If you know me at all, you'll know that I can be rather easily distracted. I drift off somewhere else in the middle of a conversation. I go to a rugby match, and forget the score before I've left the stadium. I interrupt a meeting with "ooh, look ... a squirrel". It then follows fairly naturally that I'm distracted by shiny things too, including bike maintenance shiny things.
Over time, I've collected one or two bits and bobs which should have helped with maintenance, but I haven't actually used that much. Tonight (and for the next couple of months, provided I don't get distracted), I'm here to help stop you doing the same with my own thoughts on the absolutely most invaluable, useful things you can buy if you're starting from nothing.
There's no better place to start than tyre levers. As far as I'm concerned, you should be compelled by law to buy a set of these when you take ownership of a bike. Everyone gets punctures, and there is no other way to remove a tyre.
Well ... that's not quite true. In the misty past of my youth, I somehow managed to change a couple of tyres using only screwdrivers (and, I presume, an immense amount of perseverence), but I do also remember gouging a chunk out of my hand when one of them slipped. I've also heard people claim you can do it with a couple of spoons, but I suspect they're probably just a bit confused, and stir their tea and eat cornflakes with tyre levers.
I have two sets of tyre levers, which you can see in the photo here:
They both work, but my personal preference is for the red ones. Because they're a bit wider at the non-hook end (aren't I great with technical terms - I'll do a post on that some other time), they give a bit more purchase, which is especially useful if you're struggling to get a tyre back on. (Despite everything you read to the contrary, if you're anything like me, you probably will.)
I'll be back soon with my #2 in the list of handy things to have around. And don't think I've completely forgotten about shiny things, either.
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