Need your help again

[Arch]

No sounds this evening cycling home from work *runs off to touch wood*

I suggest you get a little bit of wood to zip tie to the handlebars, then it's always to hand for moments like that...

 

[littlered]

I suggest you get a little bit of wood to zip tie to the handlebars, then it's always to hand for moments like that...

 

[punkypossum]

I remember going to the doctors earlier this year on a friday the 13th... Went to see the nurse, she apologised she was running late, but she just had this guy in for a blood test and when he rolled up his sleeves for her to get to the vein, he had used rubber bands to tie little pieces of wood to his wrists because he was really superstitious and wanted to touch wood all the time. Unfortunately he had tied them so tightly, that he had cut his circulation off and the rubber had actually cut the skin open, so she had to treat that first and convince him it really wasn't the best way of touching wood!!!

 

[littlered]

I'll remember not to do that then

 

[Joe24]

I learnt to reset my gears by learning by doing, asking on here and i got a book. Cant remember the name of it, but it explains how the part works and how to maintain it and adjust it and stuff.
I also had an old bike that didnt work too well, that i played about with, which taught me how to do things. I found it hard to do stuff on my bike because i didnt want to do something, then not have the bike to go out on the next day. So having a seperate bike ment i could take my time, learn to do it, then do it again just to make sure.

Learn by doing. Its more fun then taking it to a bike shop. And if you do it right and make it look like you know what your doing, your well away.

 

[mickle]

Theres a lot to be said for learning how to maintain and repair your bike yourself. Aside from the cost savings (some bike shops charge labour @ £45 per hour), there is an immense amount of satisfaction to be had from working on your own bike. There's the convenience too, some shops have six or more week waiting times for repairs at the height of the season, then theres the transportation of poorly bike and then waiting for the job to be done.

We are considering running some maintenance evening courses over the winter, Ive run them in the past and they can be great fun for all involved, actually I used to do them for free I enjoyed them so much. There may be evening classes in your area, your local bike shop might be persuaded to run one (they are good for customer relations) if you can get enough people to attend. Another option might be through your local cycling campaign group if you have one or you could approach your local cycling officer. Find out if and when there's A Doctor Bike happening near you and go watch. A helpful Dr should be happy to explain what they are doing and why.

Cycle maintenance is pretty simple stuff to be honest. If you can aquire the basic knowledge then everything else builds on that. Its just nuts and bolts.

 

[punkypossum]

Its just nuts and bolts.

Hmph, possibly, but I find the nuts and bolts actually quite intimidating and worry about fiddling with them in case things get worse, I break something vital or I end up with a completely unsafe bike without even realising what I've done. The idea of adjusting gears gives me nightmares and I even panic when having to change a stem or take a wheel off! Might have to get myself an old bike just to play with... I do keep thinking about going on a bike maintenance course, but due to finances and lack of accessible ones (relying on public transport), so far I haven't got round to it....

 

[laurence]

gears are less frightening than changing a stem or removing a wheel. it's pretty hard to break the gears by adjusting them... the worst thing to happen is (probably) that you'll have gears that are out of adjustment!

 

[Fab Foodie]

gears are less frightening than changing a stem or removing a wheel. it's pretty hard to break the gears by adjusting them... the worst thing to happen is (probably) that you'll have gears that are out of adjustment!

Unless the dérailleur ends-up meeting the spokes or shifting the chain over the small cog and getting it jammed just when giving-it some grunt.

 

[Arch]

Might have to get myself an old bike just to play with...

That's a good idea. When I'd been cycling for about 6 months, I got a Dawes Galaxy very cheap at a Uni bike auction. It was rideable, with a pair of new tubes, but Tom suggested I strip it, repaint it, rebuild it. So I did. Every bit came off, and was cleaned and put in bags by part (front mech, rear mech, headset, brakes etc) and then we stripped and sprayed the frame and I put it all back together again and rode it to Norfolk - my first tour. It was a process which taught me just how all the bits worked.

 

[Andy in Sig]

A book which I've always found very helpful and easy to understand is by a bloke calle Rob van der Plas. I think it's called the bicycle repair book or maintenance book (sorry this is a bit vague but I'm at work and the book's at home). Anyway if you want an easy to understand first source of reference I would recommend that one.