Do you ever amaze yourself what a competent mechanic you have become?

[Shut Up Legs]

I bought the ParkTools AK-37 tool box (you know, the one that does just about everything except fire ballistic rounds ). Then I procrastinated for several months afterwards. Right now, I'm at the stage where I can replace a rear hub, freewheel body, chain, front chain rings and rear cassette. But other things I haven't touched yet, e.g. bottom bracket and crankset, and I have yet to do a full front/rear derailleur adjustment. So my bicycle mechanical competency is a work in progress.

I am enjoying paying less for the parts (thanks to mostly online orders) and nothing for the labour .

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Wouldn't call myself competent by any manner of means, let's say that last year I had the lbs to show me how to change an inner tube, today I centered my v-brakes, fitted a new kmc chain with quick link, serviced a hub.
Mind, had to get the lbs to take the freewheel off

 

[Crankarm]

It's all very well being able to take stuff off and put it back on your bike, but can you actually get it to work properly? Smooth gear indexing or disc brake mainentance changing pads, bleading hydraulic systems, changing piston seals, centring caliper? Quick removal and fitting of tyres and tubes. Wheel truing.

The prospect of a large bill for pretty simple bike maintenance if I took my bike to an LBS has made me a pretty good DIY bike mechanic. I object to paying some one £30-50 an hour to louse up my bike.

 

[byegad]

My father was a time served fitter and turner and had a simple philosophy. 'If it's been put together by a human, I can take it apart repair/replace parts as necessary and rebuild it.

 

[Biker Joe]

I have no problem with the practical side of bike mechanics. What I do find confusing sometimes is choosing the correct parts. Particularly as regards bottom brackets and steering components.

 

[mickle]

Yes.

 

[Peteaud]

Few things i have not done

Anything wheel building
Wheel bearings
front mech
bottom brkt
bleed brakes.


Otherwise i am happy to tinker.

 

[sidevalve]

Bicycles are easy to strip down and rebuild, in comparison to Yamaha motorbikes.
Even the simplest of jobs require a frustrating amount of dismantling to get at the part you need to reach. All bolts and fasteners are made of cheese, resulting in a lot of rounding of heads and snapping of studs. And I haven't even mentioned balancing carburettors yet . Oh, and if you decide to take it to a franchised dealer for service or repairs, prepare to re-mortgage your house. They make car dealers look charitable!

If you haven't already balanced the carbs don't bother, it will only end in tears ! As for complications try rebuilding and old BSA m/cycle, more thread forms than you can shake a stick at, from cycle to whitworth.
The joy of cycles is truly the sheer "visibility" of everything. If you want to know how something works you can just prop the bike up and watch it happen a few times, you don't need a college course to do 99% of your own maintenance and it really is surprising how fast you can learn.

 

[Stu9]

And I haven't even mentioned balancing carburettors yet .

I find them quite straightforward to do, I was scared the first time but after that it was easy, well it is with the Morgan's carbtune

 

[Brandane]

I find them quite straightforward to do, I was scared the first time but after that it was easy, well it is with the Morgan's carbtune

If you haven't already balanced the carbs don't bother, it will only end in tears !

I use a Morgans CarbTune, but it's still a major PITA on some bikes. My 900 Diversion was reasonably straightforward. Then I got a mk1 Fazer 600 where the adjuster screws were microscopic and hidden deep in the bowels of the engine. I cracked it after getting a screwdriver with a long thin shaft, and even then had to file down the head on the screwdriver to get it to fit the screws.
My current bike is a Honda CBF600 which is worse again! Carb 3 is fixed, and the other 3 need to be balanced to match it. Carbs 1 & 4 adjusters are slightly awkward to get at, 2 is impossible without the throttle partially open, which means a case of making slight adjustments with the engine off, then start up again, wait for it to settle, then repeat............ a lot of times until all 4 are within the prescribed readings!

 

[Manonabike]

If you haven't already balanced the carbs don't bother, it will only end in tears ! As for complications try rebuilding and old BSA m/cycle, more thread forms than you can shake a stick at, from cycle to whitworth.
The joy of cycles is truly the sheer "visibility" of everything. If you want to know how something works you can just prop the bike up and watch it happen a few times, you don't need a college course to do 99% of your own maintenance and it really is surprising how fast you can learn.

I find them quite straightforward to do, I was scared the first time but after that it was easy, well it is with the Morgan's carbtune

I use a Morgans CarbTune, but it's still a major PITA on some bikes. My 900 Diversion was reasonably straightforward. Then I got a mk1 Fazer 600 where the adjuster screws were microscopic and hidden deep in the bowels of the engine. I cracked it after getting a screwdriver with a long thin shaft, and even then had to file down the head on the screwdriver to get it to fit the screws.
My current bike is a Honda CBF600 which is worse again! Carb 3 is fixed, and the other 3 need to be balanced to match it. Carbs 1 & 4 adjusters are slightly awkward to get at, 2 is impossible without the throttle partially open, which means a case of making slight adjustments with the engine off, then start up again, wait for it to settle, then repeat............ a lot of times until all 4 are within the prescribed readings!

I think you need a thread on motorcycle mechanics

 

[Brandane]

I think you need a thread on motorcycle mechanics

Yebbut.... the thread title says "Do you ever amaze yourself what a competent mechanic you have become."

No mention of whether it refers to bicycles, cars, motorbikes, or nuclear subs .

 

[Manonabike]

Yebbut.... the thread title says "Do you ever amaze yourself what a competent mechanic you have become."

No mention of whether it refers to bicycles, cars, motorbikes, or nuclear subs .

I knew you were going to say that

This is a bicycle forum, my OP did not mention anything but bike mechanics, etc.

What is the point of hijacking a thread to talk about something not everybody has knowledge or interest?

I'm not sure this forum has a rule against hijacking but I have seen other forum that don't allow it.

If you want to be rude then just carry on, I can't stop you.

 

[fossyant]

Cracked the final challenge of wheel building last year. Soo nice to use a proper jig.

 

[Brandane]

If you want to be rude then just carry on, I can't stop you.

My apologies; didn't mean to be rude. In my defence, it wasn't so much a hijack as a slight deviation from the subject. I'll go off to the naughty step now.....