Originally Posted by
sstorkel
On a long-distance ride, you should know how to:
1) Replace/repair a flat inner tube
2) Boot a torn tire
3) Adjust the height and placement of your saddle
4) Fix a broken chain (can also be used to bypass a broken derailleur and turn the bike into a single-speed)
5) Perform minor derailleur adjustments (hint: copy the adjustment instructions and keep them in your seat bag; I can never remember which adjustment screw does what nor the correct order for futzing with them)
6) Replace a broken spoke (a FiberFix spoke replacement kit makes this much easier... in theory) and retrue the wheel
A few years ago, before I started to get into cycling again, I wouldn't have known how to do any of these except for perhaps the inner tube. Fast forward to present, and I could do/have done all of those things myself.
OP: I say this not to brag, but to point out it's easy enough to learn. Sometimes it's easier seeing it done and trying it a little yourself than just having it explained. Biek co-ops can be be good for this. They and also LBS's sometimes offer special maintenance classes at various levels of knowledge. Something worth looking into if you ask me.