You can do a fairly complete bearing & true service yourself with some ordinary mechanic tools & a few specialized tools. Ordinary tools: Combination wrench sets, metric & English; a few screwdrivers; a few adjustable wrenches including one large enough for the bottom bracket. Wire cutters if you need to replace the cables. Specialized tools: Cone wrenches for the hubs; a spoke wrench; a chuck to remove the freewheel so you can get to the bearings. If you take the rear wheel to the bike shop to remove the freewheel, then you don't need the chuck. Should take them a minute and cost $5 or so; they may do it for free if you buy the cables &c there at the same time. A chain tool to replace the chain if a 12" length of it measures more than 12-1/16". This puts 99% of the labor in your hands & ongoing costs of ownership go way down. These are as relatively easy to service as they are rugged.
Last edited by duffer1960; 05-24-09 at 01:23 PM.