Am I just Weird?

[fossyant]

Received a text from my nephew yesterday (the one that breaks computers frequently).

"Back wheel won't go round not gears can you fix it" (well it arrived in text speak - I've translated).

My opinion - pretty flippin obvious check wheel hasn't moved off centre and isn't catching.

Asked him to look at it - all he needs is a spanner, undo nuts, centre, and off you go.

Anyway, SIL phones wife some hours later - he'd asked his mum (SIL) for a spanner - 'erm no we don't have any'. Turns out he is using the bike to get to college and it looks as though he has absolutely nothing (pump/spanner etc) to look after it - they had even taken the bike to a bike shop for tyres to be fitted.

Now am I just weird in that I could change tyres on a bike as a kid and look after my bikes - nephew is 17, OK his dad isn't around, but even my wife was backing him up. Bikes aren't difficult to work on - this all seems like common sense to me - check wheel isn't catching frame ?

Or is it that most kids now haven't a clue about 'stuff' that us 'older' ones think is common sense?

Tonight's job is to go round and sort his bike out.

I'm obviously weird.

 

[asterix]

Maybe they know about newer stuff that baffles the older generation?

 

[ianrauk]

Yes....

Sorry didn't read the post, just the topic heading..

 

[John the Monkey]

Hey, don't knock it, there are bike shops doing a nice trade in repairing punctures for these folk on Saturday afternoons

I guess people think it's going to be difficult - bikes are, for the most part, pretty simple mechanically. Once you get your head around that, it's easier to have a bash at stuff.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I often have this conversation with a friend of mine, it seems that 90% of the country are not able to do the simplest job that involves using any kind of tools at all.

I still have trouble understanding how someone can not know how to wire up a mains plus, it is 3 wires for christ sake I could do it when I was a small child

 

[dellzeqq]

not weird, but guilty of a simple error. You've failed to recognise that teenagers are visitors from a different planet. If you seek proof, then I offer this in evidence....human beings do not customarily sleep until midday. Aliens from Planet Teen will sleep until their biological clock tells them it's Pot Noodle Time.

Teenagers do not do cause and effect. They do not understand that objects do not move to their appointed station of their own volition - hence the condition of their bedrooms. Teenagers do not hold thoughts for more than a few seconds, but must be on the telephone for at least five hours a day for fear of turning in to dust (or having no mates, which is more serious).

Your repair job is a simple act of interplanetary hospitality. We should all cherish visitors, particularly those who have travelled light years to be here. And think of it this way - when some abstruse piece of technology defeats you, teenagers, armed with their extraordinary ability to do stuff with electronics without, it would seem, any formal knowledge, will come to your rescue. Why, only yesterday, a teenager currently stacking zees in the next room but one, showed me her website which is not only competently put together, but, amazingly, sporting a 3-D video. How do they do that?

 

[Beebo]

I learnt most of my basic DIY skills including basic bike repairs from watching my dad by a system of osmosis and I guess he learnt from his dad too by the same system. My son will hopefully follow too, but he is only 3 months old.

The garage was full of every tool I could ever need and I even had my own mini real tool as well so I could spend time fiddling with things in the garage. I think the father figure is very important here.

If he doesnt have a father figure to show him how to do it and he lacks the tools and confidence to try then he might just need a small push from you and he will be away.

Buy him a mini tool and pump for Christmas, this will be a start.

 

[Paulus]

I learnt most of my basic DIY skills including basic bike repairs from watching my dad by a system of osmosis and I guess he learnt from his dad too by the same system. My son will hopefully follow too, but he is only 3 months old.

The garage was full of every tool I could ever need and I even had my own mini real tool as well so I could spend time fiddling with things in the garage. I think the father figure is very important here.

If he doesnt have a father figure to show him how to do it and he lacks the tools and confidence to try then he might just need a small push from you and he will be away
Buy him a mini tool and pump for Christmas, this will be a start.

That is a good idea Beebo, maybe also a basic puncture repair kit to go with it. Once Fozzy has fixed the bike and shown his nephew a few tips and skills, who knows, maybe a new convert to cycling.

 

[Beebo]

Make sure that he watches as you show him how to do the repair.

Dont let him go and plays on his X box and leave you to get on with it otherwise he will never learn.

 

[fossyant]

I was thinking of making sure he had the basics - got a spare pump, 'kit' and tyre levers in the office which haven't been used - was even thinking of calling into Decathlon for a D-lock, but I believe they have secure parking at college and he has two locks (both probably sh1te). I'll find a spare bottle of oil.

Nice explanation Dell on "Planet Teen" - not got any yet myself - my eldest is 11, but my 4 teenage nieces/nephews fill me with dread.

We have many friends who can't do the basics - even bloody painting/decorating. Even my brother and two sisters aren't practical - we all came from the same family... I'm the odd one. My father is very practical, hence I obviously picked it up, but my siblings didn't.

PS I draw the line at cleaning my nephew's bike - no chance.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Make sure that he watches as you show him how to do the repair.

Dont let him go and plays on his X box and leave you to get on with it otherwise he will never learn.

I'd add ''make sure that he helps as you show him how to do the repair.'' It's a hands on job, best to learn it with hands on and develop confidence/satisfaction that way.

 

[Mozzy]

Not at all; I read a letter in the Times just the other day which was from a Mother who was so happy her little baby boy had uttered his first true spoken words as opposed to the sounds and grunts usually emanating from wee baby boy. He had just turned 18 years of age; she was delighted. At least your Nephew can string words together.

 

[NormanD]

Stick a play station or Xbox sticker on there and I'm sure he'll fiddle with it until he works it out

 

[fossyant]

Might have to get him an adjustable spanner too, and some allen keys.

 

[swee'pea99]

Well yes, obviously.

But when it comes to 'ain't that just common sense?', it's not just visitors from Planet Teen. Bumped into a friend of my wife's t'other day, and while chatting noticed that her back brake looked not quite right. When I mentioned it she said some yoofs had been trying to nick the back wheel till she chased 'em off - but they'd 'left it like that'. She was going to take it to the LBS later. They were cantilever brakes, which aren't really my thing - I'm more of a caliper sort of chap - but just by looking at the front one and then the back one and then the front one and then the back one, and then clipping that back in there so that the back one was once again the same as the front one - ta-dah!

And this is a woman who *has* teens.

Like you, I find it baffling. But I think there are great swathes of the populations who simply think: 'I can't do that sort of thing.' And so they can't. Tho' in fact, of course, they could.