Novice doing full bike service?

[Jamie1996]

Hi everyone, my GT avalanche 2.0 needs a service and i am thinking of doing it all myself to save money and also i would quite like to learn how to do it, however i have no bike repair experience although i'm ok at following instructions and using tools. How hard will it be to do the following (I have all the parts and tools needed.):

.Bleed brakes
.Fit new front and rear derailleur
.Fit new chain
.Replace gear cables


Thanks

 

[VamP]

Easy. There are loads of on-line tutorials to help you along. Do it.

 

[J1780]

Yah there are planty of online tutorials and the work you list is not hard at all. There is also a readily available range of excellent books on the subject. I have zinn and the art of road bike maintenance which is really good as is the big blue book of bicycle repair, if you don't mind the constant pluggin of parks tools although some have found that to be a handy reference to getting to correect tool...personally I just asked in my local bike shop.

 

[numbnuts]

Here you go
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

 

[helston90]

Just discovered http://www.madegood.org/ and that seems to have plenty of short vids for little jobs as well of course as youtube.

 

[Globalti]

Don't waste money on the derailleurs until you've tried the new cables - poor performance is always down to worn or sticky cables, not derailleur wear. Why are you bleeding the brakes?

 

[e-rider]

dérailleurs last for years and years unless you crash. You might wear out the jockey wheels after many many miles but as mentioned above, if they are not working well, probably just need new cables. However, some cheap dérailleurs do tend to seize up and corrode.

buy some decent tools and begin the quest to knowing everything about your bike - I like USA Park Tools - expensive but last a lifetime (literally)

 

[migrantwing]

buy some decent tools and begin the quest to knowing everything about your bike - I like USA Park Tools - expensive but last a lifetime (literally)

+1

Halfords Bikehut tools are decent and affordable. It's the same stuff as Cyclo tools (made by the reputable company Weldtite) just rebadged and cheaper. I have Park, Bikehut, Cyclo, Tacx and X-Tools stuff, and it's all worked and lasted well.

 

[Pier]

My biggest problem has always been bleeding the brakes.
If not done correctly, you can and up with not really working brakes. I'd suggest to try first on a spare brake.
All the others are pretty easy.

 

[lpretro1]

Why bleed the brakes - you don't need to do them as a matter of course - only if there is air in them? Symptoms of that is that lever feels spongy but pumps up firm. If they are Shimano they will be mineral fluid and this doesn't need replacing very often at all.

 

[Jamie1996]

The derailleur needs replacing as it got bent and the front brake needs bleeding as when i was checking the brake pads i pulled the brake lever (not knowing what would happen) and the piston popped out