snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
..........and a tool box to hold all the cycle tools so that they will be there next time they're needed.
Am I just Weird?
- Thread starter fossyant
- Start date
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swampyseifer
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Milton Keynes. UK
What I dont see is why, not having a spanner, is a good reason for you to have to go round? cant he go buy a spanner?
Anyway, it must just be a teenager thing, and not just because he was never taught! I wasnt taught to even ride a bike and yet I built a flatpack one last weekend! *feels more proud that he probably should for just putting a front wheel, seat, handlebar and pedals on*
Anyway, it must just be a teenager thing, and not just because he was never taught! I wasnt taught to even ride a bike and yet I built a flatpack one last weekend! *feels more proud that he probably should for just putting a front wheel, seat, handlebar and pedals on*
Melonfish
Evil Genius in training.
- Location
- Warrington, UK
flippant topic reply - Yes, yes you are.
serious response: I was pulling apart my bmx at 12 happily enough and even knew how to remove my own wheels for puncture repairs and stuff.
serious response: I was pulling apart my bmx at 12 happily enough and even knew how to remove my own wheels for puncture repairs and stuff.
OP
OP
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Exactly - they aren't expensive - I just popped out to the local tesco but they didn't have any in stock. It's probably a teenager thing, but I'm the family bike and computer expert - drives me insane. And he isn't in college this week until tomorrow - all the time in the ruddy world to get an adjustable spanner (there is a car spares shop literally round the corner).
Anyway, it just keeps the peace, stops me getting nagged.
Mr Phoebus
New Member
I've had friends or friends of friends ask to look at their bike to fix such and such a fault.
Mostly really basic things. They're amazed and think you're some kind of boffin for quickly rectifying it.
Mostly really basic things. They're amazed and think you're some kind of boffin for quickly rectifying it.
Sara_H
Guru
My dad died when I was only 10, so I neverpicked up any DIY stuff, other that the linited bits that my Mum could do.
I married some one who was useless at DIY (don't know what his excuse is) but am now divorced and have a fab OH who is amazing at DIY.
Despite the fact that I've been a cyclist for about 15 years, I changed a tyre for the first time a couple of months ago under the tutoridge of my OH.
Previously to this I would have taken it to LBS (the shame!)
I married some one who was useless at DIY (don't know what his excuse is) but am now divorced and have a fab OH who is amazing at DIY.
Despite the fact that I've been a cyclist for about 15 years, I changed a tyre for the first time a couple of months ago under the tutoridge of my OH.
Previously to this I would have taken it to LBS (the shame!)
swampyseifer
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Milton Keynes. UK
I hear you on this one, I work in IT and I'm asked by all friends and family to do anything...its like they seem to think that because I work in IT, I know everything to do with computers!
guitarpete247
Just about surviving
- Location
- Leicestershire
GF's eldest bought himself a Giant hybrid a few months back. (His plan had been to commute but that never happened.) After a couple of rides he got a p**ct**e and asked me if I had a pump. I got pump, repair kit and tools from the garage for him then went back in the house as I was cooking. Several swear words later his wheel flew across the garden. Lots more swear words and I went out to retreive my tools from where he had left them (he had gone out).
2 months went by with his bike cluttering the garage floor with wheel and tyre off and tube not repaired. He eventually asked me what tube size he needed, so I read the size from his tyre and he duly went to Halfords and bought the wrong size and wrong valve. He did take them back and get money back.
1 month later I was passing Decathlon and popped in and bought him 2 tubes. Several weeks later I fitted the tube, replaced the wheel and hung is bike back up, out of the way, in the garage.
He has been out on it once since then. Again I had to hang it up in the garage out of the way so I could get one of mine out.
I offered to show him how to fix puncture but he wasn't interested. I only fixed it so I could hang it up. My tools are out in toolboxes in the garage but I don't like him using them as I then have to hunt for them when I want them. He recently de-smegged his room and found 4 screwdrivers, 2 I'd been looking for for months. I wouldn't mind picking them up from the garage floor and putting them away but getting them from his room or get him to fetch them from his car I take exception to.
He's 28
.
Do I sound bitter I don't mean to. He's a great lad and will do anything for me but he's not very good around tools (always mine he doesn't have any)
.
2 months went by with his bike cluttering the garage floor with wheel and tyre off and tube not repaired. He eventually asked me what tube size he needed, so I read the size from his tyre and he duly went to Halfords and bought the wrong size and wrong valve. He did take them back and get money back.
1 month later I was passing Decathlon and popped in and bought him 2 tubes. Several weeks later I fitted the tube, replaced the wheel and hung is bike back up, out of the way, in the garage.
He has been out on it once since then. Again I had to hang it up in the garage out of the way so I could get one of mine out.
