pdlamb

While (coincidentally) changing out chainrings, I got to thinking about how some riders barely fix their own flat tires, some build their own bikes, and there's a wide range of demonstrated mechanical aptitude in between. And of course you have those who are still riding a 40 year old bike, fixing it as they go, and others who just bought a new bike because it has 12 speeds. )The latter probably won't have anything old enough to repair!) So I was wondering, is it possible to ask a single question, and figure out if the person responding is a good enough wrench to handle just about any repair that it's worth an amateur's time to buy? I'm thinking, leave things BB threading and chasing to a proper bike shop, and handle anything less than that at home.

And of course, since I was working on chainrings, the question that came to mind was, "Have you ever changed your own rings?" The implication would be someone who has can probably change their own cables and housings, wrap their own bars, etc. Is it fair to judge a person's bike maintenance skills like that? Would there be a better question to ask?

cyccommute 

“My bike is shifting poorly. How do I fix it?” If the answer is “check the limit screws” run away. Run far away.

GhostRider62

How do you stress relieve wheels when you are building them?

If someone can properly build wheels, it is likely they can do normal adjustments, install bearings properly, and use hot melt wax on chains.

KerryIrons

You might be better guided by the wrong answers you get, like "adjust limit screws to fix bad shifting" comment. If I want to know what kind of a mechanic I'm talking to, I would ask what all they do in their annual maintenance overhaul. This will give you a good idea of what they know how to do and how thorough they are.

mpetry912 

this is a genuinely interesting question ! Reading many of the threads in this forum may provide some answers.

/markp

andrewclaus

I agree with wheel building experience.

I help assess new volunteers at a non-profit shop, so I'm interested in these answers too. Good question.

cyccommute 

Well, if you pick the right components, you never have to do annual maintenance. I have 14 bikes in my garage and I never take one apart unless I’m swapping out the frame. I have to do so little maintenance on my own bikes that I volunteer to work on bikes.

shelbyfv

Do "shade tree" bike mechanics exist? Outside of shops, folks I know with bike skills seem to work only on their own bikes and sometimes bikes belonging to friends. Interesting question, though. Someone could have been an ace mechanic for years but not have any interest in hydraulic brakes, Di2 or new Shimano front derailleurs. I think replacing chain rings would be a pretty low bar. Curious to see other suggestions.

cyccommute 

I consider wheel building to be a true “master mechanic” skill but someone can be a fairly competent mechanic without knowing how to build a wheel. In fact, most “good” mechanics probably don’t know the first thing about wheel building. They can true a wheel or replace a spoke but actually building a wheel from components isn’t a common skill…even in commercial shop settings.

I too assess…and teach…new volunteers at non-profits. There isn’t really one simple thing that tells me if people know what they are doing or not when it comes to working on bikes. I can usually tell quickly if the person has zero experience, of course. If they ask, “what’s a tire?”, I know I’m working with a newbie. But often even relatively competent mechanics can have gaps in their knowledge. Someone this week asked me if a derailer looked bent (it was) but he had no idea how to use the derailer hanger alignment tool. A bit of instruction and he was up to speed. His other work is competent enough but as with most people there are gaps in knowledge.

I’ve had several fairly competent volunteer mechanics go through my mechanics class learn something that they had never known before. Not many people going through my wheel building class actually build a wheel outside of class but they often tell me that they find the exercise helpful to understanding how truing works.

cyccommute 

Kinda. Most of the ones I run across are working in volunteer organizations. Over the decades, I run across a lot of “professional” mechanics who really aren’t.
I somewhat agree. I can do hydraulics but don’t like to (too messy). I’ve not seen any Di2 shifters at my local co-op but we don’t see too many new bikes at all. Those kinds of things go to commercial shops and are too new to hit the donations pipeline yet.

I would also look at the mechanic question from 180°. Many newer mechanics are competent on new systems but wouldn’t be able to adjust a cantilever brake to save their lives. I’m sure there are some out there who couldn’t figure out how to get a freewheel off a hub.

pdlamb

I surely hope so! It's my favorite place to work on my bikes (unless it's too hot, or too cold). Nice thing about working on bikes, the tree doesn't haveto be an oak with a horizontal branch strong enough to hoist the engine.

I was thinking more about longevity of the bike or rider, TBH. The time before you start truing or building a bike wheel can be a matter of buying a machine built wheel, or grinding a rim down to needing to replace it. At least IME, replacing a chain ring started after I trued and built wheels, or replaced chains, brake pads, cassettes, bottom brackets, etc. ad nauseum.

FWIW, I like the idea of listening for wrong answers. The problem I see with that is that an answer may be right, though not the best answer, simply because it could have been what the respondent experienced last that caused his or her problem. For a misbehaving derailer, for instance, "check for a bent derailer hanger" is technically correct, though it's probably not what most of us would check first.

