messmer777

I just finished building a really beautiful Rivendell Sam Hillborne set up as a city bike with albatross bars etc. I am really glad to have it finished but I realized something very clearly: I really really dislike working on bicycles and if I never have to do it again it'll be too soon. I have gone back and forth to two different bike stores 6 or 7 times, got sent the wrong parts in the mail, raged and ranted while trying to set up super fiddly crap. Ugh. I figured that others probably can feel my pain and thought I'd just put in a word for paying your friendly local bike shop and enjoying your weekend instead of busting your knuckles and fiddling with annoying junk! ok rant over.

smd4

Maybe this hobby isn’t for you. If you’ve got unlimited funds to spend on bike mechanics, go for it! I’m sure they’ll be happy to take your money!

Polaris OBark

Those things all seem fairly typical. Do you derive any joy from finally getting it to work?

Try to look at it like a thermodynamic state function. The end point is important; the path much less so.

Russ Roth

Research first, it saves time later.Also buy every tool you need as you need them. When you order a BB, look at any tools it may need and order the appropriate tool at the same time, less leg work and easier to fix or repair later. My bigger issue is tools walking off to I don't know where. Recently had to clean up the threads in a new bike crankarm, the tech who built it screwed up the pedal install and I could feel it taking the test ride pedals out. Looked everywhere the tap should have been, and just couldn't find it. I've been reorganzing the work space so I know they'll turn up at some point. In the meantime it was a good excuse to upgrade the one lame part on the bike and ditch the square taper, heavy FSA crankset. Replacement took all of 15 minutes already having a square taper crank puller, a shimano spline square taper bb tool, a shimano external cup/bearing bb tool, the tool for the plastic fixing bolt on the nondrive side, and a torque wrench with 4mm hex socket for the pinch bolts all sitting neat in the drawers where they belong. Tonight I swapped by daughter's track cog, probably all of 5 minutes with each tool ready to go.
Tools can be a big investment, I've got a few thousand in mine at least, and the moment I need a new one for whatever new job comes out, I don't hesitate, saves a lot of the struggle you dealt with.

Joe Remi

I enjoy it but don't fret, I was at RBW a few years ago and the boss told me it's not his thing, either..he works on the bikes cuz that's part of running the joint. He'd rather ride!

Bill Kapaun

Ignore list.

messmer777

Yeah I dont blame you, but I'm just blowing off steam: I used to enjoy wrenching on bikes and I guess I'm not as into it any more, I'd rather be out riding.

sapporoguy

This is how I feel about cars now.

Joe Remi

More accurately you may be fed up with the full build process, which is a whole bunch of work at once. I enjoyed building up my new Riv Custom a few years ago, but I was REAL clear on what I needed after many rounds of building up the same company's frames so it was pretty smooth. It sounds like that big project turned into a stops-and-starts headache for you and pissed you off. This happens!

Schweinhund

To each their own. I enjoy the process of building a bike. Doesn't matter if it's old parts creating something new, or new parts on something old.
My personal pinnacle is the first ride. I love it when it all comes together.

I'm doing this one today.

freeranger

As I've gotten older, I find I still enjoy working on our bikes, but don't think I want to build one up from scratch again. Think I'd rather start with a bike as close to what I want, then replace any parts that aren't what I wanted for what I do want. Probably less expensive that way also. And I may be surprised to find that the stock parts may be perfectly fine, and not need replaced after all.

canalligators

I think it depends a lot on how you work best. I like to get in project mode and peck away, systematically, until the project is done. It certainly is annoying to hit a snag. And if the only joy is getting it the hell over with, that’s no fun.

On the balance, though, I love fixing bikes, and building up something new is the most fun. I needed to adapt two bikes for touring (specific purposes) and it’s been so much fun that I’m doing a third.

But I agree on cars, they’re a real pain. You’ve got to be a damned contortionist, and they’re designed for fast assembly, not designed to be repairable.

