# Bike tuning for beginner?



## InvisibleRider (Nov 17, 2011)

I bought my first road bike couple of months back and now that the weather is finally warming up a little, I try to ride more and more.

I bought the bike used and I would say it would have been quite a time that the guy had tuned so should I take it to the LBS or buy some lubricants and do it at home?

Thanks in advance !


----------



## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

InvisibleRider said:


> I bought my first road bike couple of months back and now that the weather is finally warming up a little, I try to ride more and more.
> 
> I bought the bike used and I would say it would have been quite a time that the guy had tuned so *should I take it to the LBS or buy some lubricants and do it at home?*
> 
> Thanks in advance !


I think the answer primarily depends on what the bike needs, its overall mechanical condition and your (mechanical) ability and willingness to work on it. If it's shifting ok and just needs the chain lubed or a minor cable adjustment to fine tune there are a number of resources to show you how, including this forum. 

OTOH, if it's something a little more involved (slow shifting due to cable resistance, as one example) honing in on the cause(s) can be tricky and requires some level of experience, so for that you might want to tap a reputable LBS.

Since you purchased the bike used, maybe consider bringing it to the LBS for a general assessment and go from there, deciding what (if any) services they can perform.

Longer term, if possible, I think it's a big plus for cyclists to learn how to work on their bikes. Even with an investment in stands, tools, etc., you'll save not only money, but time and 'downtime' waiting for your LBS to service your bike. The work stand and tools I purchased back around 1990 have paid for themselves many times over.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I like parktool.com. Pictorial instructions for pretty much every task on a bike.

I was looking for an introductory article about maintenance but didn't find one. I like to keep my chain clean and I relubricate as needed, which usually means every few rides in the winter and every month or so in the summer.


----------



## Stockli Boy (Jun 17, 2002)

"Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance" will get you through most projects. It's a good book, updated regularly, and worth the $25. You'll spend more on tools, but approaching a bike with a beer and a wrench will be less scary.


----------



## InvisibleRider (Nov 17, 2011)

Zinn and the art of road bike maintenance is indeed a good comprehensive book.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Anything related to bike tuning can be found on You Tube. As well as various web sites like the Park Tool site a poster mentioned; also these:
http://www.bikewebsite.com/index.htm
http://powerranchbicyclecompany.com/?page_id=114


----------



## velocanman (Jul 15, 2011)

I agree with all the posts above--there are a lot of good references on the web for specific tasks, from cleaning a chain to building a wheel. 

I use the same philosophy as with my automobiles and consult several references. I use both the Zinn and Park books.

When in doubt, look it up, and ask here on the forums if you can't find the answer. Good luck!

I think it was Robin Williams that said "the most expensive bike I own was the one I build myself. I bought everything twice after screwing it up the first time." Know when to consult the pros if you don't have the right tools or are uncomfortable or just want to throw them some bones.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

velocanman said:


> I agree with all the posts above--there are a lot of good references on the web for specific tasks, from cleaning a chain to building a wheel.
> 
> I use the same philosophy as with my automobiles and consult several references. I use both the Zinn and Park books.
> 
> ...


Robin Williams is a cool guy. There was a cyclist cruising through Robin Williams neighborhood but didn't know he lived there. The guy's bike breaks, he sits down near a driveway, the driveway to Mr Williams house. Being unable to fix the bike the guy starts walking his bike down the road when he hears a man cry out to stop and asked if he could help him fix the bike. The bike guy turns around to see Mr Williams standing there! The bike guy goes back and Williams takes him to his large garage and actually tries to fix the bike for the guy! After failing to repair the bike Williams tells the guy to chose another bike from his large stable!! So the guy leaves with a different bike which was a bit better then his that broke. I heard this story direct from the bike shop who had a club the rider belonged to...so I think it could be true.


----------



## neoprocyclist (Feb 6, 2012)

AndrwSwitch said:


> I like parktool.com. Pictorial instructions for pretty much every task on a bike.
> 
> I was looking for an introductory article about maintenance but didn't find one. I like to keep my chain clean and I relubricate as needed, which usually means every few rides in the winter and every month or so in the summer.


I second that - personally find it to be one of the best.

P.S. Also check out Sheldon Brown


----------



## velocanman (Jul 15, 2011)

I forgot to mention specifically to check the component manufacturer web sites for installation instructions and spec sheets. I know from experience that the SRAM and Shimano manuals are good. And you usually don't get them when you buy a bike anymore.

Sent from my HTC Incredible using TapaTalk.


----------



## Rad Fondo (Feb 7, 2012)

Cant post links yet so search Park Tool, Shimano, SRAM, etc... Use the word Tech in the search and you will get more info than you ever wanted.

Watch the videos several times before picking up that screwdriver. It is really a matter of paying attention.

Good luck!


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Here's the Park Tool repair site: Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog


----------



## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

not to minimize the skill level of bicycle mechanics, professional or amateur, but generally speaking most parts of the bicycle are relatively simple (compared to cars or motorcycles) so if you have some mechanical aptitude, there are very few maintenance or repair jobs that you can't do yourself. the cost of bicycle specific tools is usually the main obstacle to entry into DIY bike mechanicry. it's something you can teach yourself with the help of a few good websites and some patience.

