hex wrench
Also referred to as allen wrench (or misspelled as alan) and it is a necessity for your toolbox. A good set of metric allen wrenches is likely the most essential tool for modern bicycles. They are hexagonal rods of varying width (1mm – 10mm) designed to fit the many bolts on modern bikes from water bottle cage, to headset, to crank bolts. If you find yourself working on bikes for a significant portion of your week, a nice set of allen keys is a must. I like the L shaped ones with a nice rubber or plastic molded grip at the bend. For many a compact multi-tool that includes the most common allen key sizes will be all that is required. Alternatives to allen wrenches include hexagonal rods of varying width by mm or even a good set of metric hex wrenches will do the trick. Just buy a set.
hex wrench Tutorials
How to Tighten A Bicycle Headset
One of the most basic maintenance tasks you can do but one that can make a tremendous impact on how your bike handles is tightening your headset. If you are noticing that your fork shakes or you...
Company: Chris King
Type: Repair Tutorial
How To Service A RockShox Reverb Dropper Seat Post
Tools for the job
2.5 weight suspension fluid
Torx keys
Reverb bleed syringes
Paper cloth
Degreaser
It’s important to note that Reverb dropper posts require a...
Type: Repair Tutorial
How-to: Chain Catcher Installation
A chain catcher is a cheap and easy way to eliminate a dropped chain, which has the potential to damage a frame.
Chain Catchers
All are easy to install,...
Type: Repair Tutorial
Setting Up 2 Finger Brake and Shift Levers on a Mountain Bike
A lot of time brake levers are fitted in a wrong position. To correctly determine the position, place your hands outright as if you were riding the bike. The correct amount of fingers should fall...
Type: Repair Tutorial
Installing and Fitting A Bike Saddle
A saddle in the wrong position can put excess stress on your legs and your hips. Ideally the saddle will be set up so it is level with the ground.
Saddle Position...
Type: Repair Tutorial
How to Fix Disc Brake Rub on a Mountain Bike
This is one of the easiest fixes out there. Whether you are out riding or back at home working on your whip it's a quick 3 minute fix that will leave you riding waaaaay better.
Let's face...
Type: Repair Tutorial
Installing Pedals the Right Way
Installing Pedals:
First, be aware that there are two types of pedals -left and right- they are not the same. The left pedal is a left hand thread, and the right a right hand thread.
... Type: Repair Tutorial
Manually Clean A Mountain Bike Cassette
To improve the performance and life span of a cassette it is important to clean it manually. After removing the cassette from the hub, flip it over, and remove the screw holding the stack together...
Type: Repair Tutorial
How to Install A Knog Light on Your Stem
How to install your Knog light on your bike stem.
Knog Light on Stem
All you will need is a set of allen wrenches.
Start by loosening all the bolts...
Company: Knog
Type: Repair Tutorial
Front Derailleur Setup with an Oval Chainring
Do you have any tips for installing oval chainrings and fine tuning the front derailleur for their use?
Before beginning, it is important to not that front derailleurs will never shift as...
Type: Repair Tutorial
How to Replace Disc Brake Pads
First thing to do is undo your quick release and remove your front wheel. Try not to touch the disc brake pads, which will contaminate the disc pads and cause a squeaky sound when riding.
...
Type: Repair Tutorial
Install a Bashguard to Increase Ground Clearance
A bashguard is a plastic or aluminum ring that replaces the largest chainring. Its purpose is to increase ground clearance and help the bike slide over logs and rocks. It also protects the...
Type: Repair Tutorial
Replace Road Bike Cartridge Brake Pads
Tools: hex wrench set.
First thing to do is remove the old pads. This will usually require a 1.5-2.5mm allen wrench. Remove the bolts and set them aside. New pads come with new bolts.
... Type: Repair Tutorial
Adjust Shimano Front Road Derailleurs
How to adjust Shimano road front derailleurs:
All front derailleurs have the same basic adjustments. You have a low limit screw, a high limit screw, and the cable anchor adjustment.
...
Company: Shimano
Type: Repair Tutorial
Use an M-check to Make Sure Bike is Working Before A Ride
Prior to going on a bike ride, you want to check your bike over to make sure it’s safe for the ride.
We use the M-check. It starts at the derailleur, up to the saddle, down to the bottom...
Type: Repair Tutorial
How to Bleed Hope Brakes
How To Bleed A Hope Brake:
Before we start anything on the bleeding procedure, we need to make sure the mast cylinder is level, so now fluid will be lost from the master cylinder when...
Type: Repair Tutorial
Install a 42-tooth Sprocket on a 10-speed Cassette
One Up Components 42 Tooth Sprocket:
This is designed for SRAM and Shimano’s 10-speed drivetrains, which use 11t-36t cassettes.
42-tooth Sprocket for 10-speed...
Company: Maxxis SRAM Shimano Wolf Tooth Components
Type: Repair Tutorial
Installing Campagnolo Ergopower Integrated Brake/Gear Levers
Installing Integrated Brake/Gear Levers:
To begin, peel back the brake hood. Slide a lever on to the handlebar into position and tighten with a 5mm allen wrench. Positioning should look...
Company: Campagnolo
Type: Repair Tutorial
How to Adjust Campagnolo Front Derailleurs
How to Adjust Campagnolo Front Derailleurs:
The foundation that every good front derailleur tune is built on is correct derailleur alignment. Start by setting the position of the front...
Company: Campagnolo
Type: Repair Tutorial
Tips for Removing Stripped Bolts
Tips for Removing Stripped Bolts:
There are so many specialized tools for removing stripped bolts that the market for tools in this category is huge. However, most people would like to...
Type: Repair Tutorial