Fifty Plus (50+) - I'd like to apologize...

I know that sometimes I can get out of control, posting way too many questions. It's happened again, with my posts about fixing up the two old bikes I've just brought home. From time to time, I get this idea into my head that I can be a competent, amateur bike wrench. It's got something to do with really admiring those of you who can do that stuff, and wanting to be more like you. It's got something to do with this image that I've got (and that has been painted occasionally on the forum) that good cyclists know how to do their own repairs. Kind of a parallel to "real men don't eat quiche."

But the truth is that I've never been very good at fixing stuff, whether it's cars, kitchen plumbing, or bikes. It's just not in my DNA.

And I'm old enough that I should know better by now. So I want to apologize to all of you who took valuable time giving me suggestions about Plan A or Plan B, or what to put into a basic tool kit, or how to fix my FD. I'm sorry I wasted your time.

I'm being serious, which may be hard to believe, but I am. I feel rather foolish tonight and thought I should apologize.

I know that sometimes I can get out of control, posting way too many questions. It's happened again, with my posts about fixing up the two old bikes I've just brought home. From time to time, I get this idea into my head that I can be a competent, amateur bike wrench. It's got something to do with really admiring those of you who can do that stuff, and wanting to be more like you. It's got something to do with this image that I've got (and that has been painted occasionally on the forum) that good cyclists know how to do their own repairs. Kind of a parallel to "real men don't eat quiche."

But the truth is that I've never been very good at fixing stuff, whether it's cars, kitchen plumbing, or bikes. It's just not in my DNA.

And I'm old enough that I should know better by now. So I want to apologize to all of you who took valuable time giving me suggestions about Plan A or Plan B, or what to put into a basic tool kit, or how to fix my FD. I'm sorry I wasted your time.

I'm being serious, which may be hard to believe, but I am. I feel rather foolish tonight and thought I should apologize.

Not incompetent.....overwhelmed with data.....you can run a camere but you can't fix a bike....Cough Cough.....I think not.....one step at a time...........Zinn.......now. I have much more confidence in you than your have.

Nooooooooooo!

Dont even start thinking that way. I feel that way every time I pick up a tool. It's just lack of confidence because YOU'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE! Do NOT feel like you can't ask questions! You just have to suck it up, accept that you need help, and fire away.

We all tease you because we like you, and we're totally up for all your questions. We're prepared for it, anticipating it, and support you! Isn't it great the internet is here!

But get Zinn's and try to stuggle through it yourself. As you do more, you'll be able to easier identify the points you get truly stuck. Read Zinn's, the blue book, and then go to Sheldon's site before you ask. Not because you're bothering anyone, but because it's the process of learning.

You can do it!

(I just spent 2.5 miserable, life-sucking hours setting up a HD TV/Cable box/older TV/home network thingie with no freaking directions to the cable box. I made 4 calls to the companies to get information. I'm having a service come out on Monday to mount the TV on the wall, and setting up my stuff is included in the price. But I thought I should try and set it up on my own, first, so that I could stay familiar with the equipment and so that I knew that I had all the cords I needed for the upgrade. This is the stuff that keeps our minds young!)

Don't feel bad, DG. just think of us as your online therapists. To make the experience more real, you can start by sending each of us a check for $100 for each consult.

Here's a book (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=11971&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products) I got to help me understand the fundamentals of bike repair.

As long as you keep posting that hilarious avartar -- and I'm being serious, it's hilarious -- then start all the "help me!" threads you want, Amigo!

EDIT: All right, maybe not all the threads you want, but a couple a day are OK...

SECOND EDIT: That "Amigo" thing was a spontaneous gaff, not a stereotype of those living in the greater San Diego area.

:D

You can apologize to all the people who gave you serious advice all you want. I'm curious about how you feel about people who told you to get a cardboard box or certified or some really good degreaser or to make sure you have your cell phone and a six pack in your basic repair kit and stuff like that. Huh? What about us?

You can apologize to all the people who gave you serious advice all you want. I'm curious about how you feel about people who told you to get a cardboard box or certified or some really good degreaser or to make sure you have your cell phone and a six pack in your basic repair kit and stuff like that. Huh? What about us?

Oh I just shined you guys on. :D

Oh I just shined you guys on. :D


:(

Look at it that way. No rush to learn, do it one step at a time.
Keep in mind that what you learn in your basement might help you on the road. What happens if your FD gets out of whack in the middle of a long ride 20 miles away from home or any LBS? It's all about learning to be self-sufficient, just in case.
But it has to be fun, so if it stresses you put in on the back burner for another time.

