Building an affordable home bike shop
Setting up your home bike shop doesn't need to cost a fortune. While I personally own all of these tools from brands like Park Tool, Wera, and Silca, and appreciate their superior finish and build quality, I also own and use all the following items as well. I’ve found that AliExpress offers quality cycling tools that perform reliably at wallet-friendly prices if you know which brands to buy from. Here's an essential list of must-have bike tools, featuring popular AliExpress brands like Toopre, Rider Ace, and Rockbros, all of which get the job done effectively.
1. Repair Stand – Rockbros
A sturdy repair stand makes maintenance and repairs easy and efficient. This is a must for a home shop. I’ve got a Park Tool stand and this one from Rockbros. This has all the same features, it holds my bike steady when tightened down and it’s a fraction of the price.
2. Hex Keys – Rider Ace
Good hex keys are indispensable. Rider Ace's hex keys fit well and haven’t worn in my experience. These aren’t as nice as the $50 Wera set I have but they get the job done for far less.
3. Cable Cutters – Toopre
Clean cable cuts are crucial for brake and shifting performance. Toopre cable cutters deliver sharp, accurate cuts, preventing frayed cable ends and ensuring smoother installations. If I were a pro shop I would buy something more expensive, but I so rarely need to cut brake cables that these are more than good enough and haven’t dulled in few times I’ve used them.
4. Chain Tool – Toopre
It’s a chain tool. At the end of the day, it’s not that complicated and this one works well. Definitely worth saving on compared to the western name brands in my opinion.
5. Chain Wear Indicator – Toopre
Replacing your chain once it’s worn is important in preventing wear in the rest of your drivetrain. I was skeptical of this at first because it’s a rather precise measurement, but I compared this to my Park Tools version and they consistently measured very similar values.
6. Chain Whip – Rider Ace
A chain whip secures your cassette during removal. Rider Ace offers a robust, grip-friendly tool designed to handle high torque without slipping, ensuring hassle-free cassette maintenance. It also comes with a hex wrench to cassette removal adapter with alignment pin.
7. Pedal Wrench – Toopre
Designed specifically for pedal removal and installation, Toopre’s pedal wrench offers ample leverage and a comfortable grip, simplifying a traditionally frustrating job. it fits both standard pedal sizes and is well made. This is another really simple on that there is no reason to splurge on.
8. Tire Levers – Toopre
I personally prefer tire levers with steel ends. These work well and are cheaper than ones of comparable quality I’ve found on Amazon.
9. Disc-Rotor Truing Fork – Toopre
This is another dead simple tool and this Toopre version does the job just as well as numerous other brands I’ve tried.
10. Torque Wrench – Toopre
Torque wrenches are super important so as not to damage your carbon components. I was VERY cautious of using a brand I was unfamiliar with. I tested this on a range of bolts off the bike where I used a different torque wrench and tightened bolts to a range of torques with each then used the other one to see if it clicked out. In general they were both very well aligned. The bits this comes with are low quality, but the torque wrench is great and I recommend it given how much cheaper it is than most western options.
11. Wax Pot
This is 80% cheaper than the Silca waxing system and I suspect it comes from the same factory (they look quite similar in person). It’s also a lot more compact than a crockpot and has finer grained temp control. If you’re waxing your chain, this thing is great.
12. Valve Core Remover
These are a single piece of aluminum. They fit well with all parts of the valves I’ve tested them with and their cheaper than what you’d pay in shipping from a U.S. brand.
13. Master Link Pliers – Rider Ace
These pliers offer reliable grip and easy manipulation of master links, making chain work easy.
14. Disc Brake Piston Adjustment Tool – Toopre
Essential for disc brake maintenance, Toopre's piston adjustment tool easily resets brake pistons. It's durable, easy to use, and works well.
Final Thoughts
AliExpress provides a wide array of affordable and reliable cycling tools. Brands like Toopre, Rider Ace, and Rockbros stand out with products offering impressive performance and value, perfect for cyclists looking to establish a well-equipped home bike shop without breaking the bank.