How funny that this topic was revived...but I'm very grateful it was. LoriRose: you give me great hope! I don't mind getting my hands (and any other part!) dirty. My first project was to learn how to adjust the height of my seat. I'm REALLY new at anything mechanical. I actually started the "happy" dance when I realized that changing a link on the chain wasn't the great crisis I thought it was.

The book recommendations by others have been extremely helpful. As for help from my neighbors, none are into bikes (and I'm reasonably fluent, so that's not an issue). I guess my second biggest issue, besides ignorance, is feeling like the local repair shop will laugh themselves sick if I walk in with my poor bike in bits...or worse, put together backwards. I know that's really dumb, they're very nice guys, but...

I guess I'll just take the obvious path and practice taking things apart...and putting a few pesos aside for the shop to fix my "repairs"! Thanks, all. I really appreciate the help.