I'm with you on this Patriot. For years I've always been able to tackle the simple things (change tires, minor DR adjustments, seat and bar adjustments etc.). I've always felt kind of ashamed that I spend 8-12 hours a week on my bike and didn't even know how to work on it. Just last week I finished my first build, it was fun and a very rewarding experience. I still took it to my LBS to get looked over and get a $35 tune-up (which was worth every penny, becuase they straightened out a bent derailleur hanger). For me this is also important because I ride solo long distance a lot, and I feel more confident about my abilities to solve a mid-ride problem. After completing the build, I realized that working on bikes is not rocket science, it's much simpler than it appears. I've always had a knack for working with my hands, so maybe it came a little easier. Park Tool's site is a great place to get started at, along with the directions that come with your components
. On the other hand, I still take my bike to the LBS for fairly simple things that I could do myself. Sometimes it nice to have it done while I'm at work, and they are always very fair on their pricing.