whm1974

While I've riding off and on awhile I think it is time for me to learn how to do repairs and maintenance on bicycles. Any good manuals you guys can recommend and the tools I will need?

My dad says he has one but hasn't found it yet.

shelbyfv

Park Tools

OldBike876

These aren't manuals, but will get you on your feet:

Park Tools (website and YouTube).
Sheldon Brown's website.
RJ the Bike Guy on YouTube.

Kontact 

For all mechanical bikes, the old Bicycle Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair is very clear and useful. At libraries.

I'm all for videos and websites, but when you're puzzling over something it is useful to have an open book next to you.

SoSmellyAir

Rather than inquire about the first step to acquire encyclopedic knowledge on bicycle repair and maintenance, start by learning how to perform a specific and commonly required task, e.g., lubricating chain or replacing tube.

whm1974

I know how to replace tubes, and just put in a pair of tire liners. Also put back on my cargo rack and milk crate.

OldBike876

Do you have the time and resources for a project bike? It can be a real piece of junk. You can take it apart and reassmble it to get a feel for how it works. Read or watch how to adjust or replace the brakes, then work on it. Adjust gears, adjust bearings, remove this, rebuild that, and so on and so forth.

SoSmellyAir

Great. Do you know how to lubricate the chain and check for chain wear?

SurferRosa

If you can afford tools, comprehend Sheldon Brown (and Bikeforums), and are physically able to lock two nuts together on a threaded bolt, you can fully overhaul a bicycle.

whm1974

No. Nor do I know how to put a new chain on, or even have the tools to do so.

shelbyfv

I really liked the Zinn books but I understand a lot of kids don't like to read. Zinn Bike Repair

smd4

Don't be put off by the jerks.

Depending on how deep you want to get into this, you can start with everyday home tools. Regular Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, and some open and box-end wrenches, adjustable wrenches, Allen or Torx wrenches.... Everything will be metric. As you get deeper, you will find that more specialized tools will be helpful. I put this list together a while ago, and it may be helpful:

I'll preface this by saying you may already have a lot of these tools in your home tool box (and I see that you do from the post above). Anyway...

--Set of metric open/box end wrenches up to 17mm;
--12" adjustable ("Crescent") wrench;
--Ball-peen hammer;
--Metal shop ruler (to measure chain stretch, etc.);
--Needle-nose pliers (to grab the cable when adjusting derailleur cable tension);
--JIS (Japanese) Phillips head screwdriver, probably No. 2 will cover you in most instances;
--Hex/Allen Tri-wrench in 4, 5, 6 mm;
--Socket Tri-wrench in 8, 9, 10 mm;
--Torx Tri-wrench (I have one but don't use it, because I don't have any Torx fasteners);
--Pedal Wrench (I have an older (Verma?) model that has both 15mm and 1/2" at either end);
--Set of good quality cone wrenches (I use Park);
--High-quality spoke wrench to fit your spoke nipples. Park makes these. Get the kind that looks like a hot-air-balloon with rubber grip. Don't cheap out on this tool!;
--Headset wrench specific to your headset if you use one. Park makes these as well;
--Chain Whip;
--Cassette lockring tool depending on cassette manufacturer (This will be used in conjunction with your chain whip and adjustable wrench);
--Bottom-bracket tools, depending on what you're using and the era;
--Fourth hand (Hozan makes an excellent one);
--Quality bike-cable-specific cable cutters (I use a discontinued Shimano version but the newer Park one seems quite capable);
--Metric Allen key set (the "L" shaped ones);
--Chain Tool (type depending on what you use--rivets, quick links, etc.);
--Tools specific to your bike--I need an extra long 6mm Allen key for my stem and a 8mm Allen for my cranks. I also have a specific tool for my chainring bolts and crank dust caps, and one to adjust my pedal bearings;
--Good quality oil (your choice; I use Tri-Flow);
--Good quality grease (your choice; I use Shimano Special Grease. Phil is good too);
--Good quality floor pump including good-quality chuck for your particular valves (I use a Silca Pista Plus with Hiro chuck for Presta valves);
--Tire valve core tool (I think these would be used if you are tubeless and need to remove the valve core);
--Decent floor stand if your bike can be lifted into one;

Fun tools but completely unnecessary: Angle gauge; digital bike (expensive) or luggage (cheap) scale.

This list is what I can think of off the top of my head, but should be a good start for most home shops. YMMV. There are of course very specialized tools like dropout alignment tools, headset cup and race removers/installers, etc. These can be pricy and not used very often, but many can be fabricated at home. I may add to this list as I think of things.

You may from time-to-time see pre-packaged tool kits from various retailers. These aren't a bad way to start.

There are several books available. For more-modern bikes, Park's Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair may prove useful. If you're more visual, Park also offers a plethora of YouTube videos.

Some may caution you to only buy a specialized tool when you need it. Definitely not bad advice if you're just starting out, but I always prefer to have the tool on hand already when I need it.

Anyway, have fun, and if you run into a roadblock, check back with any questions.