Crankycrank

I don't love working on them either but when I consider the headaches of taking the bike to the shop (and having to give it a good cleaning beforehand) waiting for the service to get done, going back to the shop to pick it up and emptying my wallet not to mention not all shops have good mechanics it gives me some incentives to do my own work on pretty much everything in my life. It does get easier with experience too. With all the money I've saved over 55 years of doing most of my own work on the house, cars, bikes etc. I could buy a new car and have paid a year's rent on my apartment. Nothing wrong with taking it to the shop though if you really don't like it that much and as mentioned your helping employ a few people.

urbanknight

Some cyclists also like to tinker, some don’t.

georges1

That is true

andrewclaus

I helped train a retired auto mechanic to volunteer at a non-profit bike shop. During the first day he said, "You'd think this would be easy." He could rebuild transmissions, engine blocks and valve trains, but adjusting a front derailleur was beyond him (for the moment). It's just a new thing to learn. Some pick it up fast, some just never do.

I hate painting, and drywall work. Those skills helped pay my way through college. But I still do quite a bit of it. The goal now is to save money and remain self-sufficient. I've stopped roofing (and most other ladder work) for safety reasons. 65 year-old men really shouldn't be doing that.

GamblerGORD53

Defaileurs and grim brakes, no wonder you hate it. LOL.
TRP Spyre cable disc Rohloff14 and SA XL dyno drum brakes in front = ZERO fiddling.

SoSmellyAir

The key to enjoy tinkering is to have multiple bikes, so that there is always at least one to ride and one to tinker with.

The corollary to the above requires a hoard of spare parts, so that one can minimize rendering multiple bikes temporarily inoperable by swapping parts between operable bikes.

TiHabanero

An easy solution to this issue is to not have a bike with all the crap that has to be maintained. Single speed eliminates drive train adjustments. Coaster brake rear hub eliminates brake adjustments, and solid tires eliminates flats. See, easy peasy.

Kontact 

Given the Rivedell mission, what parts were super fiddly?

Chuck M 

I like working on bikes. Super fiddly crap may be your problem though. While I don't mind super fiddly, I don't like crap. Some people from church brought me their crap and I didn't enjoy the super fiddly crap or even the barely fiddly crap. The problem was the crap, not the fiddly.

delbiker1 

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with working on my bikes. I like it when all is going as expected, but, I have a tendency towards impatience, which becomes frustration, which means walk away and leave it for a while. I sure do like the feeling of accomplishment when all is finished and working as it should, and I like a clean, quiet bike. I am one that likes to tinker with my bikes, a lot of which either does not make much sense, or, just does not work as I hoped. I am doing less of that, more of sticking to what is necessary. I like riding bikes much more than working on them. To that end, I am now down to 5 bikes, from 8, and trying to get it down to 3. That is turning out to be more difficult than I anticipated, I really like all 5 that remain.

fooferdoggie 

I do some work but I don't have the tools to do everything or the space. at home my bikes have a shed and all work has to be done outside. I have a work stand at my shop at my work but that dos not work for our tandem at home. so some work I just take the tandem to the trek store as its less then a mile away.

squirtdad

First to each their own. and what works for them..... or as Grant would say Just Ride

in general I like working on bikes, and vs the cost and hassle and wait times of going to a bike shop, i pretty much do it my self

also a lot of shops don't rally know how to handle vintage stuff (even if the running gear is modern)

I did have a go to shop for things that i did not have tools for (i.e reaming and facing a bottom bracket when i had a frame with a super tight fit)....but they closed.

also it goes in cycles..sometimes I am motivated, some times I ride and some times I want a project.

long winded way to enjoy the ride no matter who mechanics

of course there is a consideration of N+1....more important if a shop can't get to your primary bike right away

Joearch

I get where OP is coming from. Love the design and engineering on bikes today. It does take a commitment to get the tools and expertise to do a comprehensive job. I find that simple maintenance is satisfying but every 2500 miles or so off to the mechanic pro who dials it back to near perfection. So sweet to have the feel of a tuned machine deep into a ride.