The fallacy of "servicing" a bicycle.

[Hop3y]

I would love to but simply don't know how! Any good YouTube channels to subscribe to, and learn from there?

 

[Dogtrousers]

For me the elephant in the room, well in the hallway, is my new bike's SRAM Apex indexed shifters. Great big mysterious modern things sitting on my handlebars. I can just about set up the indexing if it goes off, but I have no idea what I'd need to do to replace the brake or gear cables (well, I do know - I'd download the SRAM manual and go on youtube). I ought to really, to be prepared for roadside emergencies.

I can do most other things - provided they don't have anything to do with spokes. Wheel trueing is beyond me.

I do lift the bonnet of my car. I'm a dab hand at filling up the windscreen washer resevoir. I even mix my own screenwash sometimes (really hard core car maintenance)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

[QUOTE="Globalti, post: 3282133, member: 357" I know a couple of excellent mechanics at my LBSs who certainly know more than me but I would not expect them to be able to perform routine maintenance or adjustments, which is the rider's job.[/QUOTE]
Why not?

 

[Drago]

Because bike mechanics aren't available in a handy pocket size, can't leap out to make adjustments mid ride when they are needed. If the rider can't do their own running maintenance and adjustments then their pleasurable use of a bike is seriously curtailed.

 

[potsy]

I do pretty much everything myself, still to attempt wrapping new bar tape though but that is my next job.
One thing I'm not too confident about is replacing the BB30 on my Caad, not that it needs it yet but thinking ahead to when it does.

 

[Sara_H]

I've done a bike maimtenance course and I can at least do a few bits now, though if I'm honest some of the course content went over my head.

The revelatin for me has been learning how to adjust brakes. I had no idra how to do it previously. It use to frustrate the hell out of me that brakes seem to e able to stop working properly and I had no idea what to do!

 

[Globalti]

[QUOTE="Globalti, post: 3282133, member: 357" I know a couple of excellent mechanics at my LBSs who certainly know more than me but I would not expect them to be able to perform routine maintenance or adjustments, which is the rider's job.

Why not?[/QUOTE]

Er... because they live 25 miles away from me?

 

[John the Monkey]

The anti-bonj!

CC old timers' reference - sorry!

AHEM. I draw Mr. Bollo's attention to my sub avatar title.

 

[Andrew_P]

When I first had my Hybrid many moons ago I rode about 1000 miles without cleaning the chain, and used anything from WD40 to the heavy green gunk on it, never washed the bike or anything. Was gutted when I picked it up still as dirty as I had left it with them. A New chain and new disc pads didn't soften the blow

 

[the_mikey]

I do what I can when I can, but anything that needs some time spent on it will languish unused in the garage until I have time to look at it or time to take it to the LBS. Next job waiting for some time is a complete replacement of brake and gear cables, new bar tape and clean and check of headset + bearings on my old Giant Defy 2.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

It's a great shame how the ability to do even the simplest mechanical repairs seems to be a dying thing. In my road of 35 houses only myself and one other ever lift the bonnet of their cars to check fluid levels, let alone do anything else. Whenever I buy second hand I make a point of asking the seller a few basic questions that need just a minimum of technical knowledge to answer. If I get a blank look in return I walk on the grounds I'm probably looking at a neglected lemon.

 

[nickyboy]

I hate doing stuff to my bike, it's time I could spend doing something more enjoyable.

I'll do little bits and bobs cos it's a pain to take it to the LBS but most stuff I give to them. While they're fixing it, I'm doing something I'd rather be doing.

 

[Fnaar]

I'm hit and miss with DIY-fettling. I've done things like successfully change the jockey wheels for new ones. And it worked. I was surprised. I've also got my gears working again when they were all over the place. However, on another day, my fettling just makes things worse. That's when I hand over to lbs-man.

*I had a go at fettling Miss Goodbody-up-the-road's bottom bracket, but she said the man in the bike shop had a better array of tools. But I took longer.

 

[Jon George]

*I had a go at fettling Miss Goodbody-up-the-road's bottom bracket, but she said the man in the bike shop had a better array of tools. But I took longer.

Ah, I have occasionally wondered what the script writers responsible for Mrs Solcombe's cat in Are You Being Served? are up to these days.

 

[Jon George]

The main lesson I have learnt from doing my own servicing/repairs is that no-where in life is the maxim 'Cheap Is Twice As Expensive' more applicable than in cycling.

Oh, and I solved the problem of regularly attempting The Art by buying relatively up-market wheel-sets for both #1 and #2 bikes.