I started working on my own bike when I was 12 (I'm 56). Nobody ever taught me anything and by the time I was 16 I was building wheels and gluing tubulars. I think that working on your own bike is one of the joys of biking. I have 3 BikesDirect bikes at my house and think of them as being very good values, but not the latest/greatest. The amount of assembly required is pretty minimal, and is of the kind that you should learn just to be safe out on the road if something breaks. Good luck!