Serving your bike?

ralphy1967

Just had my road bike serviced for the first time. Yes it feels smoother and quieter, gear shifting seems better, but should we as cyclists be doing this ourselves rather than handing money over to the mechanics or should we leave it to the pros.

I love cycling me!

goonz

Err I try to do as much of it myself as possible. I had a service done last week but only because I bought it last year at a special price and had the bike for a year.

Apart from replacing my cassette and cleaning the bottom bracket I do everything else that the mechanic did when I took my bike apart every few months.

Get the right tools and get learning. Its actually really rewarding.

declan1

As above, buy some tools and learn to do it yourself. Bike services are just a complete rip-off. The shop will index your gears, oil the chain and adjust the brakes and charge you £30 for it.

I index my gears after every couple of rides and find myself adjusting things almost every night.

goonz

declan1 wrote:

As above, buy some tools and learn to do it yourself. Bike services are just a complete rip-off. The shop will index your gears, oil the chain and adjust the brakes and charge you £30 for it.

I index my gears after every couple of rides and find myself adjusting things almost every night.

Still one thing I am not confident enough to do is the indexing. But so far luckily never needed to do it. 105 gearing seems pretty bombproof so far.

Any hints?

englander

goonz wrote:

declan1 wrote:

As above, buy some tools and learn to do it yourself. Bike services are just a complete rip-off. The shop will index your gears, oil the chain and adjust the brakes and charge you £30 for it.

I index my gears after every couple of rides and find myself adjusting things almost every night.

Still one thing I am not confident enough to do is the indexing. But so far luckily never needed to do it. 105 gearing seems pretty bombproof so far.

Any hints?

I always find YouTube or the Park Tools website invaluable for offering clear guides on how to do things. This time last summer I was truly awful at gear indexing (I was trying to index using the limit adjusters..!) but now I get it roughly right in the living room, then do fine tuning whilst actually riding along and twiddling the barrel adjuster slightly this way or that way. For some reason, if I get it shifting perfectly in the living room, it doesn't always equate to perfect shifting in a real world usage scenario.

declan1

goonz wrote:

declan1 wrote:

As above, buy some tools and learn to do it yourself. Bike services are just a complete rip-off. The shop will index your gears, oil the chain and adjust the brakes and charge you £30 for it.

I index my gears after every couple of rides and find myself adjusting things almost every night.

Still one thing I am not confident enough to do is the indexing. But so far luckily never needed to do it. 105 gearing seems pretty bombproof so far.

Any hints?

A good method is to put the chain on the second smallest sprocket, then turn the barrel adjuster counter-clockwise until the chain is rattling and almost about to jump up a sprocket. Then keep turning it 1/4 turn clockwise until it stops rattling. Then go up and down the gears to see if it's working well

ralphy1967

Cheers all, i'll do some revision and give it a go.

Fingers crossed

A KIRK

Indexing is trial and error, have a play, whats the worse that can happen you screw it up and have to get someone else to have a go for you. As long as you don't play with the 2 min/max screws your be fine. Once you have done it once your soon get use to it.

Bikes really are simple, sometimes it just comes down to having the confidence to have a play yourself.

Having the correct tools always makes it easier, I remember as a kid using a hammer and chisel to remove bottom brackets and cassetts, now with the correct tools its a doddle.

Its also a good feeling knowing you have done it yourself

maringirl

If it's all so easy why are there a million and one questions on these forums about 'how do i...?
If you don;t use your local bike shop then you will lose it and there won't be anyone to fix your c***kups. Not all bike shops are automatically ripping you off

nathancom

maringirl wrote:

If it's all so easy why are there a million and one questions on these forums about 'how do i...?
If you don;t use your local bike shop then you will lose it and there won't be anyone to fix your c***kups. Not all bike shops are automatically ripping you off

Servicing a bike is really not complicated compared to a car. The drive chain consists of 5 main units, chain, cassette, r + f derailleur and Chainset. If you spend and hour playing with them you will understand how they work, ie limit screws, indexing. The required tools are not a huge expense either, around £40 so the same price as a service. It also means you are back on the road much faster when things go wrong. YouTube is a great resource for learning how to fix your bike.

You do not need to index your gears every couple of days. That is excessive. I haven't adjusted my Athena gearing in months and it shifts perfectly still.

jgsi

ralphy1967 wrote:

Just had my road bike serviced for the first time. Yes it feels smoother and quieter, gear shifting seems better, but should we as cyclists be doing this ourselves rather than handing money over to the mechanics or should we leave it to the pros.

I love cycling me!

