wonderloaf
Veteran
Don't get the ones from B&Q, they're made from cheese, and it's not even hard cheese.
Allen/Hex Key Set Recommendations
- Thread starter PaulSB
- Start date
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- Location
- London
Cripes Paul, getting your hands greasy eventually? 
No need to spend as much as you are contemplating.
They don't have the handle you speak of but I can unreservedly recommend these:
https://www.merlincycles.com/pedros...m=shopping&utm_term=Workshop+Tools&ucpo=33213
free delivery
They have the short and long bit and ball ends on the long bit, which are very useful though of course you should only apply so much force to a ball end.
I've been using mine for years with no trouble at all.
No need to spend as much as you are contemplating.
They don't have the handle you speak of but I can unreservedly recommend these:
https://www.merlincycles.com/pedros...m=shopping&utm_term=Workshop+Tools&ucpo=33213
free delivery
They have the short and long bit and ball ends on the long bit, which are very useful though of course you should only apply so much force to a ball end.
I've been using mine for years with no trouble at all.
OP
OP
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
@Blue Hills you'd be proud of me. This question was brought about because I changed my seat post!! Before starting I measured the hell out of everything. My Cervelo and Kinesis are identically set up except the saddle on the Kinesis is angled down and forwards.
Two issues occurred tightening the seat post clamp, my multi-tool coped but the old "L" hex was too worn to do so. I found setting the angle tricky and I'm sure having a hex with a handle would ease this. Simply easier to hold/use.
The other thing is I frequently remove bottle cages when cleaning and find the "L" very fiddly and the multi-tool even more so.
My "L" set is probably 15 years old, at least. As I bought it when I used to fettle my lads go-kart. Yes, weird, I learned from scratch how to fettle a kart right down to stripping an engine but never the bike.
I'm fairly hopeless but happy and my bikes wear out, never fail. 🤞
Two issues occurred tightening the seat post clamp, my multi-tool coped but the old "L" hex was too worn to do so. I found setting the angle tricky and I'm sure having a hex with a handle would ease this. Simply easier to hold/use.
The other thing is I frequently remove bottle cages when cleaning and find the "L" very fiddly and the multi-tool even more so.
My "L" set is probably 15 years old, at least. As I bought it when I used to fettle my lads go-kart. Yes, weird, I learned from scratch how to fettle a kart right down to stripping an engine but never the bike.
I'm fairly hopeless but happy and my bikes wear out, never fail. 🤞
- Location
- London
long hex keys with ball ends are excellent for bottle cages - yep, can be very difficult to impossible with a squat multitool.
wonderloaf
Veteran
Prompted by this thread I've also gone out and bought a set of the Halfords hex keys, first impressions are good, I've just used them to adjust my handlebar stem and the hex was a good fit into the bolts, unlike the B&Q set!
Also got a 10% Cycling UK discount 😁
PapaZita
Guru
- Location
- St. Albans
I recommend the Wera hex-plus keys. High quality metal and a precision profiled tip that puts less strain on the screw head and can even work well in heads that have started to round out. There are all sorts of choices: length, ball ends, surface finish, etc. I’d suggest a long ball ended set to begin with.
