wrenching as much as actually cycling? I love to wrench and work on my bike. Don't ask why I just do. In fact I find once I have purchased a new bike I never hardly take it to the LBS where I have lifetime tunes because I much rather do it myself. Sort of a meditation to me.............those who are like me I guess get it.

There's something zen like about working on a bike. You focus on the job at hand, and forget other distractions. I'm sure there are lots of folks here who absolutely love working on bikes.

OTOH - at some point people move on from this and love working on bikes less or not at all.

It would be interesting to know when and how the love died. I suspect that pro is a common factor. That and maybe internal cable routing.

Wrenching is almost always fun and relaxing, but that actual riding part seems to always involve uphills, which are never fun.

I'm not the best wrencher in the world (I still learn new stuff from BF all the time), but I do enjoy it a lot. I had so much fun buying the parts for and building (rather assembling) my own bike, I would never consider buying a whole stock bike again. I dream of someday retiring (early?) and founding a bike co-op, which I think more of are sorely needed in San Diego. (I've only heard of two: Bikes Del Pueblo, and a co-op at SDSU, both of which are very far from me)

Yes, but uphills are usually followed by downhills, which can be fun. Today's downhill was long enough and steep enough that I spun out my 52-11 top gear. My cheeks were going whuppa-whuppa-whuppa in the wind.

I like working on my bikes. I like it even more that I no longer work in a shop and I can afford all the neat parts that I could only drool on when I was in the industry.

One of my friends has made a living in the bike business. He's my hero: https://www.efficientvelo.com/about/

Cyclelogical, All of my wrenching is so I can ride.

Maintenance: PIA, but has to be done.
Builds: Planning is cheap and fun. The build is fun. The result can be less than expected, as expected and better than expected. Experience creates more of the latter.
Riding: The most fun of all, even counting the bad days.

I guess my answer is no, wrenching isn't as fun as riding.

Brad

Burn the infidel!

You sound like a perfect candidate to build your own wheels. Talk about a Zen-like experience.....

I like to do it with some classical music in the background. My favorite set I've assembled is a pair of 32 spoke track wheels on Dura Ace track hubs, with 14g straights on the drive side and 15/17 on the non-drive and front. I've put them through their paces over the years and they still roll as true as ever.

I have built up 5 bikes from the ground up but never wheels! They seemed too complicated to do and the one thing I never ventured out to do. Maybe someday I will try that next!

I'll admit that I do love tinkering with bikes almost as much as riding them. However, when I'm working on a bike, it's always either with the aim of making something that's nice to ride or keeping something that way, so I suppose it's a means to an end.

I thought that was coming! It's raining here, and we really need it too, so I'm going to bring in the mountain bike for some much needed TLC.

Brad

I worked 47 years on office machines and computers. Working on my bikes comes naturally. Usually about Feb (im in the snowbelt) I do a complete inspection, adjustment, and replacement of parts as necessary. That insures me that during the riding season I will not have a break down that leaves me on foot.

Compared to some of the machines I worked on bikes are about as simple as you can get. Everyone that rides should be able to do basic maintence to keep their bikes reliable. BTW I only ride bents both a bike and a trike. When I read that some bike shops wont work on a bent, I find it really stupid, since they to are very simple machines. Basically the only difference is the frame.

My wrenching isn't much of an activity of its own as a compliment to my riding. I do it to keep my bikes in good repair, working properly and to make the components last as long as possible. That said, it is rewarding, lets me speck my bikes exactly to my needs and is a great time and money saver. Yes, it saves time. Consider the time needed to take your bike to the LBS, either wait for the repairs to be done or leave the bike and make a second trip to get it back.

Also, knowing how to repair bikes assures the most problems on the road won't strand you or your riding companions. For example, I carry a small chain tool and a master link with me. I've never needed them for my own bikes but they've bailed out a couple of others. Done properly, you won't have to buy the beer that evening.

Oh, woe is us. It hasn't rained in the Portland area for nearly a month. What's the world coming to?

I think I actually used to enjoy wrenching more than riding... 20 something bikes later, wrenching is still fun but it's just a means to the end which is riding.

This is our third year wavering between D4 and D2 levels, currently at D3.

Brad

Brad, we don't normally worry too much about droughts up here in the Northeast, so it took me a few minutes to track down the US drought map and see what you were referring to.

for the uninitiated --- https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/monitor.html

Question, --- when they compute the drought levels, are those in absolute terms, or based on what's normal for the region?

FB, The figures are based on the average rainfall in a certain area for a given amount of time. There are long and short term values which can be confusing. For example early this year, February I think we were for the short term not in a drought condition, but long term we were still in a D2 level drought, IIRC.

Brad

BTW, I can think of a few solutions for your "problem":

* Start fixing/tuning bikes for all your friends, for free, or for something nominal like $20

* Start trolling garage sales and get a new hobby as a bike flipper

* Volunteer at, or found, your local bike co-op

Can we still burn the infidel? Please?

I enjoy working on my bicycles as much as I do riding them. I always considered a certain amount maintenance/repair skills was endemic to the sport/commuting rider. After all performing field repairs to get back home was always a useful skill. At what level one takes that skill is a little more suited to the individual. It does bring a certain level of confidence and make riding more enjoyable.

+1.

I think people who don't do any kind of work or activity with their hands are really missing something fundamental to the specie. I am a knowledge worker (as opposed to a carpenter or mechanic), and I really derive a lot of satisfaction from working with my hands, and of course, being into cycling, it is only natural that working on my bikes follows.

It could be gardening or whatever, but working with your hands is extremely therapeutic, calming, and of course, you can see (and admire) the results of your action relatively quickly.

Riding >> Wrenching. Sorry.

That said, there are very few folks that I would allow to work on any of my bikes. I'm thinking of only two mechanics with whom I'm familiar that I'd trust...

Building conventional wheels with good quality components is a favorite hobby for me. I like them light weight and dependable.

I love working on bikes as much as I do riding them. I like having project bikes that need to be put together. I also enjoy the hunt of cheap yet quite good parts and the satisfaction of putting together a bike that was 800-1800 dollars new for under a hundred or two.

I like wrenching but I am a procrastinator and my work space is messy. It's best when I start a project to have clean surface, and that means cleaning up before starting, so stuff gets delayed and all I end up doing is lubing the chain and waiting for things to get critical before starting repairs. But I do like the meditative aspect of wrenching my bikes.

But it is in the service of riding that I do it, not just for its own sake. I even like climbing hills...in the heat.