Spudmeister

Some recent posts have me wondering how many riders assemble their own bikes. Bikes are simple machines, fixed gears doubly so - putting your own bike together is something most people can do with a few bike specific tools. Of course, having an experienced professional do the work has advantages.

So, without passing judgement - HOW MUCH WORK DO YOU DO ON YOUR OWN BIKE?

SingleSpeeDemon

All of it. Except for wheel building simply because I do not know how.

Igneous Faction

I assemble everything except for wheels.

By the end of the summer, I plan to have brazed a frame, stem, fork, and built a wheelset. DIY.

jim-bob

I do everything but chase/face bb/headtube interfaces and press headsets.

skanking biker

2 years ago I didn't know how to change a flat tire and I have been trying to learn as much as I can. I still do not know how to, or have the tools to: pull cranks, install a bottom bracket, install cog/lockring (although this would be easy enough if I had the tools), press a headset.

[edit] When my IRO SE comes---i plan on trying to bribe someone with a case of beer to teach me more.

caloso

Never built wheels but I would really like to. Maybe this year.

moe sizlack

right hand, meet wrench.
left hand, meet beer can.
together, we can accomplish anything.

i don't have any fancy bike tools.
i see nothing on a bicycle that requires much thought or effort to rebuild.

sers

i've done everything except build wheels. i use homemade tools for headset related jobs, because i haven't been able to justify spending $150+ on proper tools.

Snordalisk

I don't think there will be a lot of SS/FG readers who can only change a flat, but who knows.

remorashadow

I do everything I have the tools for, or anything I can borrow tools for. If there's something I've never done before, I simply read up and figure it out, hasn't let me down yet.

marqueemoon

Just learned to build wheels. I will still defer to the expertise of my LBS on spoke length though. I pressed my first headset (threadless) using a DIY tool about a month ago.

I may try to do the bottom bracket myself on my next build. I'll be using a cassette hub with a singlespeed kit so it will be pretty hard to **** up the chainline. It will also be my first disc brake experience. Should be interesting.

TrevorInSoCal

Ditto on that.

Mostly 'cause the tools to do those jobs are not even close to cost effective for the home-mechanic to own. I'm not going to pay several hundred dollars to buy a tool I may use 10 times over it's lifetime, when my LBS will do the job for next to nothing (Or in some cases, *nothing*).

Aeroplane

I go to the shop when I severely eff things up or if I am out of ideas/tools. I build my own (and my neighbor's) wheels, and deal with all the normal stuff. The last things I had the shop do were rethread a pedal insert into a stripped crank and pull an ISIS BB (the last one I will ever use, hopefully).

queerpunk

i went to a shop to get a starnut pounded. and to borrow a crankpuller once, before i got one. **** like that. everything else: i have a wrench and an alley key.

kyle!

yeah, if i had tools i would do a lot.


thank satan for free tune ups for life and stuff.

OrgFarmCY

Half the reason I own a fixed gear is because I can do anything and everything to it.

--Aaron

gargiulo.mike

i use to work at a bike shop so i had access to everything. i know how to do everything well, accept build wheels. i have built one wheel though. im slowly building up my tools though. if anyone has like a marc's grocery store around you (ghetto goods), keep an eye out in the tools section, i got a whole entire METRIC allen key set for $1.99 (from 15mm down) and i got a whole metric wrench set for 5.00 (from 20mm down)!

chip thunder

Thanks to Bike Church's tools, expertise, and patience I do everything myself.

Retem

I do it all except tension and true my wheel builds it is good to have friend double check me and a six pack

but who here can rebuild three speeds and coasters???

SpiderMike

If I don't have the tools, I take it to my LBS. And from there I usually borrow the tool. Last time I did that, it was to tighten the lockring. They saw me using a BB tool, and started freaking. I then pointed out they had no tool, sat back and watch them try and find one. I'm maybe one of a hand full that ride fixed around here.

Wheel building is a future goal. Just need to find a local wheel building dojo. I tried it once, but my teacher suck. Samething happend when I tried teaching myself how to play guitar.

jwind

Haven't built wheels or faced anything but that's about it.

Smorgasgeorge

My next purchase is going to be a nice truing stand, but I'm slowly buying every tool I can and doing work at home. LBS still gets all my business for parts and bicycle specific tools.

seaneee

Tried building a wheel set for the first time recently. It was ugly, so I had a shop finish. But I would try again. I don't press cups, face, or chase threads just 'cause I don't do it enough to justify buying the tools. That's about it, everything else I do myself.

Oh yeah, also stay away from cold setting and frame/dropout alignment. Wouldn't trust myself.

seaneee

For the price, this one is pretty nice:

https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...All%20Products

Especially if you are just don't basic truing, etc.

DoshKel

I'm currently building bikes and fixing people's rust for a living .