Learning to do it

[TrekDianna]

My LBS sent out an email and I jumped on it. They are having classes in tune-ups/maintenance. $75 covers 4 one hour classes and you bring in your own bike. I am really looking forward to it. It will make me feel much more confident when I am out on the trail knowing that I know what I am checking when I look at my bike and knowing how to make adjustments when needed.

The class will cover:

Inspection of frame, fork, wheels etc. for damage and wear.
Lubrication of cables, pivots, and chain.
Checking the drive train and suspension pivots for wear.
Cleaning and truing of wheels.
Adjustment of hubs, headset and bottom bracket.
Inspection of tires/tubes.
Adjustment of brakes.
Adjustment of shifting.
Securing all nuts and bolts

[goldfinch]

I did a Park Tool School class a few weeks ago. It had two sessions about three hours each. We covered some simple things like bike cleaning and tire changing, to the more complicated like setting limits on a derailleur, adjusting brakes, and taking off and changing cassettes and free wheels. Wheel truing was barely touched on. I feel like I should take the class again as there was so much crammed into a relatively short time period.

I am debating taking the sessions on bearing systems, including hubs, headsets and bottom brackets. This is in two four hour sessions. I already have repacked the hubs on my old schwinn and cleaned and repacked the bottom bracket so that experience should help.

The most valuable things for me in learning bike maintenance:

1. The class. Nothing beats hands on with an instructor there to answer questions.
2. Park Tool manual.
3. The right tools.
4. YouTube videos.
5. Message boards to ask questions that come up. Like what chain to use on a vintage 5 speed.

Bike school was a lot of fun. Enjoy yourself!