brucelee

Today we’re going to talk about the guy that owns this bike, the scourge of the professional bicycle mechanic. A man that doesn’t care what happens to his bike or his mother. A godless man who tips 4% and eats the last cookie without even asking.
The most uninterested man in the world.
He doesn’t always clean his bike, but when he does, he throws it in the ocean and waits for it to wash back to shore.

I want to make a case for working on your own bike. At least give it a try!
I jotted down some other reasons in a recent blog article, you can find it here if you feel like an informational laugh.

Keep the rubber side down! Cheers!

ovoleg

I'm 70/30. 70% work on my own stuff, 30% bike shop. Depends on how much time I have to mess with it myself.

Things I do myself:
swap cranks
swap pedals
adjust brakes
cassette change
chain install
change chainrings
etc

I am moron when it comes to adjusting the derailleurs so I ALWAYS take that to the shop.
I aint cutting no steerer tube myself.

link0

I do about 98% and let the shop handle the 2% that requires tools that I don't have.

My bike tools consist of a $150 tool kit from bikeisland.com

Seattle Forrest

I'm sorry, but your movies are overrated.

copswithguns

I do 90% of mine.

Derailleur adjustments
Brake install/adjustments
Chain install/cleaning/etc
Swap Pedals/Cassettes/Cranks

I don't have a wheel truing stand so I go to the shop for that.

cerealkilla

I'll do everything but BB replacement and anything that requires a pressing tool.

MagicHour

In my 20 years or so on/off again cycling I've found LBS mechanics in NYC can be hit or miss. For example-I just recently picked up my bike and had crank arm fall off 1/2 block from shop; so switched to another shop they neglected to resize chain after a crank/cassette change and also gave me back my bike covered with greasy fingerprints. These are just recent experiences. Of course there's been good experiences too, but mostly this has left a bad taste in my mouth and tends to make me distrustful of LBS mechanics.

The good news is from each of these %&% ups I've bought the tools and taught myself how to properly do that particular repair.
I just built up a new bike last week and feel like I have a good handle now on the basics of modern road bike mechanics - Hollowtech II cranks, torque specs for carbon fiber, cutting steerer, derailleur set up etc. I did need help from the LBS for one task and that was setting the crown race on fork as I didn't have tool - cost me $5.

So I say learn some basic repair mechanics! - it's nice to know when riding around what's going on with bike and what bearings are where etc.

Vicegrip

100% do my own work from tuning drive trains to wheels. Have built up a good set of bike specific tools over time. I have a good place to work and I get a tool to do the job if needed rather than pay for the work. Most recent addition was a kit for bleeding brakes on the 29er. Only time I have taken a bike to the shop was for a rear wheel that kept coming out of true on a new bike. They ended up replacing the wheel after trying a few times.

Gatorfreak

If I can (or think I can) do it myself, I do. That's about 95% of things. Usually I figure driving to and from the LBS will take more time than just doing it myself. Same goes for non-bike stuff. I change the oil on my cars because it takes less time than going somewhere to have it done. But I pay a neighborhood kid to mow my lawn because I hate that $4!t.

cycledogg

I do 100% of my maintenance on bikes. Have been for over 15 years. Pop into my LBS from time to time just to shoot the BS and purchase an item to keep a good rep with the folks for new bike buys.
Cheers

carpediemracing 

I used to work in, then manage, then own an LBS, over the course of 15 years or so. Therefore I tend to do things myself, and in fact I've sometimes volunteered my time to help out at shops.

I don't own frame cutting tools, meaning things like reamers and such, and so I paid a shop to do that stuff. I bought the cutting blades since the shop didn't have them ($300? for two blades), the owner did the work.

The rest of it is pretty straight forward, at least on a road bike without Di2 or hydraulics, so what I know applies virtually all the time.

To put things in relative terms I usually do the car brakes (pads or/and rotors), oil changes, install/remove the snow tire package (and actually install tires when I lived closer to my friend that has the tire mounting and balancing machines), etc. I don't do timing belts. I've done axles, regular belts, some other stuff.

carpediemracing 

Also I try to share what I do so that other people can learn. It seems that the things I link to most are how to do handlebar tape, how to clean the whole bike, and how to clean the drivetrain.

Walter

I tend to work on my single speeds, retrofriction and etc. bikes about 100% at home. Modern drivetrains and I just don't seem to understand each other so I'd say it's about 50-50 for modern multi-geared bikes.

Scooper

I do virtually all the work myself on my own bikes. Over the years, I've bought tools as needed and now have a pretty complete tool inventory.

ls01

I do all my own work. I build my own wheels, assemble my bikes from parts. I can't remember the last time someone else worked on one of my bikes.

bgrider

Experiences like Vicegrip's have led me do what Magichour does. I've let the lbs do things I did not have the tools for and had to fix what they did. Most recent: New bike has a press fit bb - I dont have press fit tools. I had an occasiona clicking noise in the BB, took it in for BB service. Got it back with a continious creaking - problem: one crank bolt was over torqued, the other loose. Next time I will get the tools and do it my self. (For a bit of humor - after I fixed the creaking due to the improperly torqued crank, I discovered the clicking noise that was coming from the BB was occuring while I was WALKING AROUND THE GARAGE IN MY BIKE SHOES! Seems the unused cleat thread was moving around in the sole. I'm sure you have been there and done that.) Regardless, not tightening the crank properly is just not acceptable and next time I'll do it my self.

Good riding (and wrenching) to all of you!

Homebrew01

Another do-it-yourselfer. Done pretty much everything, including framebuilding (steel & aluminum) except carbon layup.

primov8

DIY'er here. The only thing I haven't done is build up and true a wheelset. The last DIY project I had was drilling (3) holes on the De Rosa to accommodate internal EPS wiring, along with modding the EPS battery bottle cage holders to fit them differently on both bikes.

BR46

I do all my own work.

billnuke1 

I do all my own work, too!

RJM

I do my own, but generally buy wheels from the professionals.

SSRI

almost all work
except for a few areas
would like to learn
wheel building. ( got a video VHS from performance a lot of years ago but haven tried it)
frame prep, ( no reaming tool)

just pick up a 1" 24 tpi thread die with handle
going to try to extend a thread on an old fork.

Homebrew01

Use cutting oil, or at least some kind of oil.
1/4 turn cut, back off to cut the chip, repeat......

Smokehouse

I've never built a bike...but I have done all of the changes/adjustments on my own. I download a user manual and do my best. I bought a good torque wrench and some other tools. I do need a set of chain tools and a good bike stand though.

last night is got pretty "courageous" and swapped from 105 to Ultegra brakes. That was the first time doing that.

if I ever have to do any BB work, I'll leave that to my LBS I think...

Kuotient

Since I work at a bike shop...I take my bikes to the LBS and work on them there =P Towels, grease, and lube galore!