Bakerb24

I better start by telling you this. My mechanical skill level ranked from 1-10 would probably be around .57. I've already faced it...I'm not that handy of a guy. However, I do want to learn to fix my bike. I mean, they can't be all that difficult, right?.....Right?

It started when I dropped my bike off at the LBS for a tune up. They told me to come back in a week. I came back 8 days later and the damn thing hadn't been touched. Not even moved from where I left it. I decided at that point that I'm going to learn to care for and maintain it myself. It seems ridiculous that a fairly smart person couldn't even adjust a dang derailleur. I have changed flat tires before and I have changed my chain, but that's the extent of my capabilities. So I've been collecting some tools here and there. Mainly, hex tools, chain tool (I did manage to change my chain...boom!), cleaning tools. I think my wife is getting me a stand for Christmas. If she doesn't, I'll just buy one myself.

So I also bought the Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair yesterday. I started reading it and it's pretty complex if you ask me. There is a lot of talk about ft. lbs of torque and tension, etc. It's kind of scaring me. I think my major goals would be to be able to properly maintain my bike and do simple tune ups. I'm not sure that I would ever be able to do major overhauls, bike restoration or build a bike from scratch, but I want to learn as much as possible.

So the question is...is this possible for me? Where should I start? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks guys, BB

bikemig 

Probably not the best book for bike repair. I haven't looked at for a while but it's more about tools and the like. There are two things you could do. One is to find out if there is a local bike collective. They may have classes on basic bike repair and also, if you join, you can work there and ask questions of the people working there. Also I'd get a different bike repair book. Leonard Zinn's books are pretty decent and more user friendly than the Big Blue Book.

shelbyfv

Yes, you can do it. Start with reading about adjusting your brakes and derailleurs. Get a good understanding of how the inner cable and outer housing work together. Avoid working on carbon parts, that is where torque matters most and where you can mess up if you get it wrong. Get a spoke wrench and learn to true your wheels. Get some Kool Stop salmon brake pads and install/adjust them. You mentioned the chain. Be sure to use a quick link or Shimano pin. No more old timey push-the-pin -back-in. Have fun and save time and money.

wrk101

Learn by doing. +10 Find a local co-op if there is one in your area. Take your bike in and have them assist you. Or buy a cheap POS (think thrift store bike), tear it down and rebuild it. Worst comes to worst, donate it back and do it again.

Get a good chain tool and a good cable tool if you don't have them yet.

Retro Grouch 

Just do it.

If you have average or better mechanical ability, you'll do just fine. You don't have to start off with the most complex jobs, just take it a step at a time. If (when) you find something that's puzzling for you, don't force anything, just stop what you're doing and ask a more specific question. You can do this.

The first tools I'd suggest buying would be a good set of separate metric Allen wrenches and a good quality cable cutter. Maybe a chain breaker. Don't worry about buying any other tools until you need them.

oddjob2

Lots of good DIY videos on youtube as well.

doctor j

+1 on Zinn's book. I've found his instructions to be accurate.

zvez

Cycling is new to me, do most of the maint on my motorcycles for years but lots of the bicycle stuff is so new.

Park tool has some exc. vids on the website as well as tech articles, Sheldon Brown also has tons fo tech articles on line.

Here's a hands on online course it's onlly aroun $100 and is self directed with vids. This guy doing the teaching Victor Jimenez seems very knowledgeable. I plan on taking this over the winter.
https://www.widgetserver.com/syndicat...rjqgW9611Jk%2F click on the fluent cyclsit learn about your bike link.

Good luck!
Chris
PS>Still trying to learn the whole deralleur thing!

sedges

I have found the Big Blue Book to be a fine resource. I have learned to adjust brakes, derailleurs, replace cables, remove and replace pedals, cranks, bottom bracket and cassette. It explains what tools are needed for the job at hand including the ones that are specific to a component like cassettes and bottom brackets. Yes, it is written and sold by a tool manufacturer and the tool suggestions are their own tools. They may not be the best or the cheapest, but they are decent tools. You can always figure out if the tool is available from other manufacturers.