Cdubs

I am the same way I always had good luck with my bikes but now with kids they are way harder on stuff so I am slowly learning how to fix stuff. I have found Youtube to be my favourite resource for specific jobs but then over time I just get searching random things I know I am going to need to replace.

dennis336

I'm also working on learning to do more of my own bike maintenance. The approach I've been taking is really a step by step/task by task approach. I tend to take more a 'just in time' approach to doing maintenance rather than trying to absorb a tsunami of information on a whole range of maintenance work. Many jobs are fairly simple once you know how although there can be fiddly things to think about that can go wrong if you don't do them right.

I'm at the point where I've:
changed tires (minimum thing any cyclist who rides any distance should know how to do
Lube chain
Changed chain
re-greased headset
re-taped handlebars
changed cassette (see my other post on this - I always make every possible mistake no matter how easy the job is)
Changed brake pads (rim and disc)
Changing cables is coming up on my list

As I know I'm approaching the time where there's a job I'll want to do, I just google 'how to' videos and ask questions on this forum (usually when things go wrong!). There's a LOT of good material out there. That way you can learn techniques and what specialized tools you'll need before starting.

Park Tools has great videos and I like GCN (I really like their video on greasing a headset). There's also many others out there but I find those two have an expansive set of videos. The nice thing about Park Tools for a beginner is they tell you which model Park Tool you'll need for the job (well, it does feel like kind of a marketing thing but if you can get over that, it's helpful when you're trying to get oriented to doing your own work and building up a workshop).

andrewclaus

If there's a bike co-op near where you live, that could be an excellent resource for tools, parts, and instruction.

canalligators

You can also volunteer at a bike giveaway operation. The place I’m involved with gets a lot of volunteers who want to help but know little about bikes. We teach them, and fixing old bikes is good experience.

SoSmellyAir

This is a decent tool to check on chain wear: Amazon.com: Chain Checker Plus II, Black : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

As smd4 said, you can also do so with a metal ruler, which may be more accurate, but using a three point chain checker is easier.

Whether and how to clean the chain and what to lubricate the chain with are topics debated with religious zeal here on Bike Forums. But the vast majority would at least agree that the chain eventually needs lubrication. So finding a method and lubricant which works for you is a good place to start.

Hopefully not in response to my comment above to start by learning just one or two things; was not my intent to offend.

squirtdad

some repeats

see if there there are bike co-ops or charities in your areas, lots of help

check out local bike and outdoor stores REI and Sportsbasement (local to Cal) often offer free learn how to repair clinics

checkout local bike clubs

Park tools is great https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/repair-help

I like this book https://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Road.../dp/1934030988

maddog34

"whm1974"... let's assume that the "1974" reference is to the age of the OP, ok?

grumpus

I like this book but it's a bit dated.

I've not read the later editions, I've heard they're not as good.

alcjphil

My favourite is the "Glenns complete bicycle repair manual". However, it is just as out of date as I am. Really, today the way to go when doing a specific repair are online videos and when you can find them manufacturers' technical documents. There does not exist any generic bicycle repair manual that covers everything out there. It would have to be as thick as a large dictionary

shelbyfv

Anything's possible but from the posts he sounds like a kid.

alcjphil

OK. Here is one of the most basic "repairs" that people who ride a lot have to learn to do. I put "repair" in quotes because is is a maintenance item which if left so long that it falls into the repair category you will have to learn to replace other components. Replacing a chain isn't difficult and can be accomplished with very few tools, in fact an experienced home mechanic will only need a chain tool, plus the knowledge about how to do it. As someone who used to ride as much as 16,000 km per year, I have changed many chains. If I had had to go to a bike shop every time, I would be much poorer now than I am

Clyde1820

I'd definitely echo the others' sentiments for looking to a decent bike "co-op" where you can pitch in, lend a hand, and learn by doing (while being coached by others who know how to do most fix-it stuff with bikes). It's worth learning how to do chain replacement, shorting the length, tuning the derailleurs, tuning the brakes. Replacement of stuff like the cabling and the headsets, for example, is only a short step beyond those. Yes, some tools are required to do many maintenance items properly, but it's a great skillset to have and helps you learn to know and trust your own bike in a way you'll never get without "knowing" the bike's functions. Basic maintenance know-how can help give you that.

If you have no bike co-op near you, perhaps getting to know several of the nearby (or regional) bike shops and their activities, as many of them will have gatherings of cyclists for weekend rides and the like. You can often pick up a "fix-it buddy" who'd be happy to let you lend a hand during maintenance days. Many (I'd say most) cyclists eventually learn the basics. A small shop might even be willing to let you watch while various basic maintenance jobs are done by them on your bike. (I've got a shop near me that does this, when I've purchased the parts through them and am having them do a parts install I've not yet done myself. They're willing, though some shops likely won't be.)

Kontact 

A Modest Proposal:

Get on Facebook or Craigslist and buy an unloved, higher quality road or MTB from the late '80s/early '90s - very solid bikes. Instead of screwing up your finicky modern bike or trying to perfect something junky, get something of very solid quality that will definitely "tune up" to a very high degree. Spend like $100-200. Try to get it working like new. Look for Deore, XC, 105, RX100, GPX, Cyclone, EX, GPX, etc.