Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina

I've done both. I worked for a bunch of years and then took a course at Barnett's to hang on the wall in my office (appease the boss).

I was fortunate enough to have a good mentor at the time when I first worked in a shop and then to find another when I changed shops (cities).

Learning at home just doesn't cut it. There is a wealth of information that is only available through the industry or through formal education. There is work that requires specialty tools that are prohibitively expensive, or simply not available, to those who do not work in a shop.

If you just want to adjust the gears on your Schwing you can figure that out yourself with time and tools. If you want to rebuild an EP lever in 15 minutes or rebuild some late 90's Italian shocks, that gets a little more difficult.

My personal experience at Barnett's was mixed. Some was basic review, some was new and some was the startling realization that I'd been doing something the wrong way, habitually, for 20 years.

In the end I think you need to balance your objectives with the level of education or experience you need to reach those objective and be happy about the journey.