I agree, buy as you need them. Also, except for those specialised component specific tools, most of the others can be cheaply sourced from the tools section of K-Mart, or Paddy's Market even. I bought one tool off
eBay, and that's a bike workstand. It makes a huge difference in terms of convenience.
Fundamentally, the following seemed standard.
- Allen key set: 2mm for brake caliper adjustment up to 8mm for pedal installation)
- T25 torx screw: Seen more and more.
- Philips head: Here and there.
- Spanner: I find a small adjustable one works well.
- Chain whip/Cassette nut*: Brand specific. Needed to give that thorough degrease and drive train cleaning.
- Chain breaker*: Get a solid one or you'll regret over bent pins.
- Crank puller/BB specific tools*: No alternative but to have them if you want to work on your own BB. Or just pay the LBS to work on these and save on the tool cost.
- Torque wrench: Particularly important if you work on CF components. Can be expensive as you may need two units for different ranges.
- Bike workstand*: Don't get those ultra cheap ones where the bike is supported by the BB. You might as well as not have one. You can just get the clamp and mount it on your workbench or a platform of your creation.
* - These need to be sourced from LBS or
eBay.
I wouldn't true/tension wheels casually. Pay and get it done right or make a big commitment to learn the art properly.