slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I used eight releasable cable ties. There was still blood pouring out from beneath my thumbnails by the time I got the last four inches to snap onto the rim.
Useless at bike maintenance and repair :(
- Thread starter oreo_muncher
- Start date
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
This book
You tube,
Park Tools Web site and
Sheldon Brown's website would be my tips.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I used eight releasable cable ties. There was still blood pouring out from beneath my thumbnails by the time I got the last four inches to snap onto the rim.
YouTube is excellent but most of the US bike shop people gabble at high speed and are hard to follow. It really helps if you stick your laptop right by the bike you are working on and repeat bits of the clip again and again.
- Location
- London
two long bootlaces.I used eight releasable cable ties. There was still blood pouring out from beneath my thumbnails by the time I got the last four inches to snap onto the rim.
Start a bit past the valve with the first one - no knots needed - wrap round the tyre moving forward in a sort of spiral, securing at the end by looping the lace under itself. Then a bit of a gap, then the same with the second one, approaching the valve. While you are doing this, push the tyre down into the well as shown in the bearded one's vid. The laces keep it there.
It has never failed to work for me - used it yesterday on two marathons, one brand new.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Agreed you have to sort through the stuff sometimes and repeat often.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Bike maintenance is one of those things where you really do learn by doing. We all had to start somewhere. 
Four years ago, when I got back into cycling after a fairly lengthy hiatus, I would never have dreamed of building a bike from scratch, and yet here I am, with an almost complete bicycle after finally biting the bullet.
Books and youtube vids have been covered comprehensively by other posters, but one thing I'll add to that, is if you are buying tools, it really does pay to buy decent ones. Whether that's something basic like allen keys or tyre levers or something more specific like a crank remover. Good quality tools that are right for the task in hand really do make life easier.
There is a knack to fitting tyres, though there are tyres and tyres. Some are a right pain to fit, while others will roll on just using your thumbs. Also, some tyre levers are better than others. I have a set of Wilkinsons ones and a set of the yellow Decathon ones. For all that both sets cost me near enough the same, I much prefer the ones from Decathlon as they give me far better leverage.
Four years ago, when I got back into cycling after a fairly lengthy hiatus, I would never have dreamed of building a bike from scratch, and yet here I am, with an almost complete bicycle after finally biting the bullet.
Books and youtube vids have been covered comprehensively by other posters, but one thing I'll add to that, is if you are buying tools, it really does pay to buy decent ones. Whether that's something basic like allen keys or tyre levers or something more specific like a crank remover. Good quality tools that are right for the task in hand really do make life easier.
There is a knack to fitting tyres, though there are tyres and tyres. Some are a right pain to fit, while others will roll on just using your thumbs. Also, some tyre levers are better than others. I have a set of Wilkinsons ones and a set of the yellow Decathon ones. For all that both sets cost me near enough the same, I much prefer the ones from Decathlon as they give me far better leverage.
The bearded one had a valve in the way and scratched the new rim with the buckle of the strap, did not make me think he knew what he was doing.
- Location
- London
He builds (or did) wheels and designs bicycles.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I would add untill you can at least change an inner tube i wouldnt ride any distance without support from friends who know how to do these things , many a time we have had riders turn up for rides and have problems due to lack of basic maintenance skills .of course we are happy to help but it helps if they at least carry the bare minimum of kit and learn how to use them .
