As a cyclist that tries to be frugal, or is forced to look for “alternative” means to get around more expensive fixes, I can’t think of anything better than “found” tools. What are “found” tools? well, in one way, the answer is obvious.

You have to be “on the ball” as a Blue Collar Mountain Biker. You have to be able to spot things in the store that will work for less than the “standard” fare at the bicycle shop. You have to be looking for tools or things that will function just as well or better than the bike shop alternatives. Finally, you have to keep your eyes tuned in to the curb.

The curb. Ah! The wonderful things I have found lost along the roadsides. A rusty, but still useable locking pliers, a ratcheting screwdriver and bits, and a pristine Craftsman 1/2″ box end wrench. You can certainly classify these as “found” tools.

Another way to look at a “found” tool is like my example above. It is a childs wrench from an old play wrench set. I have a few of these that help sometimes with odd sized fasteners. The beauty of this particular one to me is that I”found” out that it fits removeable presta valve cores….perfectly! I found this out by trial and error when I first started messing with tubeless tires for mountain biking. Now I find it a huge help whenever I deal with a tubeless tire in my shop. Cost? Free.

I think that fits the Blue Collar mode.

What tools have you “found” that you use regularly?