Mechanical numpty advice

[MLC]

I have searched under this subject but it returned 40 pages of unrelated posts so apologies if this has been asked before

Does anyone know of any Training providers who actually provide a decent bicycle maintenance course(s)?

I am a bit of a mechanical numpty and would really like to change this. Apart from fixing punctures, changing tyres, changing brake blocks and all the other really simple stuff I have just been getting by on a wing and prayer. I will admit I am pretty much clueless for instance if anyone said have my bearings be greased recently I would probably take it as some kind of innuendo!

I know that there are videos etc and I know of Sheldon Brown and the park tools website which are great but I find I learn better if there is someone on hand who knows how to put the pieces back together should I stand there scratching my head a you tube video will not help in that way.

Obviously I have googled a few but paying out money over the internet for a training provider that is unknown to me and un endorsed by anyone that I know is quite scary.

For instance if I were to look for a training provider that provided say a course that was certified by City & Guilds then I would know that I was getting something fairly relevant and fit for purpose. Is there something of the same equivalence with regards to bicycle maintenance?

Cost is not really an issue, nor is the venue more the quality of training I will receive. I am however based in Essex and if I do not have to travel (too far) it would of course be a bonus. If there is a course over say 2, 3 or 4 consecutive days then I don’t mind travelling to do it

A course for my level would be pretty basic at this stage and I am not really looking to become a trained professional mechanic having said that I would like to get to the point where if I bought a frame I could quite happily go off, source all the component parts and build a complete bike at my own pace and know that it would not fall apart as soon as I sat on it!

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[accountantpete]

Sorry but the only advice would be to ignore the video's for the moment and simply take apart one bit of the bike at a time. Then put it back together again without having done anything to it. When you are confident in this you can progress to re-greasing etc and also watch the videos with a greater understanding of what they are saying.

I would have thought that the majority of peeps on this forum learnt in this way.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I agree with accountant pete, not wishing to appear unhelpful. Get yourself a cheap bike for pulling to bits if you're worried about making your "proper" bike unrideable. But the best way to learn is to get stuck in and have a go. I know it's sometimes a bit daunting - it's how I learned bikes when I was a kid and cars when I got a bit older - but it's the only way what you learn will really stick. Good luck!

 

[briank]

I sympathise with your dilemma, Though I too learnt "hands on" as a kid, I can see it can be harder for adults, (kids are fearless!). This may not be the best place to ask, although I know that up in the North West there are several providers, but I don't know about down your way. If there's a cycling demonstration town anywhere near you, the council there might give guidance. The City and Guilds bicycle maintenance and repair courses are bound to be good though for you the second day of the bikeright.cp.uk might suit you better.
Alternatively, why not contact your local cycling club? They're full of people with a huge repository of knowledge on all things cycling.
Good luck.

 

[Paulus]

Hi there MLC. There is the Haynes bike book, which is very good and takes you through all mechanical jobs you can do step by step, from changing the bake blocks, to stripping and refitting the whole bike, and has good photo's to help you with it. It also tells you what tools you need.

 

[gregster]

Just done a Google search for this, as I'm looking for something similar as I'd like to be shown how to do it rather than reading about it and making a complete mess.
Anyway, found these courses run in London which may be of interest.

http://www.cycletraining.co.uk/training/individual_training.php#maintenance

 

[Muddyfox]

This one is a city & guilds scheme ... i heard the interview about this place on the bike show podcast

http://www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk/

Simon

 

[gwhite]

For the trade "Cytech" is usually the qualification of choice. I believe some courses are on offer in various parts of the country. This is a modular course which can be built upon leading to a qualification.
Some bike charities offer courses of varying levels of expertise.

 

[on the road]

Get a good bike maintenance book, it will be money well spent.

And it costs a lot less than a maintenance course. You can learn just as much if not more from a good maintenance book.

 

[colinr]

If it's a road bike, I'm told this is the one to get: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zinn-Art-Road-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030422

Otherwise, the Park Tools one comes highly recommended: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Park_Tools_Big_Blue_Book_of_Bicycle_Repair_-_Volume_II/5360037840/

The Haynes one didn't have great customer reviews.

 

[andyfromotley]

try you local bike shop, lots offer evenings focussing on different things. Despite having been around bike on and off for years i am going to chevin cycles evening on gears as i still struggle to fettle them. £40.

 

[MLC]

Guys,

Thanks for all your advice and suggested links / courses etc

Perhaps I am overthinking it a bit but at least now I have a meaningful search criteria

Much appreciated.

 

[MacB]

Another option is a mobile bike mechanic and paying him to work with you, I did this with my first bike. But I didn't get the full benefit as so much was new to me and I lacked confidence. If I was doing it again I'd:-

Get an old bike from the tip, even better a couple of different ones, ie road and MTB.

Order a decent maintenance book

Get some big printouts of bike parts and names, if you can find a poster that would be even better, for the garage wall.

Order a reasonable toolset, there are specific tools that you can't strip/build without.

Have a go at totally stripping and rebuilding both bikes, refer to books and the net as you go along. I would love to have an old PC in the garage

Then aim to do it with a decent bike and a mobile mechanic supervising and instructing.

I think I'd learn more this way round than attending training first then forgetting it all.

 

[Norm]

I think I'd learn more this way round than attending training first then forgetting it all.

+1 At least doing this you can figure out which bits you can do easily and which bits you might need a bit of hand-holding to complete.

 

[MacB]

+1 At least doing this you can figure out which bits you can do easily and which bits you might need a bit of hand-holding to complete.

Yep, there's nothing like turning up for some training and the instructor asking you what you want to focus on, when you are clueless