Essential Tools You Need for a Custom Bike Build

Universal Tools

Hex Wrench (Allen Key)

Over half of a bicycle’s parts are attached with hex bolts. Therefore, an Allen key is an essential tool for building a custom bike.

While inexpensive Allen keys will work as long as the sizes match, for tasks like tightening parts around the brakes or working in tight areas such as STI levers, a longer-handled Allen key will make the job much easier.

Monkey Wrench

A monkey wrench is commonly used for tasks like tightening derailleur wire locks on budget derailleur systems, removing square-type cranks, or tightening sprocket lockrings. Having one in a slightly larger size than the small type is useful and provides peace of mind.

Phillips Screwdriver

A Phillips screwdriver is surprisingly useful for adjustments on a road bike’s derailleur and other components. A medium-sized screwdriver, not a precision one, is ideal for working in tight spaces, as it allows for easier handling during the job.

Bike-Specific Universal Tools

Lockring Tool

Road bike sprockets are mounted on a freehub body on the wheel and locked in place with a lockring. Since the lockring has a special shape, a dedicated adapter is required to tighten it. You can find these adapters for less than 1,000 yen online.

If you’re using a wheel with a sprocket already installed, you won’t need this tool.

Wire Nippers

When building a custom bike, wire routing will inevitably change, so wire length adjustments will be necessary. A wire nipper is an essential tool for this task.

While general-purpose nippers might work, they can cause the cut ends to fray, leading to inner wire strands tangling inside the outer casing. It’s best to use proper wire nippers for a clean cut.

Chain Tool

At first glance, it might not be obvious, but road bike chains pass through the front derailleur, rear derailleur, and the frame, so you need to cut the chain to install it.

Additionally, when installing, linking the chain or adjusting its length requires the use of a chain tool.

For quick-link chains, pliers can be used to install and remove them, but a chain tool is still necessary for length adjustments.

BB Wrench and Adapters

The bottom bracket (BB) area has a special shape, so a dedicated wrench or adapter is required.

For square-type BBs, a general-purpose BB wrench will suffice, but if you’re using a manufacturer’s proprietary BB, such as Shimano’s Hollowtech, you’ll need specific tools or adapters designed for that type.

Make sure to prepare the appropriate tools for these BB types.

Tire Levers

Although you can manually fit a bicycle tire onto the wheel, some tires can be quite stiff depending on the manufacturer, and in such cases, it’s impossible to fit the tire without tire levers.

Tire levers aren’t expensive, so it’s handy to have a set of three for tube replacements and other tasks.

Note that metal tire levers can damage the rim, so if you want to protect your wheel, it’s better to use reinforced plastic tire levers.

Air Pump

A bicycle won’t run without air in the tires, so an air pump is essential. Most road bikes use high-pressure tires, so it’s a good idea to have an air pump with a pressure gauge.

Maintenance Stand

One tool often overlooked is the maintenance stand. Without a stand, road bikes can’t stand on their own, and there are situations where you can’t work on the bike without one.

Even a basic display stand will suffice, but make sure to get one that can securely hold the bike.

Should You Buy a Set of Tools or Buy Individually?

As we’ve seen so far, building a custom road bike requires quite a few tools. This leads to the dilemma of whether to buy a complete bike tool set or to purchase the tools individually.

Both options have pros and cons, but for a custom build, it might be better to buy a complete set to avoid the problem of “I’m missing this tool!” when working on the bike.