It behooves anyone who rides a bicycle to know something about bike maintenance—and to have the ability to make basic adjustments and repairs on the go. A dependable bike tool kit can remedy an unfortunate mishap and prevent a minor situation from turning your Sunday ride into a major catastrophe.

To make fixes with confidence, you'll need a decent bike tool kit—whether it's a simple multitool containing the most frequently used Allen keys, or something more robust with a range of tools like a chain breaker and a torque wrench. Tool kits come in a wide array of sizes, with gear to fix lots of different problems. They also span a wide spectrum of prices. Figuring out what you need, either for your garage or to carry on your next ride, will ensure you're ready when your bike needs a tune-up. Just like a great bike, the best bike tool kits will last for years or decades, if not a lifetime, if you care for them properly.

Best Bike Tool Kits

• Best Overall: Fix It Sticks Compact Ratcheting Multi-tool
• Best Budget: Park Tool I-Beam
• Most Versatile: Wolf Tooth Components 8-Bit Pack Pliers
• Best For MTB: Fix It Sticks Mountain Kit
• Best For Tubeless Repair: DynaPlug Racer

The Expert: I’ve been riding, racing, and lovingly caring for all variety of bikes for over 30 years. Formerly the managing editor of VeloNews magazine and the operations director of DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co., where I cared for a fleet of nearly 100 bikes, I now guide gravel cycling and bikepacking tours with my company Alter Exploration.

My garage is filled with my family’s precious collection of bikes, neatly organized and maintained for daily riding, racing, and adventures. Follow me on Instagram at @chrisjustincase.

What to Look For in a Bike Tool Kit

No matter how good your bike is or how well you take care of it, something’s going to give at some point—a flat most likely, maybe worse. Fixing it may be as simple as making a seat adjustment on a long ride. But when something goes awry or needs a fix, the right tools will get you back on the saddle in time to enjoy the rest of your ride—or at least make it home safely.

Know Before You Go: Everything You Need to Know About Torque Wrenches • How to Change a Bike Tire • How to Use Tubeless Tire Sealant

Think of your bike tool kit like your bike helmet: essential equipment. It’s not a question of if you’ll bring tools, but what specific tools fit the bill. Depending on the distance and terrain of your ride, the age of your bike and components, and your proximity to help will all factor into determining what tools you should keep handy.

From regular maintenance, like fixing a flat or adjusting your chain, to making upgrades and geeking out on the finer mechanical details of your ride, having the right tools at the right time makes all the difference. But not just any tool or set will suit you the same every time. Riding fast and light isn’t an excuse to leave your tools behind, but what you pick to bring on a light ride will probably look different from what’s necessary on a longer or more remote excursion.

Consider all the “what if’s” about what you’re riding, where you’ll be, who you’ll have around, and which equipment you’ll need to fix things up if and when things go wrong and use those factors as a guide in choosing a bike tool kit.

Size and Weight

If you've already got a bag full of books, clothes, notebooks and a laptop, you’ll want something small and efficient, micro even. The same holds true if you’re going for time or racing—you want to carry as little weight as possible. Longer and slower rides, especially ones that take you far beyond the range of easy assistance, warrant carrying a heftier kit to cover all your bases.

Think about your goals for the ride and balance those with what’s at stake should disaster strike. Can you get by with the bare essentials for the sake of performance and comfort, or do you need extra security ensure you can get your bike working again, at the expense of extra bulk?

End Use/Purpose

It might sound obvious, but the tools you bring on a ride should be different than the ones you keep in your garage. Repairs on the road and trail are meant to be quick fixes to get you back out there and home safely, while the tools you buy to keep at home allow you to fine-tune your bike. It’s good to have a both options at your disposal, so you aren't stuck lugging pieces of your garage kit with you on a ride or trying to make serious repairs at home with a dinky multitool.

Compatibility

Depending on where your bike and its components were made, you’ll need to select specific tools to match their measurement systems. Make sure your tools use the same units as the equipment you’ll be using them on. Tubeless and tubed setups obviously also call for different repair sets; you don’t want to be the person who brings a patch kit on the day you make the switch to tubeless tires. Furthermore, some brands produce full lines of compatible tools; others still work with tools and parts from other brands. Do an audit of the tools you already have that you want to keep before expanding your collection to ensure new additions will fit in well.