alanf

A friend had a "bug" he borrowed off Dad. I recall when the throttle cable broke, we ran a rope out the driver's side window, along the side of the car to the bumper, around that into the engine compartment and attached it to the throttle. He sat in the car put the throttle 'rope' in his hand and around his shoulder. So he leaned forward to speed up and then backed off (leaned back) to reduce the throttle to shift gears. It was pure heaven for a young guy and we all hooted our appreciation for the spectacle. Lot of good laughs in that car! Hitler's Revenge.

dsbrantjr

Beetles were great for field-expedient fixes. I replaced another driver's V-belt (it runs the cooling fan so no driving without it) with the leg of a pair of pantyhose cut and knotted, and a buddy got his home with a failed fuel pump by duct-taping a quart Colt 45 bottle full of gas to the roof and running a piece of aquarium tubing to the carb inlet. I have started mine with a weak battery by pushing it in neutral, then jumping in, putting it into second gear and letting out the clutch.

LeftyS7

Same thing with Giant! My major complaint with them.

alanf

So where did you get the panty hose.... Just Kidding!

Those cars were such a joy and easy to fix and thus the title "Folks Wagon".
The old vans have become a cult around here with some oldies still used and prices are still a bit high. My Dad had one for his drug store complete with wooden shelves in the back for his customer's packages.
I saw a sticker on a newer VW van that said;
"Volkswagon - Making better mechanics out of drivers for 50 years"

Steeler_fanatic

Generally you can find whatever you need online for maintaining your bike. I have a Trek also and have not had any issues getting information. It's true that it is not nicely packaged, but it is there.

robertorolfo

I snapped a throttle cable once on a 125cc scooter. Had a small tool kit with me, and luckily the cable snapped near the twist grip, so I was able to make it home (riding through the city center) by pulling on the bare cable end with a pair of pliers. I was pretty proud of that...

twowheelies

I overhauled my '94 Diamondback Master within the last year and found the internet to be super helpful... Sheldon Brown's database especially, but just general youtube tutorials as well. I also have a mid 2000's Bianchi that i recently acquired, and the tutorials posted by park tools, youtube regulars and just random individuals have really helped me keep going through the last few months, when a lot of LBSs were closed due to the pandemic.

I also have a recent model specialized cross trail with all of the newer tech, but the LBS had a one-year free maintenance deal when i bought it, so i haven't had to dig into that yet. Are there no similar youtubes regarding these newer technologies?

Bill in VA

My 2016 Bianchi Volpe, bought new at a local bike shop came with a small manual for every Shimano component in a plastic bag along with the manuals for the safety reflectors, tires, etc. As the Shimano manuals were in a tiny typefont, I just went to the Shimano website and downloaded them all so I could reference them at a readable magnification on my iPad or PC. The same website also had the interchange/compatibility info that is essential for Shimano components and parts. That along with a Park repair book was enough to transition me from the days of freewheels and JIS square taper cranks to the new Hollowtech II, threadless stems, etc. The shop also had a stem swap policy for small alterations, as long as the stem was UNscratched or UNmarred and of compatible size with the OEM bars, and a free post sale tune-up.

I have purchased factory (not a Haynes or Chilton mess) repair manuals for all my vehicles from my first 1965 VW bug up to my Hyundai Santa Fe. Some were quite expensive, but either from use in doing repairs, or gaining knowledge to know when I would be in too deep, or knowing when a garage was trying to do a lube job on the vehicle owner, all paid for themselves many times over and do sell very well on eBay. Often knowing your limits (in skills, in available downtime, or in tools) is invaluable.

That applies to bikes for new owners (or as with myself dealing with the new bike technologies) as alloy and carbon parts and fasteners are not forgiving of ham-handedness. .

unikid

I assume you have something like this? https://www.dannyscycles.com/product...p-379736-1.htm

In the link I shared above, I can see in the pictures the odd front wheel nut as you describe. I've never seen this before either. Scrolling down on the same page I see under the Fork description a reference to "ThruSkew 5mm QR". Very strange. Googling for "ThruSkew" led me to this article, which talks about dealing with that axle, and apparently the same disk brake issue you also encountered:

https://www.******.com/r/bicycling/c...f_a_2020_trek/

Based on these findings I wholeheartedly agree with you that stuff like this should be covered in the Trek manuals. Absent this the shop staff should have given you a 10 minute run-through of all the non-standard bits and bobs on your bike before they sent you on your way.

