MrCjolsen

I'd like to put this poll on multiple forums as a way to see the differences between commuters, SSFG, mtb'ers and roadies as far as how much of your own work you do on your bike. But for now, I'll just put it here. I've included the questions here as to make commenting easier.

My LBS fixes flats for me.

I'll fix flats, anything that involves actually messing with the bike I leave to the pros

I handle my own basic adjustments, mount accessories, and do routine maintenance myself.

I pretty much can remove and replace most components except those requiring special tools like bottom brackets and headsets.

I can totally strip my bike down to the bare frame and put it back together.

I can do virtually any mechanical task on my bike and I also build my own wheels.

I welded*- the @#$% frame myself.

WillisB

I just replaced my fork and threaded headset on my old Miyata. That makes it 100% when I combine the work I have done on all my bikes.

ItsJustMe

15K miles and the bike's never seen the LBS since the day it was bought.
For that matter, my cars never see a mechanic either, unless it's a job I simply don't have time to do.
I haven't welded a frame yet, but I certainly would if mine cracked.

joninkrakow

I would love to braze my own lugged frame, but just looking at it this morning, I decided I don't really have the time to figure it all out (but it looks like fun!).

-Jon

keiththesnake

I try to do my own wrenching, even if it takes more time than it's probably should. So far, nothing has been impossible. I aint building bikes or anything. Just maintenance.

angelaharms

I'm kinda in between fixing my own flats and doing basic adjustments. I think my adjustments are more basic than other people's, but on the other hand, I don't leave home without allen wrenches these days. And I've been known to get the LBS to fix a flat. For example, when I got one right outside, while shopping for a new bike.

Grim

I haven't done a wheel yet but the rest I can handle and have bought the specialize tools needed for my bike. I'm sure if I have a wheel fail I will give it a try. It will give me an excuse to buy or build a truing stand.

I'm and above average shade tree. I do my own rebuilds on transmissions on my cars, Set up my differentials as well. I own a decent Mig welder and just looking for an excuse to set it up for Aluminum. Been known to repair a few TV's as well. I use to to board level repair on cell phones for a living. Not much I won't do on about anything.

taliesin

I don't have a headset press or a wheel truing stand, so I let my LBS handle those things. Just about anything else and I do the work myself.

genec

I have tools my LBS doesn't have. Primarily because I bought them back when I bought the parts...

What I don't have are the facing tools for the head tube or BB. Nor do I have the tools for for frame adjustment.

I have built several wheels in the past.

Now the drawback to all this... I totally missed the new technology introduced in the late 80's/early '90's... index shifting. My friction shift bikes worked just fine and I had no reason to enter an LBS.

kellyjdrummer

All of it.

d2create

I can do anything except prep the frame or install headset cups.
So since I don't have ALL the tools, i chose #4. I'm really in between 4 and 5.
I've built a wheel before but hated doing it so I won't do it again. Too long and boring of a job.

Hydrated

I tried my very hardest to support my LBS, but the owner hates the fact that I won't buy a new high zoot bicycle from him. I ride a 1984 Trek 520 and a 1988 Trek 1000... I bought the 520 brand new in 1983 and it's still my daily commuter.

I do all of my own work, and it has gotten to the point that I have to buy my tools and parts off of Ebay because my LBS won't sell me tools anymore. They write down what I need, then when I call back to see if it has arrived, the owner tells me that they can't get that tool anymore... even though I know full well that I can order it from Park Tool or whomever manufactures it.

AEO

you can make your own headset press with some brass piping, 1/2" thick threaded bar, spacers and nuts and you can make your own headset cup remover by cutting up a copper pipe.
Haven't delved into the wheel building yet, but I can barely fix an out of round and out of true wheel.

nashcommguy

Have been building my own wheels for about 3 years now. Have done several rebuilds and conversions including 1x7, 1x8 and single speed. A fixie's next. Decided to get out of the 'restoration of yardsale bikes for friends' business and just concentrate on maintenance and RIDING the bikes we have. Gave a slew of parts to a friend of mine(the guy who taught me how to build wheels) and have had a great sense of relief. The only tool I don't own is a headset press, so he and I are going to split the cost of one. We're, also getting a spoke tension meter as they're not that expensive, but necessary for high end low spoke count wheelsets. He's starting to do bikes w/CF frames in his repair business, too and you can't use a block of wood and a hammer on cf.

uke

On my new bike, I've inflated the tires, removed the reflectors, and attached (and cut off) a U-lock holster. I've also attached the holster for my rear taillight. If I had a flat, I would either have to order a new tube or ride the bike to the LBS. Hopefully I'd try the former first, but since I depend on the bike for class each day, I'm not really sure what I'd do. Thanks to the bicycle tutor, I think I could handle a flat replacement on my QR-wheeled bike.

nashcommguy

Seems to me there's a broad hint going on that you may have reached 'competition status'. LBS' HATE DIY guys...all the DIY guys of the world.

