How to learn bike maintenance

[Kingwill]

So I've finally splashed out on a road bike.

Normally I run my bikes into the ground as their cheap old things but now I've spent a grand on a bike I want to maintain it as best I can.

Apart from trial and error (i.e. doing it yourself and hoping you know what you're doing) or trusting a LBS to do a good job, how do people learn how to do it, are there any training courses out there.

In your experience what's the best way to get experience!!!

 

[potsy]

Start with the simple things ie-cleaning,chain maintenance,brake pad adjusting. Then ask questions on here as you need to,plenty of helpful and knowledgeable folk on here.
And there are you-tube links often posted too.

I'm only starting to do the jobs I would have let the lbs do last year,hub maintenance,BB replacement, removing and re-fitting cranks etc, you do learn fast once you have a go though.

 

[Norm]

In your experience what's the best way to get experience!!!

You know that last bike that you thought you had ridden into the ground? Go and dig it up, it'll be worth its weight in shiny stuff as something for you to practice on.

I went down to my LBS lots, asked them what they were doing. I started off asking about my own bike, then asked if I could help when they worked on my bike and, for a few days, I was building their bikes up for them. Very useful.

 

[John Ponting]

W H Smiths were selling a book on cycle maintenance including bb replacement, campag & shimano sti and changer setups.

OR

look on here

http://bicycletutor.com/

 

[Fattman]

+1 to all the above.

I started with the simple things then armed myself with Zinn's Art of Road Bike Maintenance & gradually increased the complexity of the tasks I was willing to undertake. (There is also a discussion on this forum here about recommended maintenance guides).

Another thing to consider is the tools for the job. (Big discussion here) I gradually built up a selection of tools which I then lost (don't ask!) & I replaced them with the Lifeline tool kit (~£40, can't link cos Wiggle's not playing at the mo) and a chain wear indicator + needle-nose pliers. Oh, and some grease. The outlay was well worth it I think as I've now got all the basic kit to hand in one place, much less scope to break things using nearly-the-right tool!

The YouTube thing is great - I came home the other day to find that Mrs Fattman had removed, adjusted and got sorted her front derailleur with help from BikeTutor (I think) - no mean feat given she is not a mechanic at heart!

Good luck...

Matt

 

[Kingwill]

Heh Guys

Fantastic ideas all. I never thought about practicing on one of my old, clapped out bikes (genius).

I'll start simple and go from there.

thanks

 

[biggs682]

i do just that , buy or get given cheap bikes then ride them round block and gain an estimate of what is reqired if its something i can do , i do it if not have a go and see what happens and if all fails down to lns and ask for help

 

[cyberknight]

http://bicycletutor.com/

I used this as well as Zinn to give me enough knowledge to tackle most jobs.

Sorry John you beat me to it

 

[Maz]

As stated above, start off doing the easy stuff (cleaning chain, fitting brake pads, etc).

From personal experience, there are plenty of very helpful people on here to guide you through more advanced tasks.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

The best thing I have learned this year are

replacing the cassette on the rear wheel, which has allowed me to fit my own, and not waste cash to the LBS, learned it from You Tube then bought the required tools from Wiggle. Then practiced on my old wheel I had just replaced. Invaluable skill.

The second thing is I learned to take my Shimano components apart, clean them and put them back together. I was experiencing a rear brake where the callipers were out of alignment, I thought it had been bent somehow. Anyhow one day I took it all apart, and it turned out that after around 6,000 miles, all the crud off the road had worked into the brake causing it to bend.

Luckily Shimano have complete cut away diagrams of the part on their web site,so I printed it off and put it back together, as good as new.

I know how to get the crank off I just need to buy the crank extractor tool, which is my next purchase.

The only other ting is a bottom bracket replacement, but I think I will still leave that to the LBS, as its such a rare occurrence.

 

[ianrauk]

The best thing I have learned this year are

replacing the cassette on the rear wheel, which has allowed me to fit my own, and not waste cash to the LBS, learned it from You Tube then bought the required tools from Wiggle. Then practiced on my old wheel I had just replaced. Invaluable skill.

The second thing is I learned to take my Shimano components apart, clean them and put them back together. I was experiencing a rear brake where the callipers were out of alignment, I thought it had been bent somehow. Anyhow one day I took it all apart, and it turned out that after around 6,000 miles, all the crud off the road had worked into the brake causing it to bend.

Luckily Shimano have complete cut away diagrams of the part on their web site,so I printed it off and put it back together, as good as new.

I know how to get the crank off I just need to buy the crank extractor tool, which is my next purchase.

The only other ting is a bottom bracket replacement, but I think I will still leave that to the LBS, as its such a rare occurrence.

If you have done all the above with ease then you will have absolutely no problem changing a bottom bracket.

 

[potsy]

If you have done all the above with ease then you will have absolutely no problem changing a bottom bracket.

+1 I put a new one on the other week and it hasn't fallen off yet

actually put the new one in + serviced the rear hub, but with all the bad weather never got to test if all was well. Took the bike out yesterday on the commute with fingers crossed, it was all good.
first time I used my crank extractor I thought I'd broken it, I'm not one for reading instructions before hand so didn't have a clue what to do with it, worked out in the end though and is really easy the 2nd time.

I think paying the lbs £25 per hour is madness for a lot of these 'easy' jobs.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

If you have done all the above with ease then you will have absolutely no problem changing a bottom bracket.

mmmm ....

I am terrified of ruining the frame some how!

 

[rusty bearing]

I'm sorry but I've just got to say this.
We run a cycle repair business in Lancashire so tell me if these jobs are so 'easy' why are we always fixing the results of their efforts?
As for 25.00 an hour... we don't charge that much and our prices (on our website) are realistic, after all we have to make a living too you know. but you pay that because we have overheads like providing/replacing expensive professional tools, public liability insurance, product liability insurance, qualifications and so on and so forth.
Most of all you are paying for years of experience and knowledge.
There will always be talented amateurs out there and learning to maintain your bike is 'a good thing' but equally a lot of people should not be allowed near a spanner.

 

[ianrauk]

I'm sorry but I've just got to say this.
We run a cycle repair business in Lancashire so tell me if these jobs are so 'easy' why are we always fixing the results of their efforts?
As for 25.00 an hour... we don't charge that much and our prices (on our website) are realistic, after all we have to make a living too you know. but you pay that because we have overheads like providing/replacing expensive professional tools, public liability insurance, product liability insurance, qualifications and so on and so forth.
Most of all you are paying for years of experience and knowledge.
There will always be talented amateurs out there and learning to maintain your bike is 'a good thing' but equally a lot of people should not be allowed near a spanner.

Use common sense, read up about the job in hand and use the internet (Bike Tutor etc) and these jobs ARE easy. However you are correct in saying that some people should not be allowed near a spanner.