With five bikes in my stable, it's probably about time I learned how to do my own basic maintenance. What is a good book or online resource for basic things? I'm talking about how to adjust derailleurs and things of that sort. I used to have my BF do all this stuff, but after we broke up, I've just fended for myself when it came to my bikes. lol.


right now the one little problem I'm trying to deal with is why my bike won't go into the two lowest gears. I don't always need them but sometimes it's nice to sit and spin up a steep climb. The bike had a tune up about 3 months ago and shifted fine until 3-4 weeks ago. The cables were replaced during the tuneup, so I'm assuming the shifting problem is from cable stretching. If that's the case, how would I adjust the derailleur so that I can use all the gears? The bike "tries" to go into the gears but either just skips repeatedly or "hops" to a harder gear.