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View Full Version : Learned more today than I ever thought...



jenmel
08-31-2009, 12:18 PM
So, I decided that instead of spending $$$ to my LBS for a tune up and cleaning, I'd learn how to do it myself. I have a mountain bike that I'm using for my first triathlon in 2 weeks, so I'm trying to get it ready to go. I swapped out the MTB tires and put road tires and new tubes on it last week, and figured out how to change tires.

So, this week, I cleaned my chain and gears, relubed it all. Wow - what a difference. My brakes had been squeaky, so I cleaned and adjusted them, and then I started playing with the adjustments for the gears. In the process, I lost a bunch of gears and had to figure out how to get them back. The good news is that I figured it out, all by myself, and feel pretty good about the whole thing.

Thank goodness for the internet, or I probably would have been in trouble, but the resources are great, and very helpful to the newbie cyclist. Now, if I like this triathlon stuff, I may be looking at a road bike next year... ;)

dianne_1234
08-31-2009, 01:59 PM
Way to go! I love that feeling of accomplishment. Also makes me feel like I can rely more on my own bike and trust that it'll get me home again! The nice thing about bikes is it's all more or less visible - I can see what's sposed to happen if I look long enough.

AndiXT
09-03-2009, 12:43 PM
Are there particular resources that you found helpful? I need to do this also. My road bike's chain is skipping and when I just adjusted the barrel roller, I made it worse :eek:

li10up
09-24-2009, 07:58 AM
FYI - bicycletutor.com has some really good videos on bicycle repair and maintenance.

wildeny
09-24-2009, 03:41 PM
Besides the bicycletutor.com, you can also check out Park Tool's Repair Help (http://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp).

OakLeaf
09-24-2009, 03:47 PM
If you have Shimano components, they have installation and adjustment instructions for all their components on their website.

And Sheldon Brown's site, although much of it is dated. RIP.

brewer
10-07-2009, 05:23 AM
I like the online resources, but sometimes it's also useful to have a book in hand. I use and recommend Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance (there's also a mountain bike-specific version). I find his blown-apart drawings and writing style to be very helpful.

I also ask lots of questions at our LBS.

...oh, and Malkin bought me the most fab bag of tools for my birthday.

Cheers!