DG, you'll learn like most of us. Attempted repairs, failed repairs, successful repairs.

Having worked my way over the course of 4 decades, up from complete incompetence to even building my own wheels, I have to confess my shame. A spoke popped this evening while riding home and I actually dropped off the bike at the bike shop. My apartment is not set up well to do repairs. If I had just bought a single spoke it would have been about $1.00 or so to repair. But I imagine it will be $20.00. I'll be glad when I get somewhere that is more convenient to repair a bike. And it would be nice to learn machining, welding and painting. ;)

Don't feel bad about all your questions. They really are good and more interesting than some others.

If we don't want to read a post or reply to a post, we won't. Heck, I ignore you all the time and I don't feel bad at all :D

"I never apologize.
I'm sorry, but that's just the way I am."

-Homer J. Simpson

I am still thinking about all this. Maybe I have the aptitude, maybe I don't. When I was a child, my father could fix anything. He had a basement full of tools; he rescued old routers and ancient table saws and strange tools I can't even name from my grandfather's barn and used them another twenty years, and so on. In fact, he built the house I grew up in, almost single-handedly from plans he bought from a magazine.

But -- he wasn't good at teaching me those skills. He had no patience for a kid hanging around. He didn't want me using his tools, either. He was a product of the "Greatest Generation," as they say, and as such, he didn't say much. He just did what needed to be done, whether it was building shelves, fixing the plumbing, installing a new furnace, or whatever. But he did it alone.

So, I grew up without learning these things, and with the idea that a "Real Man" is one who DOES know these things. I think I inherited a value about mechanical self-reliance but didn't get the training.

Lots of people say working on bikes is easy, and it probably is. I think I'd do fine if my next door neighbor was someone who knew his way around a bike, and would let me tinker with him. My problem is when I open the pages of the bike repair book I have, the one published by Bicycling Magazine, I just can't translate the pictures to my own bike. Things don't look the same, plus (at least in this book) the black and white pictures aren't the greatest quality.

But even if they were, I get the same reaction in my tiny brain that I get when I try to understand and fill out a tax return. If you're familiar with Photoshop, it's as though someone applied a guassian blur to my brain.

Combine that with a quick temper when I drop a screw and it rolls out of sight, or I forget for the tenth time in a row to apply the brake to the rear wheel after testing the derailer before reaching in to make another adjustment, or my reading glasses slip once again as I look down, and it's just no fun.

I'd like to be able to do it, but maybe it's just not gonna happen. :D

I see our time is up. I'll schedule my next appointment with the receptionist. Thanks, Doc(s)!

But Mr. Soprano, how do you feel about the work you do, and how it might affect your children as they get older?

DG...I really don't know why you don't just take a class. All the bike shops up here have at least the basic one. If you have an REI, they offer an even more basic basic one.

Then, when you're done with that, take a complete overhaul class. There's only 2-3 people in any given class, so you'll really get a lot of education.

And don't think of it as a "girly thing" to do, just because I did it...I've only seen guys in these classes.

I like puttering around with simple adjustments. I've fixed flats, changed out three handlebars & two stems, made simple adjustments to derailleurs, changed brake pads, changed saddles & seat posts.

But would not attempt much more than that. No wheel truing, nothing to do with fixing a crank, wouldn't try to change a cable (I'm a klutz at stuff like that).

I like being able to handle simple adjustments and repairs, just like I do on my cars and in my house, but know better than to try anything complex.

I feel rather foolish tonight and thought I should apologize.
Made me think of the famous (infamous?) line uttered by one of Bouton's teammates from "Ball Four" - "it never hurts to apoligze...even if you don't mean it." :p

All kidding aside, I know you're sincere, but no apology is necessary because you did nothing to warrant one.:)

I like messing with the bikes because I'm very, very picky about fit and how things are working. If there's any brake or shifting sounds that don't belong, I'm all over it.

DG, wrenching is an added dimension to riding and can make for a more complete and satisfying experience as cyclist as well as make one feel more competent....but it's hardly required in order to be a Real Cyclist. For you, perhaps the value of slowly learning more would be to reinforce the lesson we learn every day here and on the road: many boundaries are self-imposed and melt away with an act of will and resourcefulness. So, don't give up but also don't feel compelled.....tinker for fun--you can't wreck anything the LBS can't undo.

Love means never having to say you're sorry.

Love means never having to say you're sorry.

