The fallacy of "servicing" a bicycle.

[Colin_P]

I disagree completely. Unfortunately marketing has successfully persuaded individuals that specialists are required to perform many simple everyday tasks that used to be part of everyday life for the majority of people.

And I agree completely.

It is like a giant pyramid scheme. Service industries do not create wealth. Truly specialised tasks excepted but for the mundane, having a go yourself has to be the right way. Is it bone idleness that afflicts many of us? Many will say they are too busy, busy doing what? Doing the mundane now and then helps to keep one grounded and in reality.

Awaits condemnation from those who are so busy being tied up in their own self importance.

 

[John the Monkey]

And please don't start about the pleasure of maintaining your own bike. It isn't a pleasure for me

I quite like working on bikes, but freely admit to finding some of the other tasks folk have bemoaned us not having a bash at tedious or hazardous. A chacun son gout, and all that.

 

[nickyboy]

I quite like working on bikes, but freely admit to finding some of the other tasks folk have bemoaned us not having a bash at tedious or hazardous. A chacun son gout, and all that.

dans la nuit tout chat son gris

.........oh hang on, that's about something quite different

 

[Cyclopathic]

I quite like working on bikes, but freely admit to finding some of the other tasks folk have bemoaned us not having a bash at tedious or hazardous. A chacun son gout, and all that.

Everybody has gout?

 

[Smokin Joe]

Whether people take the trouble to do their own servicing is their business. Some can't be bothered and are happy to pay a shop to do it, good luck to them. But what I can't understand is the complete disinterest shown by many modern cyclists in the bike or how it works and how to carry out adjustments that a nine year could master in five minutes. Come on, for God's sake. If someone can't change an inner tube, adjust the slack out of a brake or gear cable or tighten something that has come loose I have no sympathy with them whatsoever if they get stuck in the middle of nowhere one bleak Sunday, out of range of a phone signal. In fact if they hold a driving licence I would question their right to it. The thought of sharing the roads with people who haven't a clue where the brake resevoir in their car is and rely on the garage to check the level every 20k service is very worrying.

There really is no excuse I can except for using any vehicle on the road, powered or not without the knowledge to make the most basic checks and adjustments. And it's beyond no-one to learn it, failure to do so is down to pure laziness, not lack of mechanical ability.

 

[John the Monkey]

Everybody has gout?

It's all the cake, I reckon. And the port. And the cheese. Well, you get the idea.

 

[summerdays]

Whether people take the trouble to do their own servicing is their business. Some can't be bothered and are happy to pay a shop to do it, good luck to them. But what I can't understand is the complete disinterest shown by many modern cyclists in the bike or how it works and how to carry out adjustments that a nine year could master in five minutes. Come on, for God's sake. If someone can't change an inner tube, adjust the slack out of a brake or gear cable or tighten something that has come loose I have no sympathy with them whatsoever if they get stuck in the middle of nowhere one bleak Sunday, out of range of a phone signal. In fact if they hold a driving licence I would question their right to it. The thought of sharing the roads with people who haven't a clue where the brake resevoir in their car is and rely on the garage to check the level every 20k service is very worrying.

There really is no excuse I can except for using any vehicle on the road, powered or not without the knowledge to make the most basic checks and adjustments. And it's beyond no-one to learn it, failure to do so is down to pure laziness, not lack of mechanical ability.

I don't know, somehow I just don't have a mechanical mind, my cable has stretched and I know where to adjust it, but I've forgotten which way (again), and I will worry that I will make it worse of course. I will do it, but I will have to get a book out again, and work up to it, but it's at the annoying stage so it will need to be soon. I don't know why I don't pick it up, I didn't understand physics O-level either, though I learnt it off by rote and so got an A for it, whereas Chemistry seemed to come more naturally to me (all forgotten now). Different minds learn in different ways!

 

[Smokin Joe]

I don't know, somehow I just don't have a mechanical mind, my cable has stretched and I know where to adjust it, but I've forgotten which way (again), and I will worry that I will make it worse of course.

Turn it one way and if it goes even slacker turn it back the other way. You won't break it.