Simple answer is yes, if you can.
I am building up a second bike from the frameset up. Not just the knowledge of what to do but you do need a small investment in good tools and workstand etc.
I see it as a hobby, the riding is for racing.
I could be tempted into the dark art of wheelbuilding one day.
( the Park Tools website can be sometimes as clear as mud ... to me )

If you get stuck, there is always the WORKSHOP on here!

crankycrank

Another advantage of doing your own work is that if something needs adjustment/repair out on a ride you can do it yourself rather than being stranded. I don't see much time saving either by going to a shop. You have to load up the bike in the car, drive there and back, wait for them to do the repair, then go through the same routine to pickup your bike when it's done. At a minimum that's at least an hour of your time and your out of your ride for at least a day. Plenty of servicing or repairs can be done at home in less time than that and your labour is free. Bikes are fairly simple machines once you understand how each component works it just takes a little practice to get proficient at working on your bike.

philwint

maringirl wrote:

If it's all so easy why are there a million and one questions on these forums about 'how do i...?
If you don;t use your local bike shop then you will lose it and there won't be anyone to fix your c***kups. Not all bike shops are automatically ripping you off

Because the first time you do anything (however simple) it's often useful to get a bit of advice/tuition first.

Back in the day I bought a book - nowadays people can ask on the forum.

And it's not that I think bike shops are ripping you off. £30 might be a fair price for the guys time and overheads. But personally I'd rather spend the £30 on anything else.

I guess it's like cutting the lawn: Some people pay a gardener to do it, but most of us do it themselves.

And indexing your shifting really isn't harder than cutting the lawn. Once you know the mech moves when the wire is pulled, and so much "pull" means so much movement. And the shifter will pull just the right amount to move it up one gear...... all you need to do is make sure the "resting" position is in the right place. A 30 second job.

jgsi

maringirl wrote:

If it's all so easy why are there a million and one questions on these forums about 'how do i...?
If you don;t use your local bike shop then you will lose it and there won't be anyone to fix your c***kups. Not all bike shops are automatically ripping you off

Did anyone say it was easy...? I find it a challenge... tried reading a Shimano techdoc...?
Putting a Ritchey single bolt seat clamp together even when it is in bits and no install guide ?... thats weird
As I have mentioned the bike maintenance has become more and more part of the hobby, but the amount of times I have lost my cool with being cackhanded at something... lessons are always learnt.
Some will prefer not to get their 'hands dirty' doesnt bother me , thats a choice thing.

I think good shops are safe though.

dai_t75

I have always wondered - what is actually involved in a 'service' from a bike shop?

I am a beginner but have been trying to learn to do most things myself. The only thing I haven't fettled with so far is the chainset and bottom bracket. Would a service do anything with these?

shamrock134

This is what my LBS offers:

FULL SERVICE £100*
Includes:
Bike stripped down to the frame, then cleaned and checked for alignment and damage.
Hubs disassembled, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
Bottom Bracket removed, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
Headset removed, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
All other fittings removed, checked for wear, cleaned and re-lubricated replacing all cables and housings
Brake blocks / disc pads checked and replaced if required
Replacement of any other worn parts if required
Safety check (all fittings / mudguards / racks etc. are securely fastened)
Chain cleaned and lubricated, gears set up

STANDARD GENERAL SERVICE £50*
Includes:
Frame & forks wiped down and checked for alignment
Headset checked for free movement and adjusted if required
Bottom Bracket checked for free movement and adjusted if required
Allen bolts checked and tightened to correct torque
External adjustment of all bearings
Lubrication of chain, mechs & cables
Adjustment of brakes and gears
Wheel hubs and rims checked for damage and wear
Pump and inspect tyres for wear and tear
Safety check (all fittings / mudguards / racks etc. are securely fastened)
Brakes checked for effective operation and adjusted
*Does not include parts or servicing of suspension and hydraulic brakes

Seems a bit steep. I think I can do most of the £50 stuff.

Calpol

shamrock134 wrote:

This is what my LBS offers:

FULL SERVICE £100*
Includes:
Bike stripped down to the frame, then cleaned and checked for alignment and damage.
Hubs disassembled, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
Bottom Bracket removed, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
Headset removed, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
All other fittings removed, checked for wear, cleaned and re-lubricated replacing all cables and housings
Brake blocks / disc pads checked and replaced if required
Replacement of any other worn parts if required
Safety check (all fittings / mudguards / racks etc. are securely fastened)
Chain cleaned and lubricated, gears set up

STANDARD GENERAL SERVICE £50*
Includes:
Frame & forks wiped down and checked for alignment
Headset checked for free movement and adjusted if required
Bottom Bracket checked for free movement and adjusted if required
Allen bolts checked and tightened to correct torque
External adjustment of all bearings
Lubrication of chain, mechs & cables
Adjustment of brakes and gears
Wheel hubs and rims checked for damage and wear
Pump and inspect tyres for wear and tear
Safety check (all fittings / mudguards / racks etc. are securely fastened)
Brakes checked for effective operation and adjusted
*Does not include parts or servicing of suspension and hydraulic brakes

Seems a bit steep. I think I can do most of the £50 stuff.

The phrase "money for old rope", springs to mind. Servicing your own bike is rewarding and by the looks of things its saving me quite a lot of money.

declan1

£100 for a service?!? WOAH!!!!!

shamrock134

Yeah agreed. The question is how often should the bits on those lists that I don't have the patience/ability/knowledge/tools to do be checked by "pros"?

