Bike maintenance learning

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Mattk50

MattK50
Location
Herts
Hi,

I have to admit to being useless with my bike and I want to change. I can fix a puncture, replace an inner tube but that's about it. I'm sure my racing bike or chopper 30 years ago never had these problems.

Everytime something goes wrong I just take it to the bike shop and they charge me. This, of course, is fine but I think if I had an ounce of knowledge then I could save half these trips. Are there any decent you tube/online progressive videos I could watch? I checked with my local college but there's nothing like a bike repair course going there this year.

Thanks

Matt
 

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
If there is something that needs attention, YouTube your problem and I'd bet there will be a video of someone fixing it. Just start with easy jobs, like adjustment of brakes, changing a chain, lubrication of parts that need it and those parts that dont. Dont jump in head first and strip a bike down-saying that with patience and research anyone could do it
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Evans offer Fix it classes if you’ve one locally

There’s a YouTube video for virtually everything, just search for what you want
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Google it - You Tube - usually some fairly comprehensive instructions out there for even more complicated stuff like suspension !

Bikes aren't complicated.
 
You could check out on the internet to see if you have a community bike workshop in your area. I volunteer at one in Cardiff and we run a range of courses from beginners to specialist courses like suspension and wheel-building. I know there are similar organisations in many other cities.

You may even be able to fit in a few hours volunteering which would give satisfaction, experience and on-job training.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Dont jump in head first and strip a bike down

Actually, that's exactly what I would do - as that's how you learn how things work and go together. All those of us who pre-date the internet and youtube, who rebuilt our own bikes as kids, learned by trial and error - so that tinkering with bikes as an adult is second nature. I would not dream of taking any bike of mine into a LBS for a run of the mill fault or maintenance job. I would consider that an abject fail on my part not do deal with it myself.
 

xxDarkRiderxx

Veteran
Location
London, UK
Google then Youtube, there are some great video's out there. Make sure you get some good tools. Gears and brakes are the worse. If you have good wheels they should never need truing! but this can test your patience. Wish I had all of this information 30 years ago. Ride on.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Just get your hands dirty and learn on the hoof. As others have said. Bike are pretty simple things to muck about with. Nothing really complicated.
If you have a little bit of a mechanical brain then have a go yourself.
 
Just get your hands dirty and learn on the hoof.

Most of the time I’d agree.

As others have said. Bike are pretty simple things to muck about with. Nothing really complicated.

Some are starting to get a bit more complicated these days.

If you have a little bit of a mechanical brain then have a go yourself
.

I’d agree, but be aware that you may have to enlist a decent LBS, if you manage to balls something more complicated up.
 
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