Wouldn't that be great if you could animate your avatar to say that?

Fear of tools is nothing to be ashamed of. Like most phobias you can be desensitized to them away by gradual exposure.

I suggest you start with a few simple non-threatening tools -

http://www.mig-welders-tig-welder.com/mig-welder/clarke1.jpg
http://www.mytoolstore.com/makita/an942.jpg

http://www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/50085824/Chain_Saw.jpg

Love means never having to say you're sorry.

So that is what happened to Farrah and Ryan's marriage!! :D:D

Gee,
Your sense of humor and self-effacing style is much appreciated here on the 50+ forum. We all digress into self-revealing reflective introspection from time to time -- just don't let it happen here too often!!

Gee,
Your sense of humor and self-effacing style is much appreciated here on the 50+ forum. We all digress into self-revealing reflective introspection from time to time -- just don't let it happen here too often!!

It will never happen again. :)

http://astrologi.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/freud-and-couch.jpg

Maybe you're beating yourself up because you're trying to learn a tactile skill from description or pictures? It'll never work (Learning Style stuff)

In Santa Cruz there's a place called The Bike Church - flat fee, use their tools, get mechanic's advice if you need it. Anything like that in San Diego?

We each must walk our own path, and no one can tell us what that path is or how we should walk it - not our parents, friends, children, employers, employees, or casual acquaintances. No harm. No foul.

Love means never having to say you're sorry.

Love means ALWAYS having to say you're sorry.

I'm learning a lot from your questions. I'm not ready to tackle bike repairs myself but the posts have given me some idea how to fix a problem out on the road. My current level of experience is changing flats and pedals:o

I went to 2 day ParkTool mechanic workshop. And what happened when my cassette neded replacing? I sent it to LBS to fix it up for me. :)

Now my bike needs a real good clean, and I'm thinking of sending it away to LBS again.

I'm ok with tools, but that's the best I am 'just ok'. I dont work on my bike for two reasons:

1. Not the right tools.
2. If I screw up, then I'm not sure if I can fix the bike back up, and I dont have a backup bike.
3. Oh, and lack of time, but that could just be laziness (most probably) on my part. If anyone wanted to make the time, they probably could, including me.

You could start on small stuff and work your way up. I only ever work on small stuff (changing brakes, tire punctures, FD/RD adjustment (but always screw that up and end up at LBS anyway :)).

"Combine that with a quick temper when I drop a screw and it rolls out of sight," Keep learning new tricks. My wife was throwing out an old 4'x 6' door mat and I flipped it over to the foam side to use under my bike during disassembly. Those bearings and screws stay put now.

DG...I really don't know why you don't just take a class. All the bike shops up here have at least the basic one. If you have an REI, they offer an even more basic basic one.

Then, when you're done with that, take a complete overhaul class. There's only 2-3 people in any given class, so you'll really get a lot of education.

And don't think of it as a "girly thing" to do, just because I did it...I've only seen guys in these classes.

I just took my first Advance Bike Maintenance class and you're right there was only me and two other guys in the class but the instructor is a lady. She is very bright, knowledgeable, great at explaining bike related things and easy to look at too. I wonder if she's single!!

DG...I really don't know why you don't just take a class. All the bike shops up here have at least the basic one. If you have an REI, they offer an even more basic basic one.

Then, when you're done with that, take a complete overhaul class. There's only 2-3 people in any given class, so you'll really get a lot of education.

And after that he can get a job at Adams Avenue Bicycles as a supplement if his other job is quiet. ;)

I know that sometimes I can get out of control, posting way too many questions.

If you would stop posting so much,we would all get a lot more done in our lives, instead of reading and responding to all your posts. In fact, all of us need to just stop posting here. And stop reading the posts. And stop responding to posts. That might be too extreme. Can some filtering be added to BikeForums that removes all but the first 3 words of a post? Shorter posts - that's the solution!

Some of us enjoy answering questions on a forum like this, it's part of the reason we're here. I certainly don't know everything about bikes, but I know with a little practice and patience, most people can do simple maintenance or, at least, get a better understanding of how things work.
As a car mechanic since about 1971, I know there is this macho thing for some guys who think they should work on their cars when they really shouldn't, and I've seen the results of their folly. If they had asked first, they may have saved some money.
I'm sure most of the geezers here are happy to answer any questions you may have at anytime.

