Bike Maintenance Course in London

Littigator
Littigator Posts: 1,262
edited October 2008 in Commuting chat
Can anyone recommend a bike maintenance course in SW London?

Ta

Jamie
Roadie FCN: 3

Fixed FCN: 6

Comments

  • Totalnewbie
    Totalnewbie Posts: 932
    I am in the middle of a 5 week course in Brixton, every Tuesday evening. Cost £55.

    It has been so popular they will soon be running another. It is a Lambeth Cyclists initiative so preference is given to LCC members if there is competition for spaces.
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/ ... 400572.jpg
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Ooooh yes, me too.

    I might ask my LBS if they'd consider doing one.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Jen J
    Jen J Posts: 1,054
    I'd certainly be interested. I'm new to biking and although I've got some books about maintenance, it's not quite the same as a practical lesson.
    Commuting: Giant Bowery 08
    Winter Hack: Triandrun Vento 3
    Madone

    It's all about me...
  • Totalnewbie
    Totalnewbie Posts: 932
    This is run by a guy from my LBS, Brixton Cycles.

    From the looks of things, many of the LCC borough groups run them - I know Southwark Cyclists and Camden Cyclists also have their own LBS-based courses, for example.
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/ ... 400572.jpg
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    How about we all club together to pay Nicklouse to run one for us?
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    biondino wrote:
    How about we all club together to pay Nicklouse to run one for us?

    +1

    Suggest the ancestral home of the London chapter of the SCR - see i'm inclusive as well :wink:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • andrewc3142
    andrewc3142 Posts: 906
    Not exactly SW London (I live in Woking, kind of in the same direction), but I've signed up for a 2 day course at Sidcup Cycles at the end of November. Sounded quite good. Using your own bike, first day strip right down to the frame and clean and second day put it back together. 09.00 to 18.00 each day. Two people on each course.

    I'll post my impressions once I've done it.
  • scoobers
    scoobers Posts: 364
    I've just booked up with Cycleworx, they're based in Wandsworth
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    Littigator wrote:
    Can anyone recommend a bike maintenance course in SW London?

    Ta

    Jamie

    If Campag, what do you need to know?

    If Shimano, bugger off!
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Bound to be Campag since Shimano make simple reliable kit that works :wink:
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    biondino wrote:
    Bound to be Campag since Shimano make simple reliable kit that works :wink:

    :shock:

    It was a single shot that started the Great War. They called it the Great War because they never thought there'd be another one like it...

    This will be bigger though. :wink:
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Greg66 wrote:
    biondino wrote:
    Bound to be Campag since Shimano make simple reliable kit that works :wink:

    :shock:

    It was a single shot that started the Great War. They called it the Great War because they never thought there'd be another one like it...

    This will be bigger though. :wink:

    *starts taking bets*

    :D
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Maybe if I rode a bike that wasn't my mate's Veloce-powered Pinnacle I might rate Campag a bit higher. But this was just *after* he'd had it re0indexed and what a clunking, grinding unreliable mess! And those hoods, I dunno how you can use them. And wtf is that extra thumb button (in completely the wrong place) for? Shimano is so far ahead as far as I can tell. But that's just me ;)
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    Greg66 wrote:
    Littigator wrote:
    Can anyone recommend a bike maintenance course in SW London?

    Ta

    Jamie

    If Campag, what do you need to know?

    If Shimano, bugger off!

    everything... well mainly gearing
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • wilistew
    wilistew Posts: 55
    Totalnewbie

    Do you have any more info on the course? What it covers etc? Did you have to book through Brixton Cycles?

    Thanks

    Wil
  • Totalnewbie
    Totalnewbie Posts: 932
    From memory:

    Week 1: general overview (that was last week - we learned how to check over our bikes and a guy whose chain had broken that day got shown how to put on his new chain)

    Week 2: brakes

    Week 3: gears

    Week 4: wheels

    Week 5: sorting any particular probs anyone has

    Its two hours after work every Tuesday. Not hugely advanced but enough to save you having to pay the LBS to do stuff you could really do yourself.

    You have to book it by emailing the Lambeth Cyclists lady who is organising it. If you email her she will tell you when the next one is.

    janet.paske @ gmail.Com (without the space - her email is widely available on t'interweb but I put it in to try to stop spambots getting it)
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/ ... 400572.jpg
  • wilistew
    wilistew Posts: 55
    Many thanks

    Wil
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    biondino wrote:
    Maybe if I rode a bike that wasn't my mate's Veloce-powered Pinnacle I might rate Campag a bit higher. But this was just *after* he'd had it re0indexed and what a clunking, grinding unreliable mess! And those hoods, I dunno how you can use them. And wtf is that extra thumb button (in completely the wrong place) for? Shimano is so far ahead as far as I can tell. But that's just me ;)

    OK - Veloce may not be at the top of anyone's tree, but if it was clunking grinding and unreliable after he'd re-indexed it, he hadn't done it right. Simple as that. Reindexing the front or rear mechs on Campy is pretty simple - you follow the instructions that came with the mech or d/l them from Campy's website. If you can use a screwdriver and an allen key, you can re-index it.

    Hoods are an acquired taste. But the Campy system is easy - the chain moves in the direction you push it. So the r/hand shifter controls the rear, and the thumb moves the chain to a smaller sprocket and the finger moves it to a larger one. Easy.

    Of course, if you like a cat's cradle of cabling between your handlebars, then I suppose Shimano it is...
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • Jen J
    Jen J Posts: 1,054
    Just got the LCC magazine. There's a one day course in Kingston on 31st Jan, cost is £26.

    Anyone interested?
    Commuting: Giant Bowery 08
    Winter Hack: Triandrun Vento 3
    Madone

    It's all about me...
  • snooks
    snooks Posts: 1,521
    Jen J wrote:
    Just got the LCC magazine. There's a one day course in Kingston on 31st Jan, cost is £26.

    Anyone interested?

    Sounds good! :)

    ....just watch my work get in the way.....
    FCN:5, 8 & 9
    If I'm not riding I'm shooting http://grahamsnook.com
    THE Game
    Watch out for HGVs

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