DIY Bike Maintenance

[G-Zero]

Hands up to not being so hot when it comes to mechanicals, but I'm toying with doing a bit of bike maintenance at home and was wondering if any of you can recommend a good quality and easy to follow, workshop manual.

I recently had a new chainset/BB fitted by my LBS, but after 500 miles my left crank has developed an irritating creak, which I would like to sort myself, but I don't have the confidence or knowledge to start pulling bits apart, or more importantly, putting them back together correctly.

 

[Oldlegs]

Unfortunately you can't buy model specific manuals for road bikes. Something like Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance is your best bet for a book. The downside is he has to cover so many different designs it can get confusing.

Having said that most jobs on a bike are easy enough ONCE you've got the right tools. Youtube and the Park Tools / Sheldon Brown / CC websites are really all you need.

 

[Dayvo]

There are plenty of good books/manuals out there. I have several, including this: http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/total-bike-repair-maintenance-2/

and this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bicycle-Rep...394X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311961176&sr=8-1

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Hands up to not being so hot when it comes to mechanicals, but I'm toying with doing a bit of bike maintenance at home and was wondering if any of you can recommend a good quality and easy to follow, workshop manual.

I recently had a new chainset/BB fitted by my LBS, but after 500 miles my left crank has developed an irritating creak, which I would like to sort myself, but I don't have the confidence or knowledge to start pulling bits apart, or more importantly, putting them back together correctly.

It might be worth looking around to see if there are any bike maintenance courses running near you as well.

 

[Chris S]

Get a copy of the Haynes Bike Book. Used ones start at about a £1 on ebay and Amazon.

 

[HLaB]

Unfortunately you can't buy model specific manuals for road bikes. Something like Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance is your best bet for a book. The downside is he has to cover so many different designs it can get confusing.

Having said that most jobs on a bike are easy enough ONCE you've got the right tools. Youtube and the Park Tools / Sheldon Brown / CC websites are really all you need.

I like Zinn but sometimes I find it too detailed but sometimes that's a benefit
I quite like the Guy Andrews book too and for quick general stuff Rob Van Der Plas; I have the Haynes book too but hardly ever refer to it. The web is great for joining it all up

 

[Andy_R]

lap top: you tube and park tools website

 

[jefmcg]

lap top: you tube and park tools website

+1

I'm in the same position as original poster: recently replaced by chain and cassette. Always watch more than one video. The best one I found for cassette replacement in terms of technique said it should be done every 200 miles.

The Halfords tool kit seems good value and is recommended by others here http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_522915_categoryId_242558_langId_-1

Look out for cycle maintenance nights in your local area. I'm using one regularly and it's great. Run by London LCC, I bring my bike and parts and they let me use their tools and expertise. This is particularly useful if something is broken. Professor youtube could not help me with derailleur adjustments, but they were able to identify it was bent - something that a £150 service had overlooked.

 

[G-Zero]

Thank you all for some good ideas

A couple of suggestions for local classes too, something I had not thought of and will check out.

 

[NormanD]

Youtube is your friend and it's free too

 

[HLaB]

+1

I'm in the same position as original poster: recently replaced by chain and cassette. Always watch more than one video. The best one I found for cassette replacement in terms of technique said it should be done every 200 miles.

Ouch, that would get very expensive, in summer I'd be replacing them every week All users are different but I get in the region of 1700 miles out of a chain before its 0.75% worn out and about 3 chains to 1 cassette say 4500 miles. Or I run the chain to 1% worn and change the chain and cassette after 4500 miles approx.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Ouch, that would get very expensive, in summer I'd be replacing them every week All users are different but I get in the region of 1700 miles out of a chain before its 0.75% worn out and about 3 chains to 1 cassette say 4500 miles. Or I run the chain to 1% worn and change the chain and cassette after 4500 miles approx.

Every two hundred miles. I'd replace mine every week or so.

 

[jefmcg]

I'm such a slacker, I'd only need 20 or 30 cassettes per year - maybe I should drive.

FYI http://www.youtube.c...etailpage#t=26s

Edit: and OP: forgot to mention. I'm +1 on Sheldon Brown. He is/was so calm and sensible, and occasionally very funny. And the only place I could find to tell me something very specific I wanted to know (for the record, that I can use a standard shifter with a capreo derailleur)