redmist

i'm a do-it-yourself kind of guy. i like to learn how things work, and fix them myself mostly because i enjoy working with my hands and believe that i care much more about my things than some guy who gets paid to fix things. it's like that old saying- if you want something done right, do it yourself. i worked on my own motorcycles for years, i wasn't great, but i was competent with the easy things.

in your opinion, what's the best way to learn how to work on bikes? there seem to be less parts than motorcycles, so it can't be any more difficult, can it?

can anyone recommend a good book to read on bicycle mechanics? are there classes?


looking forward to hearing your thoughts.


thanks all!

ninjaman

get the Blue Book by Park Tools- excellent step by step info, also parktools.com will have the same. check sheldonbrown.com for tons of good tips and how-tos

barba

It isn't all that hard if you have at least some mechanical ability. Check out https://www.parktool.com/repair/
and sheldonbrown.com. Between the two I have never found the need to buy a book.

When I got started working on my bikes, my theory was that I could always take it to the shop if I got over my head on a job. Besides some laughs from the wrenches, the few times I had to sheepishly go in they would show me where I went wrong. It helps to have a second bike, so that when your's is in pieces in the living room you are not unable to ride.

jacksbike

There are plenty of good books out there which show step by step bike repairs. Your own library may have up to date books with exploded diagrams of how things work. Experience is always the best teacher. See if you can salvage some bikes from your local dump or recycling center. Take them apart and see what makes them tick.That way you will learn. If you can work on motorcycles, you surely can work on bicycles.

operator

Most people learn by adjusting their own bikes when things go out of adjustment. Barbas parktool/sheldon link is usually all you need.

BigBlueToe

The Park Tools website is excellent. Sheldon Brown's site is phenomenal. I have the Bicycling Magazine book and the Zinn book. However, the best way for me to learn is to do something. When my bikes need a repair I learn to do it. You might consider getting a fixer-upper at a garage sale and rebuilding it. A fairly late-model bike from a reputable company would be good - not a Walmart special.

A fairly expensive option is to buy a frame and build it up into a complete bike. You'll learn a ton and end up with a nice bike that is custom tailored to you.

This forum is also a great resource. If you run into problems or have questions, people here are always willing to help, and I never see anyone accusing anyone else of posting a dumb question. Just some occasional sniping about spelling, grammar, etc.

ollo_ollo

I like Leonard Zinn's book on road bikes & he has one for mountain bikes too.

mlh122

I started learning for the same reason. I brought my bike in to the LBS for my free maintenance, the shifting had gone a little off and needed some fine tuning, well they held it for a week, then i finally got the call to come get it, then they tried to charge me and i had to have the mechanic vouch for me that it was free maintenance, then i rode it in the parking lot to my car and found they had done nothing to it, the barrel adjusters and set screws all were still covered in trail dust

i like the parktool.com site, https://www.utahmountainbiking.com/fix/index.htm , ehow.com, howstuffworks.com

there are free classes depending on your LBS, our LBSs have weekly free classes on the basics, then like monthly classes on more advanced stuff.

i also bought a few bike repair dvds on ebay, great stuff if you need to watch it done over and over, and on different types of bikes.

like the Zinns book, they had one at my library but i decided to buy it because as a shop manual it got dirty fast. now it sits in the garage right next to my bike tools.

speaking of tools, you can buy a huge kit, or just buy tools as you need them. buying tools as you need them ends up costing more but its incremental, and you won't get any tools you don't need.

oh and don't forget www.bikeforums.net, good advice, huge repository of info, and helpful people just about 24 hours a day!

edit: also https://www.rei.com/learn/Cycling has some nice info on the basics

redmist

thanks guys, i like the idea of getting an older fixer-upper and going to town. i think i'm going to have a go on a craigslist special.