d expect of PRO (Shimano’s in-house parts brand).
Rubberised handles give great grip and enhance usability. The Allen keys have a precise fit and both the cassette tool and chain tool are 12-speed compatible. Quick-link pliers are a handy addition to the set.
The custom-cut foam inlay keeps the tools firmly in place, while the metal clasps on the carry case are robust and secure.
Ideally, it’d include a complete Torx set (it has T20, T25 and T30 wrenches) and a 1.5mm Allen key. If we’re being really picky, a flat-blade screwdriver would be nice too, but overall, there’s little to criticise with this excellent kit.
Birzman Essential Tool Box
- £150 / $178 as tested
- Professional-looking kit
- Pricey
The Birzman Essential Tool Kit is a professional-looking kit, with each of the tools stowed in a labelled foam pocket within the hard plastic case.
Thirteen ‘pieces’ are provided (20+ tools), covering most of what’s required to build a bike. The chain and pedal wrenches are long enough to unstick seized parts. Notches on the Allen keys are useful for checking they’re inserted far enough.
Adaptors are provided so you can use the cassette and bottom bracket tools with the 8mm Allen key, avoiding the need to add an adjustable spanner.
We’d downsize the chain rivet extractor and add a pair of cable cutters.
Topeak Prepbox toolbox
- £320 / €320 / $400 / AU$600 as tested
- 36 usable, good quality tools
- High price
The Topeak Prepbox has 36 tools and is fairly comprehensive. The tools feel weighty and high-quality.
The long Allen keys are easy to use, and the inclusion of the 1.5mm size is a bonus. It’s great to see a torque wrench included too, and we found the chain tool particularly good for helping to free sticky links.
The case is sturdy, with foam cut-outs for each tool and zipped covers. During transit, there was no rattling and the tools remained in place.
While the cable cutters are sharp, they don’t have the smoothest action. The cassette tool’s chamfered edges mean it doesn’t engage that securely with SRAM XD 11- and 12-speed cassettes.
A couple of the tools – the internal BB tool and crank puller – are virtually redundant now and could be replaced.
Also consider
The following tool kits scored lower than the four out of five stars required to make our best list, but are still worth considering.
Lezyne Port-A-Shop
- £110 / $120 as tested
- Allen and Torx wrenches
- Glueless patches
The Port-A-Shop from Lezyne is more of a (well-presented) multi-tool expansion kit than the portable workshop its name suggests.
However, it provides a range of tools that should cover most car park bike-tinkering needs. The bulk of them are contained within three high-quality multi-tools.
There’s a wide range of Allen and Torx wrenches, and the inclusion of traditional and glueless patch kits is a nice touch. A separate spoke key would be easier to use than the one integrated into the chain tool.
The range of tools falls short of other kits here if you’re looking to fully assemble a bike.
Pedro’s Starter Tool Kit
- £170 / $150 / AU$200 as tested
- Tool wrap case
- Some extra tools needed
Presented in a durable-feeling tool wrap, this selection of 19 high-quality tools is a good starting point for the home mechanic to expand upon.
Pedro’s ‘cog wrench’ is a hassle-free alternative to a chain whip, with a great handlebar-grip-style handle. The cable cutters are another highlight, slicing through both inners and outers easily.
You’ll need an adjustable spanner (not included, but there is room for one) to make use of some of the tools.
At this price, we’d expect common bike tools such as a T25 Torx wrench and bottom bracket tool to be included.
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Essential tools for a bike tool kit
Many modern bikes might seem more complicated than bikes of years gone by, but at their core, they are still relatively simple to work on and use the same selection of tools for most maintenance.
In addition to tyre levers, mini-pump and puncture repair kit, these are the essential bike-specific tools any home mechanic’s tool kit should include and will cover some of the most straightforward jobs on a bike.
Allen/hex keys
While a multi-tool is great for on-the-road repairs and adjustments, try to have a good set of Allen keys in your toolbox.
A 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.
Torque wrench
Torque wrenches are available cheaply and you can get very compact bike-specific ones. 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.
Just remember to reset the torque wrench back to its lowest setting before throwing it back in the box to avoid prematurely damaging the spring.
Pedal spanner
A proper pedal spanner will give you a better chance of leveraging off pedals, especially if they haven’t been removed in a long time. 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.
Always apply anti-seize compound to the pedal thread before installation to avoid wrestling with your pedals in the future. Check out our comprehensive guide on how to remove and change bike pedals for more info.
Chain breaker tool
A chain breaker tool is an essential bit of kit you should get familiar with using properly.
Use it to repair stiff links or to thoroughly clean a bike chain to prolong its life. You can even use it to remove a link and put a quick link in to make future removal or cleaning even easier.
Chain whip and cassette lockring tool
A chain whip holds the cassette in place and stops the freehub from spinning when removing the lockring of a cassette. It is also used to remove the cog from a fixed-wheel bike.
A 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. Check that the chain whip is compatible with the width of the chain that you run on your bike.
You will also need a cassette lockring tool if you want to remove your cassette for replacement or cleaning. SRAM, Campagnolo and Shimano all use different standards for these.
What tools should I carry out on a ride?
If you're going on a ride, you'll need to make sure you carry some separate tools in case you need to make any mid-ride adjustments or fix a puncture.
We'd always recommend carrying one of the best bike multi-tools, a tyre lever, a spare inner tube and a mini-pump as a starting point.
