Maintenance? do you do yours?

lvquestpaddler

I'm fairly practical, my old man was a mechanic and I do every aspect of my own bike maintenance, nothing I won't tackle. My boss has a £2.5k BMC(Wiggle) and brought it into work the other day saying he had problems with the gears. I had a look at it and was stunned to see how bad things were. He said he couldn't get it into the largest chainring, had adjusted the screws at the rear derailleur but it hadn't helped....!
He'd messed with the B screw adjuster......how he could mentally link the RD to the FD I have no idea. I re adjusted that, set his gears at the back yet something wasn't right. The rear derailluer was loose so I had to tighten that on to the hanger, redo the gears then sort the front mech out. The cable had pulled through slightly so got that fixed, gears all back to top performance. Then I noticed the play in the headset and sorted that. At that point I was wondering how folk manage if they can't do these things themselves?! Expensive shop service? He did an event last year and with a wheel change at transition to slicks, claimed the brakes were rubbing which is why he lost so much time on the second stage. He bought the wheels that week and never even fitted them prior to the event. when he realised they were rubbing he removed the caliper...why he couldn't just slacken the two bolts and recentre the caliper on the disc is beyond me.
Oh, and his seatpost is in back to front.....

You really couldn't make it up could ya!!!!

Kaise

its when you see guys with there forks on the wrong way around that you get worried

then they spout a load of tosh saying it gives "better brake modulation" and feels "smoother"


you have to wonder about some people!

nicklouse

You really couldn't make it up could ya!!!!

oh you could.

Anonymous

Well, my good fellow, whilst I also share your enthusiasm for doing almost all my own maintenance, apart from wheel building, or pressing bearings, for which I do not have the proper tools, I feel that we should appreciate and encourage those who do not take such a pro-active role to their bike maintenance skills.
These people will bring work to us and to fine, upstanding local bike shops, and whilst undertaking repairs for them, we can practice, and further master our skills.

TuckerUK

Well, my good fellow, whilst I also share your enthusiasm for doing almost all my own maintenance, apart from wheel building...for which I do not have the proper tools...

You don't own a frame and a spoke key?

It's all I use (OK, and some trimmed cable ties to check axial & radial runout). Might not be the wheel builder's dream workshop, but all the wheels I've built so far have been good, even my own wheels that have to cope with 16 stone! I just follow Sheldon Brown's guide.

Anonymous

TuckerUK wrote:

Well, my good fellow, whilst I also share your enthusiasm for doing almost all my own maintenance, apart from wheel building...for which I do not have the proper tools...

You don't own a frame and a spoke key?

It's all I use (OK, and some trimmed cable ties to check axial & radial runout). Might not be the wheel builder's dream workshop, but all the wheels I've built so far have been good, even my own wheels that have to cope with 16 stone! I just follow Sheldon Brown's guide.

Good evening, good sir.
I do indeed have a spoke key, and regularly repair my own wheels, but I do not build my own wheels. The problem you see is that one of the most important tools is patience, or as we foreigners call it "mynadd (pronounced mynath)". And that is something I do not profess to owning.
So, rather than spend an inconsiderably sum of monies on a wheel-bulding and truing gauge, I made the judgement call that I would prefer to divert such funds towards a talented wheel-buildage professional.
Luckily, i am well served by masters of the spoke, and the few wheel builders I rely on have neer let me down.

cooldad

I get called on regularly at work to sort something out. Don't mind, I normally get a box of chocs or something as a thank you.
Last bike was the MD's commuter, new but he was about to take it back as it wasn't shifting. Quarter turn on the barrel adjuster, problem solved and he's a happy MD.
Obviously as far as he is concerned it was a highly technical job that required massive skill, fast reflexes, and the master touch of a safecracker.

lvquestpaddler

Yeah, wheelbuilding sod that for a lark, ok I'm not that good then! I don't mind doing it, get some satisfaction sorting these things out but for on the fly repairs while out you do need to have some knowledge. A girl I go out cycling with now and again never even carries any kit/tubes whatsoever. (she probably does when alone but cons me into carrying it when we're out knowing I'll fix hers...!)
Yeah, the LBS's must hate us types!