For those MTBers around can you recommend me a tool kit or a list of bespoke tools. It doesn't need to be the top of the range Park Tools set but I need the basics that you don't have in your average workshop such as BB tool, freewheel removal tool, crank puller, chain whip etc.

I've been looking at a couple:

This one gets decent reviews on Amazon and seems to have everything but as always with cheap toolkits I do get a little suspicious about quality...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2012564059...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

This one seems to be better made just from the pictures...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ICETOOLZ-C...item20fa6037da

And then Rolls Royce for my needs (mine and the kids bikes for routine maintenance)...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-ess...iece-tool-kit/

This last kit is missing the BB tool which is another tenner but I'm not sure it's worth the extra to upgrade to this on...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-per...iece-tool-kit/

Any tips or other suggestions appreciated

 

There are very few specialist tools you'll need for routine maintenance Jon. You must have all the normal stuff from car fettling so why not just pick up the appropriate BB tool for your bikes and hold fire on other bits until you might need them. It's not every day you need to pull a cassette
If you want to make repairs and cleaning easier my recommendation would be invest in workshop stand.
I've got most stuff here (shimano) if you need to borrow

 

Depends if you're shimano or compag. All my stuff is shimano so I have a bottom bracket external bearing socket, a chain whip and cass socket. Everything else is Allen on modern bikes. Get yourself a quality torque wrench with allen sockets that can do only a few Nm, especially if you have a carbon frame bike.

Kids bikes with square bb crank are virtually indestructible and should never need dismantling

£100 of selected tools should do you for most common jobs, I have tons of tools for motorcycle service and they cover most of the cycle needs except for the ones mentioned

 

That £55 Lifeline kit looks very good but as above, I'd just pick up specialist tools as and when you need them but buy a decent all-round set - then you have tools for any jobs.

I got the Halfords Professional set - http://www.halfords.com/motoring-tra...et-spanner-set a while back. It was £100 then and I use it all the time. The allen key set and torn/hex keys (in the red plastic box) cover 99% of jobs.

Don't worry about a BB tool unless you're doing a full re-build. A cassette tool is handy but usually specific to the brand (e.g. mine's a SRAM one). A chain whip is handy and it's hard to beat the Park one even though it's pricey.

I find bike specific tools and kit are often a bit overpriced.

One thing I do find very useful is my Park bike stand - about £100 but very useful indeed.

 

Allen keys,spanners,socket set,Bike stand with a tray to put tools on is worth the money.chain wash is worth buying,cassette brush,shock pump if you have fancy air suspension.out on the bike I have a multi tool something like Alien.BB tool and cassette remover you not going to use often.

 

Thanks guys, it is specifically the shimano stuff I am lacking - I have the bike stand and tray and plenty of Halfords pro tools for playing on the car (spanners, allen and torx sockets etc). So I'm guessing then that if I pick up a decent chain whip, BB tool and cassette remover (which needs doing Jim and the teeth are a bit worn after 3000 miles) then pretty much everything else is generic - I see plenty of people monk about not enough cone spanners but my normal open ended ones have been fine for everything else I've needed to do so I'm not panicked about them.

 

The bike is a couple of years old and there's play in the BB so that needs doing, and the rear set is worn so going to change that with the front crank set - simple jobs just need the right tools

 

I'll second that, most stuff you'll already have in a normal toolkit, allen keys are the things you'll use most. If i get a BB problem i'll just get a shop to fit a new one, most other common stuff you can do yourself with tools you already have.

Get a good foot pump ideally with an air pressure gauge, also a mini tool kit like the one below is piece of mind when your out and about if anything goes wrong.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Topeak-Min...item235088689d

A chain brush is a good thing to have to help get rid of the gunk that builds up on your chain, use one of those and a rag with some degreaser and that will keep your chain spot on with fresh chain oil.

 

I have a little ultrasonic tank. Drop the chain, sprockets etc into gunk container. Parts come out new. Drop my chain into a container of chain wax that I melt in the oven. Lovely