Who does your wrenching?

Marc · Mar 23, 2006

I've been working on my own bikes for almost the same time I've been riding seriously (if you want to call any part of my cycling career "serious").

I've do everything from cleaning and lubing to overhauls to wheel construction. I invested in a $100 cheap tool kit (still have yet to see the point of paying for Park tools) and a cheap bike stand (in retrospect, something I wish I had spend a little more on, but it serves its purpose).

So how much maintenance do you do yourself and when do you, if at all, bring it to a shop?

SKIQUATTRO · Mar 23, 2006

My Cannondale R3000 still gets free tune ups from the shop so i bring it there, but for my MTN Bike my buddy does all the bike tunes and I handle all the ski tunes...works out nicely...nothing like heading to the basement when everyone is asleep with a bottle of Cabernet, some ESPN on and tuning skis in the middle of winter!!!

djspookman · Mar 23, 2006

I do all my own tuning, except for the wheels! That is something I never did quite learn/understand when working in a shop back in high school!

Oh, and I don't touch my wifes road bike, the shop does.

dave

Npage148 · Mar 23, 2006

I Do all my own work short of major wheel work. Im just not good enough to fix big problems. I can prettyt much do everyhing else. I may not be the the best mechanic and I may mess things up once in a while and take alot longer than a shop, but i get lots of sastifaction doing it myself AND its a heck of a lot cheaper. Nothing like spending 2 days getting the shifting dialed in when you know a shop could do it in 30 minutes, but when you figure it out, its of so good.

Marc · Mar 23, 2006

Yeah, derailleur tuning is a lot less complicated than some people think it is. A good eye and a screw driver is all you need. My eye isn't all that good though.

Just a matter of lining up your limits and adjusting the cable tension. And then if you have jockey wheel interference on the big cog, turn back the derailleur pitch a bit and you're good to go.

skibum1321 · Mar 23, 2006

I always would bring mine to the shop, but I want to learn to do some of the more basic stuff on my own. I'll use this opportunity to solicit recommendations for a good book on bike maintenance.

Charlie Schuessler · Mar 23, 2006

With the exception of trueing wheels, I work on my bikes...

Marc · Mar 23, 2006

skibum1321 said:
I always would bring mine to the shop, but I want to learn to do some of the more basic stuff on my own. I'll use this opportunity to solicit recommendations for a good book on bike maintenance.

Lennard Zinn I believe has both a mountain bike and a road edition.

I had the 1st edition Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance which, despite the full B&W and no photo's, only diagrams, was very, very good.

From what I've experienced it is more or less considered the bible of moutain bike maintenance. I wish I knew where that went...

I think Zinn put out a roadie version too. Probably can find them on Amazon.

Npage148 · Mar 23, 2006

yeah, Zinn has both a road and MTB book. They both are very similiar with overall bike stuff but goes into the specifics for each edition. Such as shocks and forks in the MTB and bar wrapping for the road edition. The are very easy to follow, very complete and have good diagrams plus a nice bit of humor to lighten the mood when your ready to cry from frustration

nlmasopust · Mar 27, 2006

I purchased a copy of Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair loooong ago. Read it cover to cover and proceeded to take apart my bike and put it together again. I think I was about 15 or 16.

Can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...ref=sr_1_2/102-5715973-2961705?_encoding=UTF8

Has good photos and excellant descriptions of what to do when. After reading that, I got hired two summers in a row at a shop to wrench. Even built my own wheels.

Marc · Mar 27, 2006

nlmasopust said:
I purchased a copy of Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair loooong ago. Read it cover to cover and proceeded to take apart my bike and put it together again. I think I was about 15 or 16.

Can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...ref=sr_1_2/102-5715973-2961705?_encoding=UTF8

Has good photos and excellant descriptions of what to do when. After reading that, I got hired two summers in a row at a shop to wrench. Even built my own wheels.

It doesn't count if you did more smoking than wrenching.

Charlie Schuessler · Mar 27, 2006

Npage148 said:
...Zinn has both a road and MTB book...both are very similiar with overall bike stuff but goes into the specifics for each edition...

Zinn updates those books as required and he published another book titled "Zinn's Cycling Primer" which includes maintenance tips & skill building for bicyclists. Good reading and a helpful resource.

cbcbd · Aug 7, 2006

bumpage...

Now I try to do all my own work. Since my EMS store got a bike tech and bikes this season I can always hit the tech up for info and get to use all the tools from his bench.

I usually use parktool's website for referral.

mlctvt · Aug 7, 2006

I do all of my own work too. Except when it requires an expensive special tool that I can't borrow, then I'll bring it to the local shop. Since I've been working on all my own bikes since I was a kid, I've accumulated many tools and I don't mind buying more if I'll use them again in the future. Like the special Shimano triple crank remover I needed recently when replacing a bottom bracket, I borrowed one in the past but just bought one since I know I'll need it again someday.

Marc · Aug 7, 2006

mlctvt said:
I do all of my own work too. Except when it requires an expensive special tool that I can't borrow, then I'll bring it to the local shop. Since I've been working on all my own bikes since I was a kid, I've accumulated many tools and I don't mind buying more if I'll use them again in the future. Like the special Shimano triple crank remover I needed recently when replacing a bottom bracket, I borrowed one in the past but just bought one since I know I'll need it again someday.

I used to be in the same boat. I started accumulating tools and then I went and bought a cheap, relatively complete set of whatever Performance mag's brand is for like $70. Then I added some specialty items like a P handle torx wrech for brake rotors, an ISIS BB tool, etc. etc.

There's no better feeling when attempting a repair or maintenance project than knowing you won't be forty parts deep and realize you don't have the tool you need.

Of course, I'm still a lousy mechanic, but I do try.

jplynch019 · Aug 8, 2006

routine maintenance, yes, major work no.

cbcbd said:
bumpage...

Now I try to do all my own work. Since my EMS store got a bike tech and bikes this season I can always hit the tech up for info and get to use all the tools from his bench.

I usually use parktool's website for referral.

I haven't built up an arsenal of any tools yet, so the shop gets all the tough work.

SKIQUATTRO · Aug 11, 2006

for now the shop..it comes down to a time factor...just dont have the time to tune my bike in the riding season....do i really want to start screwing around with at $4000 bike??

cbcbd · Aug 11, 2006

SKIQUATTRO said:
for now the shop..it comes down to a time factor...just dont have the time to tune my bike in the riding season....do i really want to start screwing around with at $4000 bike??

Practice on someone else's bike

"Hey man, I'll take care of that, no charge"

Nah, but I do understand the time thing. I'd much rather be on the bike than be fixing it.
But then again when I do break it I don't like to just hand it off to someone without knowing what's going on.
And yeah, I'm not paying extra for service either, especially if I have the tools and plenty of resources to attempt things on my own. If it's not something complicated with the frame where cold setting (SNAP!) is involved you can't screw up that bad that you can't fix it.

Marc · Aug 11, 2006

SKIQUATTRO said:
for now the shop..it comes down to a time factor...just dont have the time to tune my bike in the riding season....do i really want to start screwing around with at $4000 bike??

Well... when you get comfortable enough you actually much rather work on your bike yourself.

If I do the work, I know it's done correctly. And I can tune it just the way I like it. There is only one bike shop I know and trust enough to work on my bike for me.

eatskisleep · Aug 11, 2006

I have brought my bike to a bike shop once... unless of course you are say at a ski area and something brakes down. Otherwie I do all of my own work and sometimes my Dad will give me a helping hand.

Who does your wrenching?

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