{"id":4927,"date":"2015-01-07T09:12:55","date_gmt":"2015-01-07T17:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/?p=4927"},"modified":"2015-07-20T10:47:00","modified_gmt":"2015-07-20T17:47:00","slug":"from-the-editor-ten-items-for-every-cyclists-toolbox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/2015\/01\/from-the-editor-ten-items-for-every-cyclists-toolbox\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Editor: Ten items for every cyclist\u2019s toolbox"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This year, rather than resolving to \u2018ride more\u2019, or \u2018get faster,\u2019 I\u2019ve decided to tackle something that is a little more concrete: learning how to properly maintain and tune my bikes.<\/p>\n

Sounds simple for someone who has been devoted to riding for the past decade (and working in the bike industry for half of it), but with a professional mechanic for a husband, sadly, bike maintenance has never been a priority. So, this year I resolve to get my hands dirty more often and learn to be more self-sufficient on my bike!<\/p>\n

To kick that off I\u2019ve put together a list of some of\u00a0the essential tools and gear that every cyclist should have in their kit<\/strong>, with examples from Park Tool, Super B, Topeak, and Axiom.<\/p>\n

1) Floor pump<\/strong> \u2013 I keep a mini pump in my riding pack for emergencies, but when it comes to changing the occasional flat on my commuter bike, or dialing in the air pressure on my mountain bike\u2019s tubeless tires, a sturdy floor pump with a gauge is essential! Check out: Axiom Kompressair G200A<\/a>, MSRP $105 CAD.<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>) Tire levers<\/strong> \u2013 Muscling your tires off without levers is always an option, but they sure do make the job easier. A set of three will help with rim\/tire combos that are super tight. Check out: Park Tool Tire Levers<\/a>, MSRP $4.50 CAD.<\/p>\n

3) Chain tool<\/strong> \u2013 I find mini chain tools that come on multi tools super fiddly, so a full size chain tool helps to hold things together and get your chain aligned\u2026without dropping it a half-dozen times. Check out: Topeak Universal Chain Tool<\/a>, MSRP $14 CAD.<\/p>\n

4) Multi-tool<\/strong> \u2013 Whether you are buzzing around town or on the trail, keeping a multi-tool handy is always a good idea. I\u2019m forever adjusting my saddle height, so this is especially important for me. Check out: Topeak Mini 20 Pro<\/a>, MSRP $50 CAD, or Axiom Corker<\/a>, MSRP $20 CAD.<\/p>\n

5) Pedal wrench<\/strong> \u2013 A 15mm pedal wrench is always good to have in a toolbox to tighten, or change pedals. Check out: Super B Pedal Wrench<\/a>, MSRP $11 CAD.<\/p>\n

6) Allen key set<\/strong> \u2013 A multi tool will get the job done in a pinch, but for tasks like installing bottle cages and changing saddles (or any prolonged work) I prefer using full size wrenches. Check out: Super B Hex Wrench Set <\/a>(2-10mm), MSRP $30 CAD.<\/p>\n

7) Torx key<\/strong> \u2013 While not as frequently used as allen keys, every once and while a torx set comes in handy \u2013 I use the T25 size most often on my Rockshox Reverb dropper post lever. Checkout: Park Tool TWS3 Torx 3-Way Wrench<\/a>, MSRP $14 CAD.<\/p>\n

8) Spare tubes<\/strong> \u2013 Flats are never fun, but they are far more tolerable when you have a replacement tube, or patch kit, ready to go. I keep a few tubes for each of my bikes at home, and a spare mountain bike tube in my riding bag at all times.<\/p>\n

9) Tube of grease<\/strong> \u2013 If you are installing new pedals, swapping cockpit components, or installing a new bottom bracket, greasing your threads helps to ensure they won\u2019t seize and get stuck. Check out: Park Tool Poly Lube 1000 Grease<\/a>, MSRP $8 CAD.<\/p>\n

10) Bottle of lube<\/strong> \u2013 A well-lubed chain is a happy (and quiet) chain. Depending on your riding conditions, you may need an all-purpose, wet, or dry lube. Your local independent bike shop can help you choose!<\/p>\n

Honorary #11 on my list would be a bike stand<\/strong>, as they make even the smallest job so much more<\/em> enjoyable. It seemed like it was a little too big for the tool box to be included in this list, but if you plan to spend much time working on your (or your family’s) bikes in the future, they are a great investment!<\/p>\n

– –<\/p>\n

\"rachael-bio-crop\"<\/a>Rachael Raven is the Web Content Coordinator for Live to Play Sports and editor of livetoplaysports.com. Read her blog<\/a>\u00a0for observations\u00a0about the cycling world, including happenings around LTP\u2019s Port Coquitlam office!\u00a0More about Rachael here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year, rather than resolving to \u2018ride more\u2019, or \u2018get faster,\u2019 I\u2019ve decided to tackle something that is a little more concrete: learning how to properly maintain and tune my bikes. Sounds simple for someone who has been devoted to…..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[279],"tags":[690,592,633,525,688],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4927"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6263,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927\/revisions\/6263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}