Originally Posted by
ItsJustMe
It's worth paying for a good tune up the first time, just for safety's sake. After that, find a set of basic tools on sale (I paid $35 at Nashbar) and pick up a copy of Park's Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair (my personal favorite) and learn to do it yourself. It's simple, satisfying and pays for itself quickly. It also saves time since it takes less time to fix stuff on a bike yourself than it does to wait for someone else to do it.
This is the route that I took. I brought my first bike in to the shop for a complete overhaul/ tume up right after I bought it from the pawn shop. Fortunately the LBS that I went to 25+yrs ago was owned and operated by a retired sergeant major who ran the shop because he wanted to... like he said "It's not my bread and butter."
As a result, he suggested that I learn to do my own basic repair and maintenance, sold me a book, and the tools,and gave me advice.
Now I pretty much do all my own work, if it is on my bike--I did it.