In the 60's, my friend, my mentor, a man who I would consider the most mechanically skilled person I have ever met, went to a mechanics school in L.A. after high school. When he was 15 he built his first hot rod, 2 years after building his first motorbike. Even back then he was skilled, but not perfect.

His first job was as a mechanic at a Dodge dealership after trade school. Anytime he would make a newbie mistake (obviously from a lack of experience) his boss, who himself hadn't finished high school, would comment to him, "Good job, College Boy!"

I knew a fair amount, or so I thought, about bikes before I went to bike school. The biggest thing I learned there was how much I still had to learn. Once i had started working in bike shops after my short bike school education I then learned that most mechanics out there think they know everything, and and as a result, they would never get any better.

Be patient with yourself, always be willing to learn, and never be afraid to ask for help before you ruin something expensive.