Quote Originally Posted by divingbiker View Post
I took a four-hour basic bike maintenance class today at the local REI. It turned into a 5 1/2 hour class, and was great. There were only three of us, all over 50, with a hybrid bike, my Rivendell Glorius, and a carbon road bike, so we learned about all types of components.

We took off the cranks and I removed and replaced my bottom bracket (it was bad).

We learned about hubs and wheels and trued the wheels that needed truing.

I replaced my rear derailleur cable and adjusted everything so it shifts great now.

I also replaced my front brake cable and brake pads and adjusted both the front and rear brakes.

And all throughout the class I was cleaning up all the filthy nooks and crannies on my bike. It looks and rides great now!

Despite having five bikes, I was, until today, quite ignorant about maintenance except for fixing flats and lubing the chain. I feel empowered now!

I'm sure REI's classes are very instructor-dependent, but this one was fantastic. I'm going to have to send a Starbucks gift card to the instructor.
That's great, DB. I'm glad you had such an informative class on bike maintenance. Being able to handle more critical bikes issues besides changing flats and lubing is extremely empowering. Good for you.