I'm probably asking the wrong (right?) crowd, but do you enjoying tinkering on your bicycles? I'm busy all day doing work but tonight is a Friday night. I have a few small things to do on a few different bikes of mine and I plan on having a few beers and doing some light tinkering. Heading to a Halloween party tomorrow night, but I'm excited and perfectly happy spending a few hours working on my bikes, organizing my tools (finding my one hex wrench that is missing from the set!)

Sometimes I just want to ride my bikes and don't look forward to work they need, especially if it is a big or complex job. But, other times, like tonight, I can't wait to have a night in just working on them. I can easily spend a few hours tinkering on them.

The funny thing is that my girlfriend actually fears us buying a house with a basement (or shed) because she thinks I might just be down their all the time working on my bikes. She's probably right

And it always seems like even on my finely tuned bikes there are one or two things I need to do some work on.

So...do you enjoy tinkering? Or do you dislike it and would rather just be out riding? I have a lot of admiration for those of you who've sourced and built up period-correct bikes, as I haven't done that yet and don't know if I'd have the patience. But tinkering...can't wait for a quiet night working on my bikes.

Sure do - in fact, I bet those of us who do never have to worry about something working loose/becoming lost when we're riding them

For me, I love all aspects of cycling and that includes the satisfying feeling I get when I do all the maintenance on my rigs. I really like that I can take every bike down to a bare frame and build it all back up again. I suppose I form a better bond with my hobby/sport that way.

I also fall into that camp since I tinker with bikes all the time. Cleaning, swapping/upgrading parts, etc.

Yeah, I do enjoy knowing my bike is going to work when I need it to and something is going to fall off or break. (It can happen, but when you have things in good working order, it is less likely to happen)

I stripped down one of my bikes to the frame two years ago and built it back up, re-cabled it, repacked wheels, etc. with my father. It was a fun time with him and a GREAT learning experience. I can do just about all my own work, though derailleurs and getting the perfect tension does sill scare me a bit.

Oh, and I used an equation the other week to cut a chain to the proper length. I'd always had the proper length chain on a bike, but this was the first time I did it this way - felt like a hybrid math/bike geek (though the equation was pretty simple).

It is a superb feeling to have all of your bikes in fine working order; I love getting up in the morning and being able to say, "Which bike do I feel like riding today?"

Absolutely - it's the one mechanical/maintenance thing I can do reasonably well even though I have a lot to still learn. The only advice I have is to budget your time wisely. I could be tinkering every day but to keep household harmony I only it a couple of times a week. The only exception is if nobody is around in the afternoons then I'll work on the bikes a little more,

here's an AIM conversation I had recently concerning one of my bikes. It might answer your question:

h0liday1976 11:09 AM
im going to take the fuji to alan to go over the wheels
iluvnoise1976 11:09 AM
why?
h0liday1976 11:09 AM
they're true and straight but some spokes are lose
iluvnoise1976 11:10 AM
oh
h0liday1976 11:10 AM
i want him to rebuild them, but i also thought about moving the hubs over the 700c wheels to get more tire choices
10:48
or putting a generator hub in the front
10:51
or or or
10:54
ok i'll just ride it
iluvnoise1976 11:11 AM
haha
h0liday1976 11:11 AM
i mgiht even try to ride it without clipless pedals
11:41
because it looks much cooler with those original ones
iluvnoise1976 11:12 AM
your saddle looks like it's pointing up a lot
h0liday1976 11:12 AM
yeah it is, needs to be adjusted
12:45
i threw it on right before that pic, took it, then had to go to work
iluvnoise1976 11:13 AM
didn't you buy red derailleur guide wheels for it too?
h0liday1976 11:15 AM
yup
15:12
but that's getting changed so i'm waiting
15:26
changing freehwheel to a 34t 5 speed
15:39
putting long arms on the campy mech and moving over the red wheels
15:47
the red pulleys will add a nice touch
16:12
i'm also getting a old school chrome dynamo for the front wheel, and old french front and rear lights for the fenders
iluvnoise1976 11:17 AM
haha
h0liday1976 11:17 AM
then i might ride it

I smell a troll...

Yeah, on tap tonight, well not really the old keg-erator has been long gone, but a few cold ones and putting my Miyata up on the stand to try to figure out the source of the annoying and disturbing "clunking" noise that developed in the rear end of the drivetrain on a ride last weekend.

Tinkering, with bikes or anything else, is one of the greatest joys in my life. I think I've found a niche with bikes though. I'm having so much fun I can't stand it though.

Tinkered a set of wheels together last night:



Took be about 4 hours from hub, rim, and piles 'o spokes to finished, trued, and tensioned wheels. Obviously not ready for a ride yet but those shiny high flange hubs sure are yummy

I'll probably hook up the front brake tonight so I can go outside and roll down the sidewalk with full weight on the wheels.

