Funyet

I'd like to learn how to do basic repairs and adjustments on my bike. I have a Bianchi Eros that I bought this year. I took it on a 7 day supported tour. Since then I've been a biking fool, on my bike as often as I get the chance. I've become quite interested in the mechanics of cycles and I like to tinker. I don't really want to experiment with my Bianchi. I'm thinking of buying a used bike on Craig's List and using it as a guinea pig without fear of doing irreparable damage to an expensive bike. I have a few books to refer to. Any suggestions on where to begin? Keep in mind I have no illusions of becoming a bicycle mechanic. I just want ot have a better understanding/appreciation of bicycles.

By the way, I did try a search for "learning repair", "learning mechanics" etc. and didn't come up with anything.

Thanks

zjk

You should probably pick up a book on bike repair like the park tools book. Something like that will help you to learn what to do.

Wordbiker

1) Break stuff.
2)Figure out how to fix it.

When I was getting into mechanics, I learned from every resource I could find. Magazines, books, mentors, experience...it's all good, and all needed since so much of it is merely the opinion of the author. Absorbing the terminology is a crucial first step. If you don't speak the language, you won't be able to converse with the natives and ask good questions. Tools come later...and are an addiction unto themselves. Tread carefully there.

You could get a good jumpstart by hanging around someone already into cycling that owns a few tools. Neighbors, friends, relatives...all good resources for both knowledge and hands-on experience.

One final tip: Asking your LBS mechanic how to perform a repair so you can do it yourself for free may or may not go over well, for obvious reasons.

bkaapcke

Get a book and read it twice before you start a repair/replacement proceedure. One step at a time. One repair at a time. You will do fine, because, contrary to popular belief, bikes are pretty simple. The biggest voodoo on the thing is rear derailleur adjustment. Yes, it takes a while to get that right, but it's not that tough. After a while, you will reallly know your bike. bk

p4nh4ndle

I was lucky enough to have a dude at my LBS show me how to do a deraileur tune up one day long ago... that coupled with the fact that I've never been afraid to take things apart pretty much led to doing almost all my own work.

Wordbiker

Which is why the LBS may be reluctant to teach you. They no longer get any repair work from you.

p4nh4ndle

Yeah, but they folded a few years ago and not because I wasn't getting a monthly tuneup from them. I still bought lots of parts which they didn't always order when they said they would. I'm also not the guy who wants a discount from his LBS. There's a special hell reserved for those cretins.

Tapeworm21

I'm normally glad to show someone how to fix little things on their bike. More often than not, I'm fixing their mistakes the next time anyways.

Wordbiker

So am I, but not all shops are the same. I was just trying to express that it shouldn't be an expectation of a mechanic to take their time to teach someone how to do work that they charge for. I liken it to asking an auto mechanic to diagnose an issue, give instructions on how to do the repair and a tool and parts list...then refusing to pay them. Sure, it's fine if it's a buddy, but a pro will often refuse.

Retro Grouch 

parktool.com

capwater

Take stuff apart, try to put it back together. That's been working for me since I was 3 years old when I disassembled my mom's vacuum cleaner. Bikes aren't that tough and you only need a few specialty tools. Great sites like parktool and sheldonbrown are invaluable (as is this forum). Talk to some fellow riders, they are always willing to share info.

Hobartlemagne 

parktool.com
sheldonbrown.com
Bicycling Magazine's repair book. "The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair"

All of these have served me well

mustang1

I'm on a Park Tool 2 day course next week. I'll strip my bike bare to the frame then re-assemble it.

I was going to buy a used bike to tinker with myself, but figured might as well use my Allez - it'll get a nice service at the same time and I'll learn a bunch and have fun too. Well, I think I will have fun.

DougG

You'll also find that most jobs are easier to do than they seem from reading about them. When you read about a procedure in the Park Tools book, it can sound kinda complicated, but then once you start doing it and figure out what's really going on, it will all make sense.

waterrockets 

+1 to parktool and sheldon's sites

There's still something to just trying it though. Take a look at how things work and why they are the way they are. Reading the directions can teach you the "how," but the "why" is important too. Mechanics have a feel for what they're doing, and it's just as important as the steps.

Business810

I'm fairly new to working on bikes, but in addition to the aforementioned sources, the biggest aid to me has been the book "Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance." I try to read the directions at least twice before I start and then have them on hand as I work. Getting the "how" right is the easy part, the "why" things work the way they do will come with time as you actually work and see how it's put together.

BikingGrad80

I learned from Bicycling Magazine's book, Sheldon's site, Park tools' site, other sites and asking questions on here and rec.bicycles.tech. However, I really learned from experience. I have several bikes that need adjustments. As a result, over the past few years, I've worked on almost every part of a bike. I am now pretty comfortable doing almost anything.

Road_Biker

Doing repairs is all knowledge and confidence. The above books and sites are very good sources of knowledge. For the confidence part, get a digital camera and photo each step. A picture is worth one thousand words to describe how something goes back together.

Adohrn

seconded "Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance (also mountain bike maintenance) The best book I've come across, and I've read a lot. Not many people can explain things as clearly as he does.

adam

Not always true. I took a course from a shop in Toronto that taught all the essentials, etc. using their bikes, their tools, etc. The option was to bring your bike in as well if you wanted.

Fantastic course and even though I thought I knew a lot going in, it was the 'little things' that I couldn't find written in the books that really helped.

https://endurosport.com/experienceEnd...aintenance.asp

You may want to look around your area to see if someone else runs the same sort of thing.

Or go into your LBS and tell them you'll buy a bunch of tools, etc. off of them if you can watch some of their wrenches do their thing.

AndrewP

Bicycling magazine's book gives good instructions and is well illustrated. A used bike will be good practice, but the parts probably wont go together or work the same way ason your nice bike. The most useful things to start teaching yourself on the used bike are - flat fixing, brake installation & adjustment, wheel bearing adjustment, wheel trueing. The tools you will need for these jobs are tire levers, pump, cable cutter, hex keys, cone wrenches, small bench vise, spoke wrench. The beauty of the bicycle is that you will be able to understand how it works just by looking at it (except for index shifters and the locknuts on the wheels bearings)

bike_disciple

Funyet,

You can learn how to do repairs from a book. Nothing can replace one,

however if you want to learn to do the basic in a non-booky way, I have put together some bike repair videos (those that i thought were good) on my blog here.
They are no nonsense and get straight to the point.

Thats what I sometimes like about watching people do stuff.

Bob Loblaw

This is a great book for anyone looking to do their own repairs. It covers a VAST array of components and bicycles, and clearly explains things as simple as replacing a tube to complex overhauls of wheel hubs, building wheels, etc... It's really a great book and will very quickly have many greasy fingerprints on its pages should you own one. I recommend it highly.



https://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Road-...7874695&sr=8-2

solveg

I spent a few months this summer looking for the right Craig's List bike to work on. I wanted one good enough to spend time and money on, but not too valuable to wreck. I'm taking a bicycle overhaul class with it at my local LBS and it's great. It's really nice to have someone there check your work, especially when it comes to things like tightening cones for the first time, or the first time you take apart off your cartridge.

I've since read that some people have bought cheaper, Xmart bikes as their first bikes, and I kind of wish I had done that. It would have been more modern so I didn't have to worry about all things uniglide, and replacement parts would be easily available. Then you can just give the bike to a kid when you're done.

But I really recommend a good class... not one of the 1 hour "give your bike a check-up". Many of the LBSs offer them, but don't advertise. They just keep a list of people who inquire, and offer it when there's enough interest.

bassplayinbiker

find some old guy whose been fixing bikes for the last 20 years. They know everything.