cyclezealot

I only do the most basic of repairs. Changing tires and tubes...... I have three bikes..Once thought I might want to , because I've had some basic bike maintenance courses.. And four books on bike repair.....
But, My local shop is so reasonable , reliable - why would I not take my bike to him , instead of getting out and riding.. Most of the year , my bike time takes up so much of the day, my wife thinks I'm missing in action.. Instead of fiddle with my bike when I get home, that way I am free to do chores about the house..

pharasz

I'm a software guy, and very challenged when it comes to hardware. The old joke is: How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: None - that's a hardware problem.

I can change my flats and adjust my seat position. That's about it. If I could write code to fix my bike, I would. Fortunately my software skills pay well enough that I can pay the pro to fix it. But I do recall when I was younger, better looking, and much poorer, I actually replaced a spoke and trued a wheel all by myself. I think I was in High School then.

tarwheel 

Sixty Fiver - Your daughter puts me to shame. That is a great photo. You should be proud of her.

I am not mechanically gifted by nature but I am sure that I could learn if I took the time. Beyond basic mechanical tasks such as fixing flats, replacing chains and cassette, and adding new components, I generally take my bike to the LBS for repairs and adjustments. I've got a very good mechanic and his prices are reasonable. I don't mind supporting him because my time could generally be spent doing things that I am good at. In the time that it would take me to attempt more complicated repairs and adjustments -- and probably screw it up and end up at the LBS anyway -- I could actually accomplish something that I am very good at.

neil

I started just by consulting with the internet on how to make the repair. Unfortunately, the site I used and found really helpful and step by step is no longer up. Still, there's tons of resources out there.

But when I was doing the work, I did it at a community shop (same one as Sixty-Fiver, actually) where there were more experienced people around happy to help me out and give pointers...as well as almost all the tools a person might need. I changed out my whole drive train this way...which turned out to be a fairly simple activity when it came right down to it.

I later took a mechanics course through the same organisation, which got me comfortable dealing with bearings and sometimes just trying things that sound hard.

Now I'm pretty comfortable dealing with my bikes - whose quirks I'm very familiar with. I also volunteer at the shop and help people out with theirs, which is a great learning experience and I'm frequently flummoxed by the unusual gear they've sometimes got. But when there's an issue, you just check a book, check the internet, or ask someone else for help. It almost always works out.

Sixty Fiver

Neil... nice to see you posting here and can't say how much I appreciate all the great volunteers we now have... it has never been better.

I'll be doing monthly workshops at the shop through 2010 on specific repair jobs... these will range from how to service internal hubs, coaster brakes, and will also include a few wheel building classes.

There might even be a "how to build your own longbike class" since these are becoming very popular here.

These should help users as well as our volunteers and mechanics to expand their skills and knowledge when it comes to dealing with the large variety of bikes we see rolling through the shop.

pedalpedalpedal

I can do my own derailleur and brake adjustments, accessories, basic part swapping, but headset/bb/wheel stuff I leave to the shop.

Schnayke

I do just about everything. The more expensive it is the more I am careful.