Make a list of all the online stores where you can get stuff...there's a thread on the 'commuting' forums right now where people have listed various 'online stores' they consider the best. Start there. Several have no shipping charges or a reasonable purchase amount bottom line. Closeouts, clearance, etc. All kinds of deals on stuff. Ebay's gotten too commercial(except for an Ebay store called 'Build Your Bike'...they're REALLY good, fair-priced and cyclists themselves)...I'd sooner go CL and take my chances.

angelaharms

With bike repair, it's baby steps. One day you get a flat, and you say, "You know what? I'm going to go buy a tube (or you were smart enough to buy one earlier--they're very cheap) and I'm gonna do this!" Then you use the tire levers and it takes you way too long, and you get dirty, but next time it goes faster. (And eventually you watch a video that tells you how to use more than one lever at a time to make it go much more smoothly!)

And then one day, you're heading off on bikes and trailers to camp overnight with two of your kids, and you realize that there are 11 tires on this trip, all depending on *you.* So you go and stand in the bike aisle at the local Bi-Mart and you say "I'm gonna buy a patch kit instead of all those different sized tubes." And it turns out you get a flat on your camp-out and you patch it and you're very very proud.

Yep, that's how it happens. Just like that.

Allen

Built the frame and laced the wheels.

HardyWeinberg

I chose the 'if it doesn't require special tools' option but I have been buying the special tool for each thing that has come up as I've needed it. Haven't been able to rationalize the large $$ for facing tools though. Yet.

caloso

I've built three of my five bikes up from the frame. I'm going to try to build some wheels this winter.

Allen

When I built the bamboo bomber I had to take it to the LBS to have the bottom bracket chased. I bought a head tube chaser, but I just did not want to come off of another five bills for the bottom bracket chaser.

Sixty Fiver

I work as a bike mechanic and instructor at our local co-op and short of building my own frames have been doing all my own work for more than 25 years... for the longest time I usually rebuilt / tuned good existing wheels and then started building my own, built quite a few wheels for other folks, and am now getting quite a few orders to build wheels for more folks since I'm told I have a bit of a gift for this.

I have never had a wheel I built or tuned fail under normal use and have built wheels for folks that see some serious off road use and long distance touring.

Frame building is my next goal.

I won't ride a bike that I have not personally built up or completely over-hauled.

Hydrated

What is your #1 tip for building a good solid wheel? Of course you can give your #2, #3, #4, etc also if you want to!

Booger1

Got my first bike when I was 7(51 now) for christmas,did I take it outside and ride it?Nope,took it outside and took it apart.My mom used to tease me that I would have been happier if they left it in the box.Been downhill ever since.

Sixty Fiver

I am just an amateur...

I love building and working on wheels... some folks think it's a black art but I think I could teach almost anyone how to build up a good wheel and teaching this skill is part of my job.

My 8 year old daughter already knows how to partially lace up a 3 cross wheel...

The key to building a great wheel (aside from having the pre-requisite skills) is that you use the best parts available... and then check those parts to make sure they are within specs. Hoops may leave their factory in a perfect state (we can only hope) but once they start getting moved about, they can be warped / bent which makes them unsuitable for anything but recycling or return from whence they were purchased.

Wheels should be built according to their intended use... I see a lot of new commuters buying hybrids with low spoke (front) wheels which are fine for racing but don't hold up too well when they are faced with the daily abuse commuting can bring.

I also build traditional wheels that usually have 32, 36, or 40 spokes and have conventional 3 and 4 cross lacing and really like using internal gear hubs and fixed gear hubs which allow for a zero dish wheel (which is as strong as it gets).

Pre-built wheels can be excellent (and cost far less) but they really need to have someone check them over to ensure they have been trued and tensioned properly and just because a wheel says it was hand built does not always mean it was built properly.

I had a few of the fellows from our shop go on a ride to Vancouver... one had a very nice and brand new wheel set I had tuned up, one had a wheel set I had built with new hoops and spokes with his old hubs, and the other had a new touring bike that I never serviced.

The first two fellows had almost no issues over 1500 kilometres of riding (their wheels are still almost* as true as they were when they left) while the third fellow's bike that had "hand built" wheels broke 10 spokes, had to bail on the ride and take the train to the coast and then have his wheel completely rebuilt.

* Fellow number one does have a really tiny ding in his front wheel as he hit a log at speed and flipped his bike which broke his rear rack and resulted in a moderately sprained wrist.

I inspected the front wheel the other day and it is still well within specs and was still true while the rear wheel (which may have also taken a pretty good lateral hit in the crash) needed a few turns of the spoke wrench to bring it back to spec. These wheels still carried my friend another 1200 km without any issues except an inordinate number of flats... because he failed to remove the debris that caused the initial flat.

I have not had a chance to inspect my hand built wheels but received a text message from my friend who said the wheels were perfect and completely trouble free on the trip.

There are other folks touring Canada on wheels I have built and/or tuned and I await their return to see how well they have held up... I told them that if there was any problem that they should call me and my phone has been pretty quiet.