Originally Posted by
noglider
I think mechanical skills are somewhat relevant. You need more mechanical skills to cycle than to drive a car. Cars need a lot less maintenance per mile traveled and even per hour used. Bikes must be less reliable, because to make them more reliable would make them too heavy to ride. I've known thousands of people who cycle and don't fix their own bikes, but I still feel that those who can do some of their repairs get more out of the experience.
Beyond being able to put air in the tires, what mechanical skills do you see as necessary for commuting (the key word being necessary) ?
The list of likely mechanical failures that one can be reasonably expected to deal with on the road is pretty small. Flats would be one of those mechanical failures. A dropped chain on derailleur bikes would be another. What else is there? A broken chain maybe? I think if the bike is well maintained, that is not terribly likely, especially with an IGH or single speed.
I've had a spoke break. If you have rim brakes and don't know how to open them up, then you might have to make a phone call. With disc, drum, or roller brakes you wouldn't.
Mechanical skills are probably relevant in that some people might avoid commuting partly because they're worried about a breakdown. But to me you have the same worry in a car. You can argue than cars have fewer mechanical problems per hour, but 30 or 40 years ago that probably wasn't the case, and people, including women, still drove cars.