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bike maintenance

[8|] can anyone recomend a good idiots guide to bike maintainance? if pushed i could prob change a tire but thats it! really want to be able to sort my own gears out without having to take bike to shop etc (i am useless) thanks

Comments

  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    Unless you are naturally 'handy" forget about it and leave it to the experts. Would you have someone who got a good book service your car, would you fly in a plane that was maintined by a guy who read a good book? You will race and train on your bike and therefore your performance and life depends on it working properly.
  • zinn and the art of road bike maintenance is good . If you can afford it you could always do a maintenance course . Edindurgh bicycle cooperative do some £16 for half day basic or £45 for full day intensive (they do a womens only one aswell ) . They have shops in aberdeen , edinburgh , leeds , manchester and newcastle .
  • bonkerbonker Posts: 13
    How to maintain a woman for £45 --sounds like a bargain.





    Boom boom
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    Keep'em coming bonker, that really was making me laugh out loud [:D][:D][image]http://forum.220magazine.com/micons/m6.gif[/image].



    Just keep it to the small maintenance, let the bigger things be done in the shop. A porshe should not be looked after by a Lada-mechanic. ( I know I hurt some Lada-drivers feelings now, but you should get the point[:)]).
  • TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
    Dont worry I'm sure Lada drivers are used to the insults. My teacher at school had 6. now that is obsession. Even then, when I was about 8 we used to take the piss out of him for it, I'm not sure I had any real idea what a Lada was, but i knew I had to laugh at anybody who owned a lada or a skoda. Don't you just love kids?!?



    Sorry, that was a tad off topic, although I agree with what benny said, leave the big things to people who know about it. Or as the other suggested a course is always a good idea.
  • ashthetashashthetash Posts: 164
    I agree that some things are best left to the professionals but that said an understanding of how things work and how to make most of the basic adjustments and fix some of the more basic problems can be invaluable when things go wrong and you are 20K from home. Not least that understanding may help you decide whether or not to ride the bike slowly home or reach for the phone and settle in to wait for assistance.



    There are a number of useful sites full of information for specific problems out there. a little time with google will track them down. I always tend to start with the Sheldon Brown site but it is not always the easiest to navigate around.
  • AgnessAgness Posts: 27
    [8|] Thanks for the responce[:)], think will do a bike maintanance course & buy a book. Fell out with my boyfriend for a few days & my gears knackered up! Then i realised just how much i need him. Also had to clean my own bike! Hope he doesent read this post!
  • pacmanpacman Posts: 109
    How to maintain a boyfriend....?
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    ....and does it cost less than £45?
  • How to maintain a boyfrien?



    Keep his belly full and his bollards empty!!!
  • transittransit Posts: 163
    I think it is excellent that you want to maintain your own bike. I can't believe people are comparing it to car maintenance or planes?! It is not that complicated. Sure, you need to be confident with what you are doing but you will be by doing exactly what you are doing. If your b/f knows how to do it too he can give your work the once over if you're not quite sure. There will be alot of things you can't do but loads you can too.



    One of the best websites is Park Tools. They make a wide range of products and in support of this they have online instructions on how to perform repairs. Also, as mentioned before, Sheldon Brown is brilliant and the Zinn book is the bible of bike maintenance.



    If you have any other problems then ask on here or possibly a more bike focussed forum like bikeradar where they have a tech/maintenance section.







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