YouTube and other online demos are also very useful.

Start with easy stuff. If you are just after tune-ups then you won't be getting into replacing bottom brackets, etc.

What bike(s) are you wanting to work on?

HillRider

Many bike shops sponsor maintenance seminars at low or no cost so check with any around you. Also bike clubs will have knowledgeable members who may be willing to assist you and, as noted, Co-Ops are a great source of tools, parts and expertise. Finally, Zinn's book or Bicycling Magazine's repair book are readable and easier to follow.

RoadTire 

Heh. What a great place to be - nowhere to go but up.

Now that we have that out of the way, getting Parks BBB was a good idea because the pictures show how the tools and bike meld together, taking the mystery out of bike repair. All those special bolts, lock rings, and funny terminology. Remember that learning is mostly eliminating all the mistakes and repetition, so by the end of a season you will have a better tuned bike and more intimate knowledge of your bike than if you relied on a LBS.

Just remember tools are critical to doing good work. Good tools fit and don't slip and damage components. Get only the bike-specific tools that fit you bike. The rest can be regular mechanics tools. Cheap tools just are not worth the hassle. Been there, done that, and am convinced I have to get the right stuff. Already mentioned is a proper cable cutter so you don't mangle the cable ends. (I think Park CN10) and a "3rd Hand" (or is it "4th Hand" ?) cable puller. I wish I had purchased those ages ago, use it once and it pays for itself.

Learn to keep your wheels true - everything I've read here on BF says keep them true and you will not have bigger problems later. Oh, and clean and fiddle with derailleurs, cables, brakes, etc very often so you see how the work and get a feel for when something starts to change.

Short Circuit

There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to work on your own bike with a book like that. Im sure if you still have any questions there is lots of people on here who would be willing to offer you their expertise to talk you through any problem you may encounter.

Although I am fairly mechanically inclined I just ordered this book off of Amazon and am getting a bike tool kit for Christmas from my wife so I should be set to go

I think part of the fun of riding a bike is being able to work on it yourself.

Mark

Bill Kapaun

Start with the simple things and use as confidence builders.
I suggest servicing the FRONT wheel bearings.
Next, REAR wheel bearings.
Simple DER adjustments etc.
Go slow, it's not a race! Stay calm!!!!!
Take pictures if you have a camera.
Set the parts down in the order you remove them so you see what goes where.

Bakerb24

Thanks Shelby - The first thing that I'm determined to do is adjust a derailleur. That's the last thing that sent me to the LBS so it's the first thing that I'm learning. How hard is it to true your wheels? I have a set of carbon clinchers that I think may be out of true. I didn't know if the stand would be worth the investment. What are kool stop pads? Anything in particular that good about those? I did manage to change my chain with one of those locking type pins. Not too bad!

Bakerb24

It's interesting that you mentioned this bikemig. I am part of a growing bike club here in NC. One of our initiatives for 2014 is to have basic maintenance classes. We have the tech willing to do it. We just need to put the pieces together.

ursle

Very small nut's take very small torque to tighten, very large nut's take large amounts of torque to tighten, unless they are very thin, lock rings are thin, irregardless of their circumference, grease make metal work, better, to much grease attracts grime, grime is abrasive, take something apart and then reassemble it, ah, a technique, do it again.

Bakerb24

Thanks Chris- That class looks pretty cool. I may check into it.

Bakerb24

Hey Sedges- Thanks for the response. The primary bike that I'll be working on will be my current road bike, a Scott CR1 Team Issue. However, I'm buying my wife a little beach cruiser single speed for Christmas. I'll probably just be cleaning it and lubing the chain on that one.