The only thing you really need to remember is: When you take it apart, put the parts in some order that makes sense to you. So when you put it back together again, you don't end up with extra pieces. Course, if you end up with enough extra pieces, you could make another bike....:D

The only thing you really need to remember is: When you take it apart, put the parts in some order that makes sense to you. So when you put it back together again, you don't end up with extra pieces. Course, if you end up with enough extra pieces, you could make another bike....:D

Take it from one who knows: Spend several hours carefully removing the small pieces from your bike. Place them in a jar with a tight lid. Then, after much careful consideration, bring the jar and the bike to your LBS and let them fix it right.

"If you know you are going to succeed, why leave home at all? Where's the point?" Sir Edmund Hillary...rip

"If you know you are going to succeed, why leave home at all? Where's the point?" Sir Edmund Hillary...rip

Yeah, but did he ride a MTB to the top of Mt. Everest? :)

Love means ALWAYS having to say you're sorry.

+1! :)

Gee,
I noticed from your avatar that you have recently moved from San Diego to Pitcairn Island. Isn't where they are filming the next "Survivor" episode with Jeff Probst? I believe your cunning and mechanical skills will serve your team well. Be careful of those alliances -- some of those folks will stab you in the back!

O.S.

Gee,
I noticed from your avatar that you have recently moved from San Diego to Pitcairn Island. Isn't where they are filming the next "Survivor" episode with Jeff Probst? I believe your cunning and mechanical skills will serve your team well. Be careful of those alliances -- some of those folks will stab you in the back!

O.S.

Yeah, like the true mutineers they descended from! :)

I haven't been in the 50+ forum as much as usual lately, but I can assure you DG that there is no problem with your posts. :D

I agree with many of those up to this point in the thread that you need baby steps... And if you were in NE PA I would be glad to get together for some hands on time to help you cross the mental hurdle to bicycle maintenance.

I would also add a vote that Knowing what you are doing doesn't mean that you actually do all of the work. When I bring my bikes to the LBS, it is usually for things I can do myself, but I don't want to take the time. But, I know if I am on the road, I have a chance of riding home in case of failure instead of walking.

At least you are trying to learn. There's a lot that I won't try in bike repair and leave those to the professionals. I can do the on ride repairs with no problems. Anything other than that I consult my "bible" >http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=19&item=BBB%2D1

I'm learning a lot from your questions. I'm not ready to tackle bike repairs myself but the posts have given me some idea how to fix a problem out on the road. My current level of experience is changing flats and pedals:o


+1 :)
Since my bike is only about 7 months old (which also means I have only been riding a road bike that long) - at this point in my skill level and understanding- I'm worried if I try to improve something I will totally screw it up! So as long as I can still ride it- it's working just fine:D

I think it's kind of cool that you are making these old bikes a personal project.

Let me tell you a story about my buddy Richard. Richard is just about the best wrench in the world. Why is that? 'cause for years he's made these old bikes his project (he's also pretty good with cars, computers etc). I asked him once why does he bother, and he admitted 1) he was pretty cheap (and he is!) and 2) he just has a fascination with how things work.

Since Richard was a baby he has been taking things apart. According to his mom and dad his first toys were screwdrivers. He got a torch set when he was 6! He's always had a fascination and he definitely has "The Knack." Do you know what "The Knack" is? Most engineers do - it's this weird, strange gift that some people are born with that gives them the power to figure out how things work. No surprise my buddy is an engineer.

Now some of us have other gifts. Like mine is art. I have a great imagination but don't ask me how things are made or how they work. That's all lost on me (like I can do Algebra but failed geometry). So for people like me, God made bike shops and teenage kids who like to support their single speed habit wrenching in those shops. It's takes a special fellow, like my friend Richard, to want to work on their own bikes. I can clean one, even take it apart but trying to adjust things and string cable, I need my Knack guy!

You just need to decide if you have any "Knack" in you and run with it! ;)

Did the Americans give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Commador Perry give up the ship in the Battle for Cleveland?
Did I give up when Debbie said "no" in 1972?
You can do it Gee.HTFU!
Were all here,2 steps behind you.

Besides,are you not the "host" of the Fossil Forum?

Did the Americans give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Commador Perry give up the ship in the Battle for Cleveland?
Did I give up when Debbie said "no" in 1972?
You can do it Gee.HTFU!
Were all here,2 steps behind you.

My Fuji has been selected as the POS bike to work on, not right away, but probably this spring. I want a used stand first (tried working on the car-bike rack, but that was nutzy...)

So I'll get my hands dirty working on the other bike. Right now I'm delighted that my stable has a great road bike, a terrific errands bike, and a trail bike.