That's the issue, exactly.

Bikes are simple machines that--with only a bit of training and experience--are remarkably easy to fix. More importantly, just paying a little attention and applying a little TLC and most problems are easy to prevent.

I'm by no means mechanically-inclined. I'm a bookworm. I work at a public library for heavens sake. And I'm not particularly fond of grease under my fingernails. Further, I live in a one-bedroom apartment that's smaller than the typical two-car garage. I keep two boxes of parts and tools on one shelf in my living credenza.

Yet, two of the three bikes I currently own (the Litespeed and the blue Ribble) I built-up myself from bare framesets--right in my living room. In the springtime, when I say I "desalinate" my bikes, it means they're stripped down to the frameset, cleaned and degreased, and reassembled. Again, right in my living room and kitchen. I learned as I went along, buying parts and tools as needed until I built a reasonable inventory of parts, tools, and skills.

The only tools I don't have are a headset press (don't need it) and a work stand (no room to keep it). My work stand is the coffee table, covered by an old shower curtain. Only once in eight years have I gotten grease on the couch. A little Resolve carpet cleaner got it right out.

So it's not at all difficult, even if you're not mechanically-inclined, or you don't have "proper" facilities.