Bakerb24

Thanks for the tips Road Tire. I just ordered the cable cutter and 4th hand. My collection of tools has been growing recently, even if my knowledge base hasn't

shelbyfv

You can true wheels on the bike. You don't necessarily need a truing stand. Use the clearance between the brake pads and rim as your guide. Read about it first and be careful to not round off the spoke nipples.

20_700c

Traditional advice (as illustrated above) is: join a coop, buy a book, buy tools only as you need them... and on and on.

Yeah yeah yeah

My 2 cents: You've now bought a book (and I believe the Blue Book is as good as any and better than lots) and have a few basic tools. You're ready to start screwing your bike up now --- oops. I meant learning how to fix it.

Seriously - pick 3 things to learn this weekend (say how to adjust the rear derailleur, how to adjust your brakes or replace a brake cable and how to fix a flat). Now, open the book to one of those - and do it step by step. Ignore the rest of the book. Do that one thing ---- 3 times. As in, adjust he derailler.. Go ride it to check it out. Then come back, put the bike back on the stand and misadjust it. Now, walk away from the bike. Get a cup of coffee/a Coke. Now fix it/test ride again.

After 3 repetitions, move to the next "repair"/adjustment you want to learn. Open the book to THAT repair. Again ignore the rest of the book. Repeat the above routine for the second repair.

Move to the third repair.

Ride the bike for a week.

Pick a new repair/procedure or two and repeat the above sequence for that/those... and on and on.

In 3-4 months, you should have both knowledge and confidence.

The point of ignoring "the rest of the book" is to not overwhelm yourself. Focus is the key. Focus on ONE thing at a time. You may or may not find a particular repair easy or far more difficult than you anticipated. Just focus on one thing at a time.

Also, remember that there are LOTS of videos on youtube, the Park Tools website and elsewhere which show how to do any number of things.

That's how I've gone from "what is a Phillips screwdriver" to being relatively competent (though completely self-deprecating) about my skills. I freely admit, however, there are still some repairs I just have no interest in trying/doing myself. I've read about them; I can talk about them with an LBS. But there will always be a few things I won't be doing myself. Ya gotta draw the line somewhere! :wink

Best of luck.

Added: To illustrate my point about how to learn to fix a flat tire.. I took an old inner tube and poked three holes in it. Then I fixed them. Took me much longer than I anticipated. Blew the tire up and left it overnight after repairing it. Found that one of my repairs wasn't a good one. Had to remove that patch and redo it. 24 hours later, I checked and the tube was still holding air. I now had confidence that I could do it again AND that mistake didn't have to be catastrophic to my ego.

fietsbob

My Sutherlands is blue.

NatUp

I think your optimism and can-do attitude will serve you much better than the book. Simply commit to tackling any challenge your bike(s) present and then look up the part/issue on Sheldon Brown's site. He is seriously the best resource out there. Memorize his site.

The one thing that can be hard for some people to "learn by doing" or by reading about it is judging the torque on fasteners. Some people who are naturally mechanical and have been fiddling since they were kids just get it. Others don't. Unfortunately, tightening fasteners is just about the most common and essential task in all of mechanics. So, if you don't have a good, intuitive sense of what's "tight enough but not too tight," I'd strongly recommend a torque wrench in the lower range of torque measurements (usually these have a 1/4" drive). Park Tool's website is then a great place to look up torque specs for many parts.

Experimenting is also invaluable: take an old part you never intend to use and tighten a smallish fastener on it until something breaks. You'll be shocked at how little it takes to ruin a part or fastener.

bhchdh 

Usefull repair and tool information can be found here.
https://www.parktool.com/
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/home.html

zvez

here's a nice inexpensive torque wrench for bikes. Torque settings are critical especially on carbon components, too much and you crush the part and lose strength of the carbon.

As mentioned, if you're not mechanically inclined using a torque wrench is a good idea til you get more comfortable.
https://www.amazon.com/VENZO-Bicycle-...s=venzo+torque