Mcarver49

YouTube, everything you need is there.

Elbeinlaw

I absolutely agree. Except it's not just Trek. It's damn near everyone in the marketplace. And it's been this way since the 80's, I think. That coincides with a whole generation of people getting into business who for the first time didn't have experience that qualified them, they had MBAs. What's one thing not on the MBA course of study? Customer service.

Elbeinlaw

The way an Oracle worked, you walked in and it answered your question (after the appropriate sacrifices, of course) even if wasn't the question you thought you had. But YouTube only works if you know what your question is. You have to have some level of sophisticated knowledge to get to the fine points that YouTube might address. Two examples of how this (doesn't) work(s):

1. That non-quick-release-quick release I mentioned above. I didn't know what it was called. It's not possible to look for something when you don't have a clue what it is.

2. Today while riding I wanted to adjust the angle of my seat. I got out my multitool, went to the seatpost and found not ONE bolt as was usual, but two. Neither seemed to actually loosen. I don't know what the piece is called. I don't know how to look it up on YouTube.

If Trek--or Specialized or Giant or anyone else--is using these kinds of fittings, they're using them on hundreds of thousands of bikes. There's no reason not to put it on line, in a TREK OWNER'S site. I shouldn't have to rely on YouTube. Not attacking you, McCarver, but to my mind anyone who says that the answer to everything is "YouTube" is part of the problem: accepting that companies can avoid any responsibility for their products.

(My last comment: Ironically, I was reviewing a Terms of Service document for a client last night, and it had the "we disclaim any liability for our product working" language. I wrote a big angry red NO!!! in the margin. That's not the law. And it's not acceptable behavior.)

Elbeinlaw

Unikid:

Thanks for the link and video and more importantly, the terminology. It was really helpful.

What's interesting is that I called Trek about this new non-quick-release-quick-release, and their little expert told me that I had to loosen the quick release lever and then take out the bolt and screw on the other side. This was not only wrong, it was a total PITA.

And that's why they need to publish a manual, so that I don't have to rely on the people they have in customer service.

Eggman84

I am totally into returning to the 60s, 70s, even the 80s when we got actual manuals for everything (and before we had complicated things like cell phones, PCs, "modern" cars that last more than 100k miles etc). I loved AT&T, they really new how to work with their costumers. And who can complain about Schwinn- they new how to take care of their customers with an owners manual (or course you might complain that there consumer devices where boat anchors masquerading as BSOs). Think we need to recognize the world is more complicated and the owners manuals of yestyear aren't really feasible for many things today. But a good rant is timeless.

Karl - who is thankful to those that spend time making YouTube videos on some really obscure repairs on all sorts of things.

robertorolfo

I have an MBA... and I agree with you! Definitely too many people thinking they can be effective managers even though they have never had their 'boots on the ground.' People trying to run (or buy) businesses that they don't truly understand.

Plus, a lot of sectors in the business world are getting messed up by the startup/venture capital culture. New companies coming in that don't make any money (because profitability isn't considered essential early on), and pushing established businesses out of the market. They are operating at huge losses, and yet their founders and management are being lauded by the media...

Elbeinlaw

Didn't mean to trash your profession. But it has been interesting to watch the rise of MBAs at every Tom, Dick & Harry formerly-community-college-now-"University" dovetail with chaos in the S&L Crisis, then again in a 90s bust, then again in 2008. And in general in the Wall Street Culture. It's been devastating. Not saying MBAs are to blame (though I think there's some blame there) but certainly old traditional business culture that accepts MBAs as an experience-equivalent is to blame. Maybe it's the problem of MBAs only trusting other MBAs. [Shrug.] They're like tribbles, maybe. (Not as cute. Not as cuddly. But make the same noises.)