Can we see a pic of this bike with red wheels and red RD jockey wheels?!

ha. Not red wheels, just jockey wheels. And sure, once they're on it , though you've probably seen the bike posted here before (my '72 fuji the finest)

Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear s___ in the woods?

Holy cow...from the age of like 16-19 I think my highest dream in life was to get a keg-erator. Then I got to college and kegs were kind of ubiquitous. But...tinkering on bikes in a basement or shed or shop with a keg-erator...I think my dream has been re-established

And do you guys sometimes find a job to do on one of your bikes when there really aren't any? I'll find silly things to do, swap a bottle cage to see how another one looks. Try this tail light on that bike. I'm not even married so I hope this condition doesn't get even worse once (if) I do.

I'll also find myself at my desk during the day writing up a list of things to do on my bikes; by the end of the day it is usually 10-15 tasks long.

Alright, have a good TGIF tinkering everyone. And take some time away from the bikes to get a good costume together!

I like working on bikes at home. I do not like working on bikes at the side of the road.

When I told a friend about my 10-speed, he asked me what happened to my English 3-speed.

"Don't you know the first rule of being a man?"

"What's that?"

"As soon as you finish a project you must immediately start another one."

It's very relaxing and quite satisfying taking a pile of parts and turning them into something that can be ridden and enjoyed. My wifes been away in FL visiting a friend and friends newborn for the past few days so I've gotten lots of basement organization done and all my riders got adjustments done. Much more pleasant than working on cars.

For the last two weeks, I've been spending my evenings down in the basement building a thief-deterrent bike for a trip to Portland. My wife likes when I go down to work because it gives her a chance to watch all the TV shows that I don't like to watch. In the two weeks, I attempted every possible combination of 4 frames, 2 wheelsets, 3 sets of cranks, a flat bar drivetrain vs drops, plus fender fittings.

My final build was my old Technium from high school as a fixie with a dished wheel to compensate for not wanting to risk my "good" bb spindle that would have given me the correct chainline.

I actually don't own a car and fear it.

I know am able to fix just about everything on my bikes or be able to describe it well to the mechanic. But a car has a lot more parts than a bike! Not looking forward to the day I need to own one.

Heck, even mtn. bikes and the shocks on them are territory I'm kind of reluctant to join.

Oh, and great point about working at home versus on the road. In the basement with a stand and good light...lots of fun! Just off the road with cars whizzing by, not fun.

I enjoy tinkering also, but occasionally well-enough should have been left alone!

Riding bikes is just an excuse to tinker with them.

I do all my best thinking between 11 and 2 in the morning in the shop. It's not always bikes, either. When I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed, my first theraputic step is to clamp a length of straight-grained cedar or pine in the bench and go to work with a sharp handplane. It soothes me, squares an edge, and gives the hamster bedding. Win/win.

Otherwise, there's always the hope of some quality time with prepped aluminum and a tub of Mother's.

theres nothing more relaxing that working on my bikes . even if its just to adjust the brakes i love it . and if i come across a bike project i loose myself for a couple of hours just tinkering away .a great stress reliever for me !!

I love tinkering .. in fact that Im unemployed and therefore don't have a lengthy commute I probably tinker more then I ride.

I'm tinkering with modernising some dynamo lights right now.

One of my joy's is wheel truing ... i just love setting up and getting comfy with something on the TV and gently tweaking a wheel back to where it should be.

I just received my 85 Raleigh RecordAce frame! I have almost everything (except seat post) ready to go.
What joy! Got to send my wife somewhere for a visit.

Ah! just had some tinkering enter the equation that I DON'T like to do.

A rear wheel has a slow leak problem Originally flatted a few weeks ago while out riding. Replaced it on the road. After around five days of hanging on my wall I got it down to ride and the rear tire was squishy. Pumped it up and rode it to make sure there was a problem. A few days later, soft again. Damn.

Okay, took the tire totally off, checked for stuck debris and any big holes. None. Hole in the tube was so small I couldn't find it by sound or feel (going to have to put it in water, just haven't gotten to it). Put in a new tube, been riding for a week or two on it...just got it down to ride tomorrow...rear tire soft. AHHH! I also checked to make sure there aren't any spokes poking through.

So...now I'm punctured two brand new tubes, need to patch them, and I still have no idea what is digging into them. For me this tinkering is not relaxing - so many variables and every time I don't solve it that is another tube I need to patch or toss...

Oh well, life could be worse

I love tinkering with my bikes. Before I got into bicycles I was tinkering with my motorcycles, computers, vacuum cleaner, etc, etc... what ever I could get my hands on basically.