AlanS

I went on an orgy of spending in 2004-2005 and have three (outdated) bikes from that period. As much as I want a new bike with DI2, I might actually miss installing cables and tweaking the front and rear derailleur. Doing your own maintenance is part of the experience.

Drag

Oh I wouldn't. I played with Di2. It's suhhhweeeet. But I'm not getting rid of my stick shift drivetrains any time soon.

hhnngg1

Seriously though - what the heck are you actually doing in terms of maintenance?

ONce you set the limit screws on the derailleur once, it's done. You never need to do it again if done properly. The derailleur cables are best adjusted with the quick adjust toggles and not by redoing the cabling once they're set up properly. Chains can be measured easily with a ruler. I've never had to disassemble my BB or headset, and my bike is in very good condition. (I got it looked at last year at a good LBS and was ready to drop $200+ on a 'total overhaul' just to get maximum performance on an upcomig race but the LBS guy said my bike was in such good condition that a regular tuneup was already about too much.)

The only special tool I've needed recently is a the chainbreaker to replace an old chain that was over a year old. Other than that, only allen wrench, and tire iron.

Jed19

One other thing I forgot to add in my earlier post is the fact that I derive a lot of "satisfaction" from working with my hands on mechanical stuff. I was not one of those kids who worked on mechanical stuff when they were young, as my interests were sports and girls for the most part. Well, my parents also made sure I slot in academics in there somehow. So, I can tell you there is a lot of satisfaction in cracking open a beer or a glass of wine and working on your bike in the garage while some nice music is in the background. You know, that old story about zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance stuff. If you do not earn your living by using your hands, then I'll advise you find something that lets you use your hands as well as your brain in working it.

Jed19

Well, true to some extent. Regular maintenance can encompass a lot of stuff. There are cables to be replaced, pedals to be periodically taken off, regreased and re-installed, bolts, seatposts to be regreased, wheelsets to be thrown on a truing stand etc. Regular and periodic maintenance are also good at discovering problems that could be subsequently catastrophic. It is when I maintain my bikes that I look at the forks, stem, handlebars etc carefully, for instance.

hhnngg1

I agree with what you said, but for me (and I don't think I'm an outlier, as I actually ride more than a lot of folks):

- Have never needed to replace a snapped or degenerated cable. I THOUGHT I had to replace them, but they were fine, even after 4 years, apparently per the LBS. No rust.

- Pedals have never needed to come off after initial installation. I removed them once 2 years ago just to make sure I could still do it and regreased them but they were totally fine and didn't have to come off.

- My wheels are still in true, but if they went out of true, that is something I wouldn't attempt myself anyway.

- Seatpost hasn't needed grease, but even if it did, you don't need any special tools for that. (I don't consider the allen wrench a special tool.)

I actually thought I'd have to do most of the things you mentioned above on a yearly basis, but it has definitely NOT been the case with my recent-gen bikes that are now 3-4 years old. And things are still running great, even according to my good LBS. Makes me actually regret buying that case of tools and bike stand.

alexaschwanden

I do the basic maintenance and repairs.

Nagrom_

Built 'em all.

pdxtex

i do 90 percent of my own maintenance and add a new skill as something breaks or needs attending too. some tools are proprietary per repair (chain breaker, chainring bolt tool, etc) so id start with easy repairs that only require tools you may already own (adjusting brakes, installing a derailleur). changing cables is easy but getting a clean cable cut is tricky without a cable cutter. i got by for years with a hammer and a pair of tinsnips but im glad i outgrew that and bought a proper tool. if anything, buy a workstand first. its the absolute best tool you can have besides a nice set of allen wrenches. get a book too, it helps...