79pmooney

My bikes don't get annual maintenance overhauls. Now years ago when I raced, my race bike got a new headset every winter. (They stayed like-new about 8000 miles. Bike went about 5000 a year. I didn't want my no-hands steering to get funky late summer.) Winter bike did get a thorough overhaul every spring along with re-built wheels. It went all through the winter as my "car" on the salt roads of Boston. Bike was a mess and wheels were square by March. Beyond that, work as needed.

PhilFo 

I think a good entry-level, just set foot in the door question for them would be "how do you remove a non-drive-side (left) pedal?"

tcs

"Ever overhaul a Sturmey AW?"

GhostRider62

I'd be real impressed if a mechanic could replace bearings on a Powertap hub, face a BB, overhaul Campy shifters, isn't afraid of mixing and matching component brands, knows the advantages and disadvantages of different lubricants, etc. But answering a RD adjustment question correctly is so lame as to be meaningless in determining if a mechanic knows anything.

If they can stop SRAM HRD brakes from squeeling, they go right to god-like in my hierarchy.

urbanknight

Interesting topic! To use your own example, what if someone started out with a fixie or single speed and changed chainrings for a desired gear ratio? They may have never changed cables and housings, or adjuster a derailleur.

For what it’s worth, I have built hundreds of wheels, but stopped being a (paid) mechanic and wheel builder many years ago and only recently added disc brakes and tubeless tires to my stable. I have yet to need to service my hydraulic brakes, I am still doing a lousy job of setting up tubeless tires (including on the new wheels I just built for myself), and I have yet to even touch electronic shifting.

cyccommute 

Considering that so many people get the derailer adjustment…not just the rear, by the way…wrong, it’s a good place to start. Replacing bearings in a hub, and facing a frame for a bottom bracket are fairly sophisticated mechanical operations to perform and usually beyond the ability of “a shade tree mechanic” if for no other reason that they don’t have the tools to do some of that kind of work. Mixing and matching components brands requires a very deep knowledge of components which, again, is probably beyond most “shade tree mechanics”.

I can not tell you the number of people who simply don’t understand how a derailer works nor how to make it work properly and who immediately reach for the nearest screw driver to fix the problem. Derailer problems are never …well, almost never…anything that can be fixed with a screwdriver. If someone can’t fix a derailer problem in less than 30 seconds…usually without tools…they aren’t much of a mechanic.

urbanknight

The only correct answer to that is to ask for more specifics on how it’s shifting poorly. Anybody who pretends to know how to fix it based on that little info is just blowing smoke.

This was my experience as well. When I was a shop mechanic, the head mechanic taught me a great many things and was leaps and bounds faster and more thorough than me, but he couldn’t (or wouldn't) build a wheel. In no way did I ever become a master mechanic either, and I most certainly have “gaps” in my knowledge and skills.

urbanknight

I once adjusted a friend’s RD while riding next to them. Does that impress anyone?

pdlamb

Depends. Cup and cone bearings only take a couple of wrenches (granted, one needs to be a $15 cone wrench). Caged bearings that need a puller and press, I concede your point.

Depends. Were you riding in a car, hanging out the window at 40 kph?

SoSmellyAir

Surely this depends on whether you made it shift better or worse?

Troul 

Depends on a few factors imo.
a question about how they service there own stuff doesn't necessarily mean it'll be gradable for their mechanimechanical aptitude. . Asking a gear ratio or compatibility of components also does give much to go off of.
if it's a troubleshooting question to someone else's bicycle, it could shed light on some capabilities.
best approach for finding out is to see them in action, or ask them a specific question about there repairs or maintenance on there specific equipment & making it obvious that you're asking in order to figure out how in-depth they are to mechanical aptitude.
Back dooring it with your question[s] might leave a lot on the table for figuring out.

csport

Ask them what question they would ask to assess a bike mechanic.

Mad Honk 

Perhaps some interesting answers to; How do you change the shift cable in a grip shifter? Smiles, MH

BCDrums

Well, yeah.

I'm a shade-tree mechanic in the sense that I will work on bikes for friends, family and neighbors. The secret to my success is knowing what I don't know. Most of my "repairs" are lubing a chain, changing a tire or cable, adjusting the brakes or derailers. If there's anything that's much beyond that, I send 'em to the LBS. The last bike I did for a neighbor, I wiped off the crud, oiled the chain and pumped the tires. She was delighted! On a badly-messed-up teenager's bike, I told the parents that I thought it was unsafe and that they should either seek pro help or trash it. And I have changed many a chain ring on my current (30-year-old) bike.

"A man's got to know his limit (screws)."