Well, I thought taking a bike maintenance 101 at a bike shop will help me make adjustments to my bike and just learn about bikes in general. It did not go so good later in the week when I tried to adjust it. Because my front derailer needed a slight adjustment since it kept on rubbing against the chain. So now I can't get the chain back on to the top chain ring and I don't know what to do now, easiest thing would be to go back to the bike shop but I'm still were I started, ignorant about my bike. Just incase it matters I have an 03 Allez Comp.
I took a Bike Maintanence 101 class this past Tuesday and it was very helpful. I don't really know if I remember it all and absorbed all the info fully 'cause it was a lotta info, but it was still great hearing about how to work on your bike. We learned about adjusting the front and rear derailers, how to change a tire, a little on brakes. I still don't know if I would work on my own bike, either. There is so much that I could do wrong...but who knows...
All in all, I'm glad I took the class:) I will definitly take another class to get more comfortable with trying to work on my bike.
check the limit screws
The limit screws are the one's that messed me up, so I don't know basically how to start all over, how to troubleshoot the darn thing. Where do I have to set the chain etc, anything would help!
The whole level screw thing can be a pain to figure out. I didn't get a good handle on it until I worked at a shop for a while and had it explained over and over.
There are only a couple of simple tips I can give.
Be patient. Use samll turns and check the progress each time. Watch the derailleur carefully you can usually see it move a tiny bit as you turn the screw ( even after working in a shop I stil have to do this to make sure I'm moving it the right way). And check the manufacturer's instructions (ususally posted on the website).
And if all else fails find a shop that wil show you how to do it. A good shop should take a few minutes to show basic things to regular customers at no charge. (OK maybe not at Noon on a Saturday during the summer, but you get the idea).
Good luck.