I offered to show him how to fix puncture but he wasn't interested. I only fixed it so I could hang it up. My tools are out in toolboxes in the garage but I don't like him using them as I then have to hunt for them when I want them. He recently de-smegged his room and found 4 screwdrivers, 2 I'd been looking for for months. I wouldn't mind picking them up from the garage floor and putting them away but getting them from his room or get him to fetch them from his car I take exception to.
He's 28
.Do I sound bitter I don't mean to. He's a great lad and will do anything for me but he's not very good around tools (always mine he doesn't have any)
.
OP
OP
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
28...christ ! I was married with my own house, two cars and four bikes (three of mine and the wife's). No hope for my nephew then !
XmisterIS
Purveyor of fine nonsense
Fossy - if you have the time, how about offering to take him over the entire bike in a series of lessons? Start with the basic maintenance, then work all the way through - show him how to take the brakes to bits (and put back together, obviously!), then wheelbuilding, then headset and forks, then BB, then chainset, hubs, etc. After that, he'll be able to build a bike from the ground up and keep it all running smoothly without ever needing to go to LBS. I only ever go to LBS to order parts that I can't get online, which is becoming an increasingly rare occurrence!
OP
OP
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Well, turned out the rear hub was fubared. Was loose in the frame but it became obvious quickly. Removed wheel, cones were loose. Pulled apart and thought, hang on, where are most of the bearings ? What appears to have happened is the drive side race has collapsed, hub then free to slide aout, bearings fell out and knackered.
Went to Decathlon for new wheel and freewheel (mum paid for them) and I bought him a new chain and oil. £43 in total
As for teaching him - he really isn't interested, didn't care when I explained what had happened. He wasn't too chuffed when his mum told him he needs to wash it, as mud was covering the kitchen floor as I fixed it. Talking to him, I realised he has no mechanical sympathy - said the bike started vibrating, so he carried on to college. On the way home he continued riding until the rear wheel wouldn't actually turn.
It's a cheap full susser Apollo and is sh1te. The rear gears work fine, but the front shifter needs cables sorting, and I suspect is knackered anyway. Just not worth spending more on it.
Went to Decathlon for new wheel and freewheel (mum paid for them) and I bought him a new chain and oil. £43 in total
As for teaching him - he really isn't interested, didn't care when I explained what had happened. He wasn't too chuffed when his mum told him he needs to wash it, as mud was covering the kitchen floor as I fixed it. Talking to him, I realised he has no mechanical sympathy - said the bike started vibrating, so he carried on to college. On the way home he continued riding until the rear wheel wouldn't actually turn.
It's a cheap full susser Apollo and is sh1te. The rear gears work fine, but the front shifter needs cables sorting, and I suspect is knackered anyway. Just not worth spending more on it.
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
There is no point in getting frustrated at the failure of some adults to deal with minor mechanical repairs, they just do not have the aptitude or patience, I'm sure they have talents in other spheres.
guitarpete247
Just about surviving
- Location
- Leicestershire
Why bother learning to mend something when someone else either fixes it or pays for it to be done.
I have, over the years, tried to help kids at school fix their bikes when they've brought them in. They never want to know how to do it. They wanted me to do it for them. I start off explaining but about 30 seconds later they have something more important to do like text their mates. I sometimes stop and wait for their attention to return or walk off and do something I should have been doing but this just p155es them off. If they want to learn they will. No point wasting time trying to teach them how they can save money by DIY until it's their money they save.
I have, over the years, tried to help kids at school fix their bikes when they've brought them in. They never want to know how to do it. They wanted me to do it for them. I start off explaining but about 30 seconds later they have something more important to do like text their mates. I sometimes stop and wait for their attention to return or walk off and do something I should have been doing but this just p155es them off. If they want to learn they will. No point wasting time trying to teach them how they can save money by DIY until it's their money they save.
I seem to remember doing basic bike mechanics at school, it was part of the cycle proficiency course which you had to do aged 11 before you were allowed to cycle to school.
Once I had learnt to fix a puncture, I always did them myself (even if with hindsight I probably did use multiple inappropriate tools and then leave them all over the garage floor, and rubber glue stuck to everything)
As I found out once you have done up your wheel with a pipe wrench it does stop the older kids undoing the wheel nuts for a laugh!
Once I had learnt to fix a puncture, I always did them myself (even if with hindsight I probably did use multiple inappropriate tools and then leave them all over the garage floor, and rubber glue stuck to everything)
As I found out once you have done up your wheel with a pipe wrench it does stop the older kids undoing the wheel nuts for a laugh!
Mr Phoebus
New Member
Reminds me of me, I don't think my mum had one unbuckled dessert spoon left in the cutlery drawer.
They were all used for undoing tyres.
