Self Tune-Up or Mechanic?
89
Member
873 days
Jetskr posted 44 weeks ago.
While I'm fairly mechanical, I go with a shop. For me the $125 for a complete overhaul is worth the time savings.
138
Member
393 days
dscf23 posted 44 weeks ago.
I won't allow for a major tune up to be done at a shop. Many mishaps. Only wheeld because of the time it take versus the amount of money they charge.
Daniel
Daniel
307
Member
526 days
J.Michael posted 44 weeks ago.
I let my local tri shop maintain my tri bike 100%. When I bought it, it came with lifetime warranty and maintenance. I buy or bring in parts and they put them on for free. All adjustments, bike fits, and warranty work is free. I trust my mechanic 100%. If he's good enough to wrench for the olympics and the US postal team, he's good enough for me.
My other bikes, however, I like to maintain personally. I love wrenching on stuff. I guess it comes from being a industrial maintenance technician years ago, fixing machines as big as small houses.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
— Winston Churchill
716
Member
669 days
CadenceGuy posted 44 weeks ago.
I work on my own rig. Its just easier and I know what Im up against.
408
Member
1250 days
kkocan posted 44 weeks ago.
Working on the bike= some nice quiet alone time in the garage with a beer or two.
________________________________________________
119
Member
976 days
bhanrah posted 44 weeks ago.
Anyone know a good mechanic in the maryland/DC area? I haven't been that happy with my LBS, which is probably why I do everything myself.
1288
Member
1558 days
PJT posted 44 weeks ago.
DIY for as much as possible for me. It's time consuming, but rewarding on many levels. Plus, it's tough to find a shop who will care about your bike quite as much as you do. Since I'm the one who has to ride it, I like to know for certain that it has been well-maintained, or exactly who to blame if it isn't. :)
2766
Member
1444 days
tri-ac posted 44 weeks ago.
i do cleaning, brake pad replacement, that sort of thing.
i'm otherwise in the dark and trust my lbs...quite frankly they're pretty cheap, if not free for adjustments...they're less cheap on the parts (unless they have them already in stock)
104
Member
338 days
f1oored posted 44 weeks ago.
I wrench all of my own bikes plus bikes for my entire family. I true wheels, adjust the drivetrain and brakes as needed, cleaning, greasing ect. If I can't fix something I'll run it in to the LBS but most of the time it's faster and cheaper to do it yourself.
“If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character...Would you slow down? Or speed up?” ~Chuck Palahniuk~
370
Member
427 days
Gsal posted 44 weeks ago.
i work at a bike shop so i just bring it there and work on it myself. If there's anything that i think i cant do on my own i just ask one of my coworkers to help me out. I think if you're a good mechanic by other people's standards then you can probably save yourself some money and do it yourself.
"You can never be too rich or too skinny."
-My doctor
434
Member
1163 days
fastdog5 posted 44 weeks ago.
Being fairly competent mechanically, I'd like to work on my own bikes...for those of you like myself who never worked in a bike shop, how did you learn how to work on derailleurs, wheels, etc? Trial and error? Seems like the "error" part could get expensive.
2807
Member
1686 days
Triguy98 posted 44 weeks ago.
I work on all my bikes. Only thing I dont mess with a whole lot is my rear suspension on my MTB- but thats just cause i havent had to on my new bike. I rebuilt my shock, changed the valving and tuned it. Had never done it before. There really isnt a whole lot of trial and error. Get a good book- like the Zin and the art of road or tri bike maintenance. It walks you through it all. The Park tools site rocks, too.
Get a work stand- it makes things that much easier. You can use a trainer in a pinch, too. Its just nice to have the back wheel off the ground and the bike stable when doing derailleur tune ups.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
361
Member
500 days
jwillia852 posted 43 weeks ago.
fastdog5 wrote:
how did you learn how to work on derailleurs, wheels, etc? Trial and error? Seems like the "error" part could get expensive.
Google it then do it... When you screw up, bring to bike shop to fix. Repeat.
Jeff
Do most of you do your own bike work or have it done at a shop?
Last year I did my own big tune-up (clean, cables, true wheels, etc...). Admittedly, my bike skills are mediocre at best and all self-taught. I was wondering if I should pony up and do 100% of my bike maintenance, which would include getting a few more tools, or have my yearly check done at a shop...
PS: My bike is in kind of bad shape right now :(