MTB tool kit buying suggestions - ST-14 vs ST-21and general tool suggestions

Hello everyone. I have a Trek mountain bike (recent model) and I
would like to get a good set of tools (I don't have my own workspace
yet so I want to keep it to a minimum). I've been eyeing the
ST-14($29) and the ST-21($39) on Pricepoint since I believe they have
the right amount tools I will most likely need in the future. When
comparing both kits I noticed that the ST-21 has the following extra
tools:

-Bottom Bracket Cup Tool
-Headset Wrench
-Philips Head Screwdriver in 2 sizes
-Flat Head Screwdriver in 2 sizes
-Adjustable Wrench
-3x Steel Tire Levers

Except for the Bottom Bracket Cup Tool and the Headset Wrench, the
extras in the ST-21 are completely unnecessary(I already have these
tools). It looks as though my bike can be serviced quite extensively
with the tools that come in the emergency kits (hexs, screwdriver,
chain tool, spoke wrench, etc). Do you know if the Bottom Bracket Cup
tool and headset wrench are necessary? I looked at the http://www.sheldonbrown.com
website for an answer and I think that the BB Cup tool may me
unnecessary. Also, I have a large adjustable wrench that may be a
good replacement for the headset wrench. I believe that in a year or
so I will need to replace my chain along with cassette's and crank.
Also one of my pedals creaks when I apply lots torque to it so I may
have a crack somewhere, dunno. That's my story. If you do know of a
good site/article that describes which tools are used for what and
especially one that mentions which tools are necessary to service
current mountain bike models that would really be great. Sorry for
the long post. Below I am simply including the URL's and descriptions
of both tool kits I am considering. Thanks for the info.

ST-14
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/145...--14-Tools.htm
-Spoke Wrench
-2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm Hex Wrenches w/ (-) & (+) Screwdriver
-Hub Cone Spanner (2 pc/set)
-8mm Long Hex Wrench w/ Socket Adjuster
-Chain Rivet Extractor
-ISIS & Shimano Crank Remover
-Cartridge BB Tool for Shimano & ISIS
-Nylon/Fiberglass Tire Lever Set
-Lockring Socket w/ Stabilizer Post
-Chain Whip/Pedal Wrench
-(-) & (+) Screwdriver
-Puncture Repair Kit including: patches, cement and sandpaper.
-8 & 10mm Open Ended Wrench
-Hard Carry-Case w/ Foam Protection Insert


ST-21
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/145...--21-Tools.htm
-Spoke Wrench
-ISIS & Shimano Crank Remover
-Hub Cone Spanner (2 pc/set)
-Puncture Repair Kit including: patches, cement and sandpaper.
-Bottom Bracket Cup Tool
-Philips Head Screwdriver in 2 sizes
-Flat Head Screwdriver in 2 sizes
-Cartridge BB Tool for Shimano & ISIS
-Lockring Socket w/ Stabilizer Post
-Chain Whip
-Pedal Wrench
-8mm Long Hex Wrench w/ Socket Adjuster
-6 Hex Wrenches - 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm and 6mm
-Adjustable Wrench
-3x Steel Tire Levers
-8 & 10mm Open Ended Wrench
-Chain Rivet Extractor
-Headset Wrench
-Nylon/Fiberglass Tire Lever Set
-Hard Carry-Case w/ Foam Protection Insert

wrote:

chain tool, spoke wrench, etc). Do you know if the Bottom Bracket Cup
tool and headset wrench are necessary?

It depends on what kind of bike you have. A headset wrench is only
usable if you have a threaded headset. Threadless headsets can be
completely disassebled with allen wrenches.

I looked at the http://www.sheldonbrown.com
website for an answer and I think that the BB Cup tool may me
unnecessary.

What brand of bottom bracket? Old-fashioned bottom brackets often used
several special tools, one for the right cup, another for the lockring
on the left, plus a "pin spanner" to adjust the left cup in order to get
the preload right. But a sealed bottom bracket, and all new ones are,
is a much easier thing to install - once you have the special tool that
fits.

Also, I have a large adjustable wrench that may be a
good replacement for the headset wrench.

If you need a headset wrench, that is, if you have a threaded headset,
then an adjustable wrench is a poor substitute. It will round the flats
on the headset. A fixed-width wrench is better.

I believe that in a year or
so I will need to replace my chain along with cassette's and crank.

For the cassette, all you need is the splined tool that fits your brand,
and a chain whip. The crank may use a different splined tool (but these
tools usually fit into a 1/2" socket wrench) from the cassette,
depending upon the brand.