Still, the low cost of dropping it off at the LBS and having a pro do the work should also make it an easy alternative to struggling with something and it's always worth your while.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Actually the price of bicycle tools don't need to overbearing. I work on my own cars, especially the older ones, and I work on my bikes, all the tools I ever bought were bought as they were needed not in some sort of kit. Thus I don't have tools that I never would use and waste money buying. So all the bike tools I have I bought piece by piece over the years as the need arose. Don't forget too that some bike repairs can be done with just common household tools you probably already have, so why buy expensive tool kits only to get some tools you may already have? Or buy a tool kit that comes with tools that are for repairs beyond one's capability thus again you have tools you'll never use.

For some rare repairs, like fork replacement where you, or I, would need to buy a crown race setter and remover and a starnut driver, and a cutting guide, is just something I've never had to do for a bike thus I don't have those tools. Since that kind of work I may only have to do once in my lifetime, if ever, I would just take the bike to my LBS and have them do it, it would be cheaper and have no expensive learning mistakes then by doing it myself.


----------



## bezog (Feb 20, 2012)

Check to see if your city has a bike collective or something similar. We have a non-profit here in town that works on restoring bikes to get out into the community. They also, for $5 an hour, will teach you how to work on your own bike to maintain it. Its great.


----------



## rose.johnp (Jul 20, 2011)

The bike shops in my area have lost my total trust and confidence. So over the years I've learned to do all my own wrenching- and have invested in all the tools. Everyone had great advice: Parktool, Zinn, Sheldon Brown, YouTube and of course RBR- I use them all. I reference them all when doing something new. I take a lot more pride in my bikes knowing I fix/maintain them and comfort knowing some monkey at the bike shop isn't over charging me for something I'm perfectly capable of doing myself.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

rose.johnp said:


> The bike shops in my area have lost my total trust and confidence. So over the years I've learned to do all my own wrenching- and have invested in all the tools. Everyone had great advice: Parktool, Zinn, Sheldon Brown, YouTube and of course RBR- I use them all. I reference them all when doing something new. I take a lot more pride in my bikes knowing I fix/maintain them and comfort knowing some monkey at the bike shop isn't over charging me for something I'm perfectly capable of doing myself.


Exactly; today's information available on the web can take you from the most simplest of repairs like fixing a flat which anyone who rides a bike needs to know at least how to do, to fixing really complicated stuff like cutting and installing steer tubes, all one has to do is decide how complicated you want to get with the abilities you have. 99% of problems that occur on bikes are everyday are simple mechanical repairs or adjustments, there is no rocket science involved, and all the web sites mentioned above makes it real clear how to perform whatever task your wanting to do.

If you have the money and time some LBS's offer Park training classes, usually once a year, that will take you from basic repairs to fork cutting to wheel building; I think there are 5 classes but I could be wrong, but I know you can take whatever class you want and skip others, or take them all and get a Park degree.


----------



## 1bamafan14 (Jan 24, 2012)

When I bought my first bike I tinkered with it myself until I completely screwed it up and had to take it to a bike shop and pay them $100 bucks to get it right again. I am mechanically inclined, however, bike wrenching is more about finess and feel than anything else. Two things I am deficient in. If you are like me the LBS route is best.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

1bamafan14 said:


> When I bought my first bike I tinkered with it myself until I completely screwed it up and had to take it to a bike shop and pay them $100 bucks to get it right again. I am mechanically inclined, however, bike wrenching is more about finess and feel than anything else. Two things I am deficient in. If you are like me the LBS route is best.


Actually screwing something up the first time is not uncommon. I have a few classic cars I work on and I work on my bikes, but I'm not real mechanically inclined myself. I learned by screwing up!! I wouldn't look at one screw up as big deal by any means, just try try again till you get it right...if you so desire that is. I even take my bikes in once every 5 maybe 6 years to have everything checked over to make sure I haven't missed something, and they go through a complete cleaning and re-greasing; for me it's worth it, they don't charge a whole lot to do that so once every 5 or 6 years is not a big deal expense wise. The biggest problem with taking the bike in is finding a good mechanic to work on it.


----------



## CF Sierra (Mar 3, 2012)

yep, definitely do your own work. its much more satisfying knowing you did the work and then you know exactly what work was done and to what level of detail.

I've been riding bikes since I was a kid but never really worked on them much 'cause I didn't have the "bicycle" tools. I recently decided to do something about that and got a nice tool kit and replaced my whole drive train, derauleur cables/housing and fd along with my pivot bearings (mtb). all in all it was pretty easy, learned a ton, and had some fun!

sometimes the best way to learn is just dive right in and do it. as someone said above, bikes are relatively simple machines. just take pics of something before you tear it apart incase you forget how it was put together. 

have fun!


----------



## horvatht (Feb 27, 2012)

Is it possible to adjust shift quickness on right side SRAM shifter?


----------