For the record, it's anti clockwise to take up the slack. All you need to know really as cables only ever stretch, they don't shrink.

 

[summerdays]

Yes but where are you standing when it's clockwise, cos that makes a difference, and they never tell you that bit! If I was guessing I would say standing behind the bike rotating the little bit clockwise, and that makes the derailleur move the same direction, as in further away from the bike? If you say yes I'll give it a go tomorrow

 

[Roadrider48]

Whether people take the trouble to do their own servicing is their business. Some can't be bothered and are happy to pay a shop to do it, good luck to them. But what I can't understand is the complete disinterest shown by many modern cyclists in the bike or how it works and how to carry out adjustments that a nine year could master in five minutes. Come on, for God's sake. If someone can't change an inner tube, adjust the slack out of a brake or gear cable or tighten something that has come loose I have no sympathy with them whatsoever if they get stuck in the middle of nowhere one bleak Sunday, out of range of a phone signal. In fact if they hold a driving licence I would question their right to it. The thought of sharing the roads with people who haven't a clue where the brake resevoir in their car is and rely on the garage to check the level every 20k service is very worrying.

There really is no excuse I can except for using any vehicle on the road, powered or not without the knowledge to make the most basic checks and adjustments. And it's beyond no-one to learn it, failure to do so is down to pure laziness, not lack of mechanical ability.

Some people just can't be bothered. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Some people just can't be bothered. There's nothing wrong with that.

I just can't understand how anyone who claims to be a cyclist (Rather than a just bike user) can take zero interest in how his or her bicycle works at even the most basic level. I'm not talking about fitting headsets or gear systems, just the most simple of adjustments to keep things running sweet and safe.

 

[bpsmith]

I have to agree. I can't help finding out how it all works. At school I was more academic than hands on, but nowadays I just have to know how things work. I don't get why people wouldn't either?

 

[youngoldbloke]

Yes but where are you standing when it's clockwise, cos that makes a difference, and they never tell you that bit! If I was guessing I would say standing behind the bike rotating the little bit clockwise, and that makes the derailleur move the same direction, as in further away from the bike? If you say yes I'll give it a go tomorrow

You are looking down the cable away from the bars. Think 'tight to the right, loose to the left' - if you are tightening (screwing up) the adjuster you are in effect making the cable casing shorter, and the cable looser. If you are loosening (unscrewing) the adjuster (to the left, anticlockwise) you are in effect making the cable casing longer, and the cable tighter - 'taking up the slack'.

 

[Simontm]

There is a lot of elitism on this thread. Seriously, it is up to the cyclist whether they are comfortable fettling, filtering or fixing their bike. They are not 'bike users' because they struggle with mechs, they are cyclists because they ride an effing bike.

I know mechanics who struggle with the modern car let alone the driver without a computer degree and anyone who attacks other people's busy lives as being lazy are either unemployed, retired or really lucky with their work/life balance.

And I have yet to meet an LBS owner who objects to earning some money fixing someone's cable problems.

Anyone who decides to jump on a bike, whether a £100 quid beat-me-up or a £1000 show vehicle should be applauded whether their hands get greasy or not.

Actually I called this elitist, as a geek I know I'm wrong. This is nerdish behaviour.

 

[Roadrider48]

There is a lot of elitism on this thread. Seriously, it is up to the cyclist whether they are comfortable fettling, filtering or fixing their bike. They are not 'bike users' because they struggle with mechs, they are cyclists because they ride an effing bike.

I know mechanics who struggle with the modern car let alone the driver without a computer degree and anyone who attacks other people's busy lives as being lazy are either unemployed, retired or really lucky with their work/life balance.

And I have yet to meet an LBS owner who objects to earning some money fixing someone's cable problems.

Anyone who decides to jump on a bike, whether a £100 quid beat-me-up or a £1000 show vehicle should be applauded whether their hands get greasy or not.

Actually I called this elitist, as a geek I know I'm wrong. This is nerdish behaviour.

Spot on!
To say someone isn't a cyclist because they don't adjust their own brakes or oil their own chain is complete bollox.