Also one of my pedals creaks when I apply lots torque to it so I may
have a crack somewhere, dunno.

such creaks are notoriously hard to diagnose properly. If you need to
remove the pedal, a 15mm thin wrench is all you need.

That's my story. If you do know of a
good site/article that describes which tools are used for what and
especially one that mentions which tools are necessary to service
current mountain bike models

Current models? Current wal-Mart bikes need a whole different set of
tools (one would think that a few ounces of plastique would suffice,
though) from what you need for a high-end mountain bike.

--

David L. Johnson

A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems.
-- Paul Erdos

On 2007-10-05, wrote:
Hello everyone. I have a Trek mountain bike (recent model) and I
would like to get a good set of tools (I don't have my own workspace
yet so I want to keep it to a minimum). I've been eyeing the
ST-14($29) and the ST-21($39) on Pricepoint since I believe they have
the right amount tools I will most likely need in the future.

[...]

Except for the Bottom Bracket Cup Tool and the Headset Wrench, the
extras in the ST-21 are completely unnecessary(I already have these
tools). It looks as though my bike can be serviced quite extensively
with the tools that come in the emergency kits (hexs, screwdriver,
chain tool, spoke wrench, etc). Do you know if the Bottom Bracket Cup
tool and headset wrench are necessary? I looked at the http://www.sheldonbrown.com
website for an answer and I think that the BB Cup tool may me
unnecessary. Also, I have a large adjustable wrench that may be a
good replacement for the headset wrench.

The BB cup tool and headset wrenches are for cup-and-cone bottom
brackets and threaded headsets respectively. Both are all but extinct
on mountain bikes. The equivalent tools for your bike are the cartridge
BB tool included in both kits, and a 5mm allen wrench for the headset.
So unless you have an older bike around that can use the extra tools,
get the ST-14.

If you do have a bike with a threaded headset (see the pictures at
http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#headset to tell the
difference), then headset wrenches are the right tools for the job.
You'll probably have a hard time finding an adjustable wrench that both
opens wide enough and is thin enough.

David L. Johnson wrote:
wrote:
Hello everyone. I have a Trek mountain bike (recent model)...
That's my story. If you do know of a
good site/article that describes which tools are used for what and
especially one that mentions which tools are necessary to service
current mountain bike models

Current models? Current wal-Mart bikes need a whole different set of
tools (one would think that a few ounces of plastique would suffice,
though) from what you need for a high-end mountain bike.

Unless Trek has changed a lot VERY recently, they make from entry level
bike shop quality to high end mountain bikes. Hardly something that
would deserve to be blown up, in my experience [1].

[1] 1999 Trek 6000.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
A Real Cyclist [TM] keeps at least one bicycle in the bedroom.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Steve Gravrock wrote:
...
If you do have a bike with a threaded headset (see the pictures at
http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#headset to tell the
difference), then headset wrenches are the right tools for the job.
You'll probably have a hard time finding an adjustable wrench that both
opens wide enough and is thin enough.

Has Trek made a MTB with a threaded headset in this century?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
A Real Cyclist [TM] keeps at least one bicycle in the bedroom.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On 2007-10-07, Tom "Johnny Sunset" Sherman wrote:
Steve Gravrock wrote:
...
If you do have a bike with a threaded headset (see the pictures at
http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#headset to tell the
difference), then headset wrenches are the right tools for the job.
You'll probably have a hard time finding an adjustable wrench that both
opens wide enough and is thin enough.

Has Trek made a MTB with a threaded headset in this century?

Yes. Barely. Like most manufacturers they stuck with threaded headsets
on their rigid mountain bikes. This looks like it was the last one they
offered:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/2gnk9r, or
http://www.bike-alog.com/BikePedia/Quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2002&Brand=Trek&Model=800+Spor t&Type=bike

Tom "Johnny Sunset" Sherman wrote:
David L. Johnson wrote:
wrote:
Hello everyone. I have a Trek mountain bike (recent model)...
That's my story. If you do know of a
good site/article that describes which tools are used for what and
especially one that mentions which tools are necessary to service
current mountain bike models

Current models? Current wal-Mart bikes need a whole different set of
tools (one would think that a few ounces of plastique would suffice,
though) from what you need for a high-end mountain bike.

Unless Trek has changed a lot VERY recently, they make from entry level
bike shop quality to high end mountain bikes. Hardly something that
would deserve to be blown up, in my experience [1].

The reference may have been unclear, but was to Wall-Mart bikes, not the
Trek in question.

--

David L. Johnson

"Business!" cried the Ghost. "Mankind was my business. The common
welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence,
were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of
water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"
--Dickens, "A Christmas Carol"