ostste

I'm a total newbie, but want to learn all about the gear, the hardware, the road etiquette, repairs, everything. Where can I start for a beginner's guide? Any video series on youtube?

Thanks!

jefnvk

Repairs and biking preference? Start where I did: go to Craigslist, sit on a bunch of $100 30+ year old bikes, find one you like, buy it, rip it apart to the last screw, replace every last consumable bit (cables, sheathing, chain, bearings, brake pads, tubes, tires etc), clean it all up. Ride it for a few hundred miles, or a season of riding. Replace the rest of it (saddle, components, bar tape, etc) as your riding sees a need. After a season, you'll have a wide range of mechanical skills and far more knowledge about what you want to go into a bike store and buy something specific to carry you onto the next level. Or, you'll wind up like me, with a bunch of old bikes that suit your riding and no interest in anything new

The rest will come as you have a need to add skills. Definitely the cheapest way to learn, and something old will give you far less concern learning to do basic repairs on. Do a google search for a website run by (the late) Sheldon Brown, and another by Park Tools, and you'll have all the repair/overhaul info you could ever want.

molten

note about BF: of what you choose to post on BF, too many of these members here, don't choose to read your intended context correctly. And they will only blow-out the chat into mess-up. Because THEY ONLY want to understand what they only want to understand THEIR WAY.

techsensei

When I started out 40+ years ago, I got a lot from reading Bike World magazine, now Bicycling magazine. I also hung around the bike shop a lot, and joined a club (a touring club, not a racing one). I'm not sure what's good on YouTube. I watch GCN there once in awhile, but I wouldn't say their content is great for a beginner. Art's Cyclery has a lot of well-produced Ask a Mechanic videos. Park Tool is a good source for mechanical help as well.

Hoonigan

Global Cycling Network (GCN) on YouTube. Also find YouTube reviews on tons of products before you buy.

Flip Flop Rider

ride and read

Phil_gretz

Great. Get a bike and start riding. Hang out with other bike folks. Do all of your own and your friends' repairs. Rinse and repeat for 45 years and you'll get there. Oh, and don't believe everything that you read on the internet...

Phil_gretz

+1, this ^

BobbyG

I find, this site, bikeforums.net to be one of my the greatest cycling resources because it is NOT advertiser driven. Sure, once in a while a discussion thread devolves into an angry flame fest. Or sometimes people aren't as gracious with a newbie as they could be. But it's no more abusive than a ride on the NYC subway. Learn what others do and why. Try different things. Keep doing the ones that work for you and look for other ways to do things that don;t work for you.

Retro Grouch 

1. No matter how hard you try to get all of those things right you are doomed to failure because the nuances are too narrow and they change faster than anybody can keep up. All of that You Tube stuff is out of date so we are going to laugh at you no matter what.

2. Just do it and all of that stuff will come to you anyway. You'll be fine!

MrWasabi

As a 'newer' guy, I'd say first figure out what type of riding you want to do. I'm riding on the road or paved trails most of the time with some occasional dirt/sand/hardpack trails mixed in so I'm going with a hybridish type bike. Do a lot of reading up here on bikeforums and then hit CL for a decent used bike. Ride the crap out of it, tinker and change/fix some stuff as needed. After that, you'll have a better understanding of what you need and will be ready to go get something new.

Miele Man

Articles For Beginning Cyclists

Articles For Beginning Cyclists

Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary

Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary

Articles About Bicycle Repair

Articles About Bicycle Repair

fietsbob

I read Many print sources and checked out books on bike mechanics from the Public Library,
to learn stuff before the Internet was created and made people so apparently Lazy
they dont read from other sources on their own.

and even need the forum members to do web searches for them ..

you tube does seem to link similar topic videos once you search for any one on the subject.

you have the power Luke..

demoncyclist

If we are such horrible people, why do you stay? If context is the issue, maybe asking your questions so that we really understand what you are asking would be helpful. If you get answers that are counter to your own thoughts, maybe your hypothesis is incorrect. Badmouthing the lot of us just because you are having some personality clashes with a few of us is not the way to get constructive advice.

goraman

Because Demons are known liars and deceivers would be one reason.
The power of Christ compels you!

JanMM

Lairs or liars?

JanMM

Browse cycling info on the interwebs til your eyes bleed and, above all, ride a bike!

jefnvk

To be fair, there is a lot of bad advice out there, and it takes some wading to get through. Heck, even the search on this site is atrocious, so bad that I have to use google to search the backcatalog here.

Don't feed the troll, lest we have to hear about how stupid we all are for paying to go on organized bike rides or charity events again.

indyfabz

+1.

indyfabz

goraman

liars, thank you.

GravelMN

+1 for Global Cycling Network (GCN) on YouTube. They have a lot of racing and hard core training videos but also huge volumes of information on basic skills, bike maintenance, etiquette, gear, winter/rain riding, nutrition and a whole lot more. Most videos run just a few minutes so they are great when you want something to watch during a break or at lunch.

OP,
Some information about you and what kind of riding interests you would be helpful. Are you looking for recreation, competition, fitness? On-road, off-road or both? Are you interested in commuting by bicycle? Browse through the sub-forums (beware of Advocacy and Safety) and see what piques your interest.

Welcome to BF. This is a good place to ask questions about what you really need, where you can skimp and where you should spend a little extra. Ignore the trolls (unless its a Surly) and you'll be fine.

topslop1

Yes, the power of Christ compels you!!

cyclist2000

My idea would be to get a bike and start riding. When things break, learn to fix it. After riding for a while you will find things that you don't like, like straight bars or drop bars or rubber pedals or platform pedals, ask the forum for ideas and explain why you don't like these items. If you don't like having riders pass you and you want a faster bike, you will learn about N+1.

Get a bike, ride, have fun. Get another bike, have more fun.

Clyde1820

Agreed, with acquiring a relatively simple, inexpensive "beater" bike to start working on. First buy a solid repair/maintenance book. Get the "beater" bike to work on, tear it down, clean it all up, repair and replace whatever is necessary, then ruminate on what you've learned. Do that two or three times, and you'll have a reasonable handle on many of the basics.


Some resources that you might find useful:

Park Tool's Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, 3rd Ed

Park Tool's articles on bike repair

Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair - Daimeon Shanks

Bike Wagon has a number of guides and articles written about bikes, maintenance and related: Bikewagon Community College / The Wagon: Bikewagon Community College & Blog

Bike repair video tutorials @ Bicycle Tutor



IIRC, it was age ~10 when I tore down my first bike. Have done a few since then, though I don't know half of what I should by this point. Doing it only occasionally, it's a never-ending process. Takes quite a number of specialized tools, as well, to get many things done. Finding a great mechanic at a local bike shop is key, too. Hunt down a local bike "exchange" where folks gather to work on their rides. You can learn much, at such places.