Anyway … I saw your name come up on line today in comments about a guy who was possibly infringing the trade name of another on-line bike mechanic. I knew I recognized it. No comment on the merits, just that I recognized it. Funny how small the world is.

Jan Feetz

Take it back to the LBS. They should have done those adjustments for you. Surprised that they did not.

madpogue 

I thought MBA was a degree, not a profession .

sweeks

[QUOTE=dedhed;21575872]Did you get a repair manual with your car?
Hahaha! No, but when I bought my first car (a 1973 Plymouth "Duster"), the first thing I did was to send off for the factory service manual. It was like a telephone book, and had details for every kind of repair imaginable. I adjusted the valves (198 cubic inch slant-six) and repacked the front wheel bearings every 10,000 miles. Can't do that today! (Luckily don't need to!)

LeftyS7

[QUOTE

I have purchased factory (not a Haynes or Chilton mess) repair manuals for all my vehicles from my first 1965 VW bug up to my Hyundai Santa Fe. Some were quite expensive, but either from use in doing repairs, or gaining knowledge to know when I would be in too deep, or knowing when a garage was trying to do a lube job on the vehicle owner, all paid for themselves many times over and do sell very well on eBay. Often knowing your limits (in skills, in available downtime, or in tools) is invaluable.
That applies to bikes for new owners (or as with myself dealing with the new bike technologies) as alloy and carbon parts and fasteners are not forgiving of ham-handedness. .[/QUOTE]

Printed manuals are no longer available for most new automobiles. They are all on a service computer rarely, if ever, available on line.

I am like you, but I'd have a Chilton AND Hayes manual along with the factory one.

Geezerdan

It's getting so many things no longer come with a manual. My new electric stove for example...gotta go on line to figure out how to set the timer. I wonder if the bike parts suppliers have schematics and instructions on line?

robertorolfo

Oh, I know about the trouble with tribbles...

Seriously though, I wasn't offended at all. An MBA is just a degree, and as you indicated they aren't particularly hard to get at many schools. Like every degree, it's worthless unless the degree holder knows how to put what they learned into practice. But too many people, including HR professionals, put blind faith in the presence of certain titles regardless of the substance that is actually behind them.

As for Wall Street Culture, it is indeed deplorable for the most part. I used to work on Wall Street off of Wall Street (because you don't physically have to be there these days), and I can tell you that the vast majority of people I encountered think that Gordon Gekko was the hero of the famous movie, not the villain.

ljsense

I can't take this thread anymore.

This case comes down to a well-educated attorney who experienced frustration after buying a pair of bicycles and decided to make spurious accusations against the manufacturer and call for an angry pitch-fork mob.

He said that Trek does not have product manuals. The evidence shows that is false. He said that Trek does not have a YouTube channel. The evidence shows that is false.

After being presented with both facts, he claimed the manuals had no useful information. In fact, as the evidence shows, the manual specifically says to be careful not to depress a hydraulic brake lever when the wheel is off.

I ask you, ladies and gentleman, is this the behavior that the public should expect when we hire an attorney to represent our interests? Or is this the behavior of one entitled man who had a frustrating day and is looking to cast blame?

Do we not want an advocate who will always tell the truth? Do we not want an advocate with responsibility and foresight -- who might, upon buying bicycles for the first time in many years, ask in advance for instruction and help before remitting payment?

It's no wonder why Wall Street and many corporations are running wild. Trek should read this thread and sue for libel.

madpogue 

Now I remember why I stopped watching lawyer shows on TV.

Elbeinlaw

The liability argument is bogus. The liability argument and its near cousin, the "plaintiff's lawyers" argument, are both made up as an excuse for political agendas. Regretably, though false, they've justified the unjustifiable.

Second, it's not true that "the manuals provided by bike manufacturers NEVER ..." Etc. Several people above have reported excellent manuals. And strictly by accident, I happened on the manual for my Fuji Absolut, purchased in 2009. It has a manual with descriptions and drawings of all of the significant parts. Including the quick releases, by the way.