Originally Posted by
grolby
I do most of the work to save time and money - it's 10 miles to my usual shop, which is
a long way in Boston. That said, I don't particularly enjoy doing it most of the time. I'm not totally incompetent, but I'm smart enough to acknowledge my shortcomings as a mechanic, and they are many. And I don't like the time it takes, which means there's a lot of maintenance I end up putting off. Which isn't good. When I can, or must, hand a task off to the shop, I'm usually happier about it. Most shop mechanics are a lot more skillful than I am. Obviously, there are exceptions, but generally they will do a better job and I get to spend my free time in the morning or evening sitting on the couch rather than cursing down in my basement.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…My first adult bike was a Schwinn Suburban, and as a college student I did a lot of work on it, including cleaning bearings. Time eventually became too much of a premium, so now my LBS does it all.
Besides time, I have never had good facilities to work easily… Having the LBS do it all, in my case is a really good deal. The shop is one block away, and they will fix many things at a convenient time for me. They are so expert that they can do these things quickly, better than me, and often spot problems that I did not see. Whenever I leave the shop, the bikes ride as if new again.
Because the bikes are a major transportation mode for me, keeping them in good repair is critical. We save a lot of money on transportation, so further using the LBS is even more cost-effective...Hats off to Back Bay Bikes.
Originally Posted by
Lazyass
I do everything myself but I'm mechanically inclined and enjoy stuff like that. I know guys who probably have the IQ of a genius but couldn't put a round peg in a round hole and are too scared to even try. They would rather pay someone else to do it.They would call their insurance company to send someone out to put a spare wheel on when they have a flat tire on the side of the road and wait three hours instead of doing it in 10 minutes.
I think you protest too much and set up a “straw man” to show your toughness…HTFU usually refers to riding, not wrenching.