No matter how nice you are to your bike, at some point it will likely need some maintenance. While you can take it to the bike shop, in the long run, it will likely be cheaper (and more satisfying) to learn how to maintain your bike yourself.
There are a few key tools you can invest in or you can go the whole hog and get a complete tool kit.
Below are some great deals on essentials such as cheap tyre levers, puncture repair kits, Allen/hex keys, multi-tools, a track pump and a basic cycling tool kit.
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Pedro's Tyre levers – £5.99
Tyre levers are an essential part of any rider's tool kit. While there may be cheaper levers out there, we really rate Pedro's tyre levers.
With a fat wide lip, they'll be able to wrestle off even the most stubborn tyre. They'll hardly break the bank either, and come with a lifetime guarantee.
Weldtite Puncture Repair Kit – £3.45
Here's a roadside and workshop essential that will give you change from a fiver.
Each kit comes with eight square patches, sandpaper and glue. A bargain staple that should be in every saddle bag.
Bondhus Ball End Allen key set – £10.97
You're not going to get far without a set of Allen keys – they are indispensable for the vast majority of bike maintenance tasks.
Bondhus actually makes hex keys for Park Tool, so rest assured that you'll be getting a great quality set of hex wrenches here.
For the importance of investing in a quality set of hex keys, you can read more here.
LifeLine X-Tools Pro ratchet wrench tool set – £14.99 £5.99
If you're looking for something a bit more portable than the Bondhus keys, this little ratcheting multi-tool from Wiggle house brand Lifeline looks like a good shout for just £5.99.
With 12 different replaceable bits, this nifty little tool should cover you for most eventualities.
Joe Blow Sport III Track Pump — £39.99 £29.99
The Joe Blow Sport is a legendary track pump that strikes a balance between quality performance and a sensible price.
The Sport is now onto its third iteration, with a rotating connector, longer lever and 3in gauge, and you can get 25 per cent off this workshop essential at Wiggle.
LifeLine X-Tools Performance 39-piece tool kit – £124.99
We appreciate that not everyone can afford premium tools, and if you're just getting into tinkering then you may not want to invest too much.
While it may not be as durable as more expensive options, this compact X-Tools tool kit has just about everything you need to work on a modern road or mountain bike and will serve you well for occasional maintenance tasks — ideal for the budding home mechanic.
X-Tools does produce slightly cheaper tool kits, but the extra cash gets you a few more tools that could be very valuable down the line, and buying them as part of a kit will be much cheaper than picking them up individually.
Halfords Advanced 150-piece socket and spanner set – £190 £121.60
If you’re looking to expand or start building a home bike workshop from scratch, or just need a general tool kit, you could do much, much worse than this heavily discounted ratchet and spanner set.
Taken from Halfords’ Advanced lineup – which offers a lifetime guarantee on all tools – this 150-piece set has a whopping £68.40 saving currently.
Park Tool MK-278... everything tool kit – £6,999.99 £5,998.50
Okay, so this tool kit, which could quite literally outfit a professional bike shop, isn't cheap, but with £1,000 off the RRP, Freewheel definitely takes the biscuit for the biggest discount here.
Muc-Off Ultimate Bicycle Cleaning Kit – £44.99
Preventative maintenance is just as important to consider, so while we're at it, let's avoid any further mechanicals and give that bike a good scrub.
While a bucket and sponge will work to a certain extent, a decent cleaning kit makes life a lot easier, and this all-in-one solution from Muc-Off is among the best out there.