Once per year?

lotus49

I have been playing with mechanical things ever since I was a little boy. I helped my father fix his car when I was tiny. I made models and took things to pieces. When I was a bit older I got a road bike and fettled that. Then I bought a motorbike and did the same with that. Over the years, I have spent a huge amount of time fiddling with mechanical devices so I have built up an understanding of how things are likely to work and how they fit together. I know how tight is too tight and how tight is too loose and all the other skills and knowledge that you pick up unconsciously over decades.

Consequently, I am not at all intimidated by having to fix my road bike now.

Many people never do any of the stuff I did, have none of understanding it took me years to acquire and have no desire to start doing any of this now. Why would they? The bought a bike to ride it not mend it. £100 might sound like a lot for a service, but if it saves someone who isn't interested hours and hours of cock-ups, broken and damaged parts and skinned knuckles, that's a perfectly reasonable price.

Celt100

Youtubes your friend I use these vids all the time if I'm unsure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQncKmdd ... CC&index=9

Any bike owner should be checking bike before ride just for the safety concern prevention is the best way

cammackmartin

I always do it all myself. If you build the bike to start with it helps! But it's nice to know something is done the way it should be done too, rather than relying on a random bike mechanic - IMHO

smoggysteve

Always serviced my own bikes since I was a kid. There are things everyone should know how to do just for day to day maintenance. Some things are good to know just in case the worst happens. Had a mate trash his rear derailleur not long ago. Managed to turn his bike into a fixie to get him home or he would have had a long walk in cleats to deal with.

You also pick up a few temporary fixes along the way. Like using a toothpaste tube to reinforce a trashed tyre. Sending your bike to the bike shop once in a while can prevent you from gaining knowledge for things like this when you need them.

cammackmartin

SmoggySteve wrote:

Always serviced my own bikes since I was a kid. There are things everyone should know how to do just for day to day maintenance. Some things are good to know just in case the worst happens. Had a mate trash his rear derailleur not long ago. Managed to turn his bike into a fixie to get him home or he would have had a long walk in cleats to deal with.

You also pick up a few temporary fixes along the way. Like using a toothpaste tube to reinforce a trashed tyre. Sending your bike to the bike shop once in a while can prevent you from gaining knowledge for things like this when you need them.

Couldn't agree more. Just about anyone can do this stuff too. You really don't need to be a genius. The most difficult bit is having the right tools! Or perhaps that's e fun bit if you are a DIY nerd like me! Nothing better than having all the right tools. Nice!

navrig

shamrock134 wrote:

This is what my LBS offers:

FULL SERVICE £100*
Includes:
Bike stripped down to the frame, then cleaned and checked for alignment and damage.
Hubs disassembled, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
Bottom Bracket removed, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
Headset removed, cleaned, inspected, then rebuilt with fresh grease, refitted & checked for movement
All other fittings removed, checked for wear, cleaned and re-lubricated replacing all cables and housings
Brake blocks / disc pads checked and replaced if required
Replacement of any other worn parts if required
Safety check (all fittings / mudguards / racks etc. are securely fastened)
Chain cleaned and lubricated, gears set up

I can do all of that and other than hubs have done so although with some limitations to my success - a friend eventually sorted my cock-ups, and my LBS has also helped.

However for me to do all that work would take me much longer than the LBS. So I guess you have to balance your personal time value.

Probably best that you do all your own servicing in the winter.

Grill

I my mechanic :P

goonz

Grill wrote:

I my mechanic :P

Bet he loves you too, with your garage of bikes! He just hears money jingling when you walk in!

diy

I do everything myself, including fork/air can services on the mtb. However, I don't think an LBS charging £30 for 30-40 mins work is a rip off. If its done with skill and care its pretty good value. Nothing wrong if you don't have the time and value yours at more.

The bit that drives me to do my own is that you get a real appreciation for the wear and tear along with how useful or otherwise upgrades will be.

For example when I fit a cassette, I torq it correctly, I clean the bearings and seals properly and then pack it back up with quality grease. I'll check for play a couple of days after to make sure its bedded properly and I use a torq wrench to tighten it.

Road bikes are a lot easier to maintain than MTBs. There are around 20 sets of cartridge bearings on my full sus MTB of which most are in the rear triangle.

Grill

goonz wrote:

Grill wrote:

I my mechanic :P

Bet he loves you too, with your garage of bikes! He just hears money jingling when you walk in!

Of course he loves me, it helps that he's a good friend so the money part rarely comes up.

keef66

I learned my cycling / fettling back in the late 60's / early 70's. No choice cos we didn't have the money to pay someone to fix anything. The shed had a drawer full of mismatched and badly worn tools, and I was free to play to my heart's content. Frequently used to strip the bike down to it's component parts just out of curiosity. Narnia!

Now I have a dry, warm garage and a collection of shiny new tools. I still take the bike to bits for the fun of it, and it's nice to know I can fix anything that goes wrong.

It's just a bike, not the space shuttle. Have a go!