I wanted to learn how to do it myself but really I’ve just taken ages, ballsed it up and it’s probably cost me more *sob*

That’s how you get good at something! By being a bit shit at it and carrying on anyway until you get better at it.

I’m pretty good at fixing bikes nowadays as a rule, but it wasn’t always that way, and there’s a long history of mangled parts and silly mistakes that I got through to get here. Anyone, shop spannermonkeys included, who claims that they’ve never knackered the odd bit of a bike whilst learning something occasionally is flat out lying. The only difference with shop lads is that they get paid to make their mistakes on other people’s bikes… 😉

I’ve just finished replacing the groupset on the wife’s winter bike. It took just under an hour to strip the old stuff off, another hour to thoroughly clean the stripped frame and then a total of 3-4 hours to rebuild including bar tape and mudguards (rim brakes though).

Issues were that wiggle didn’t seem to think that a 105 groupset should include a front mech, so I had to wait for them to send one, I had to pop out for outer cables as I didn’t have any I could use, the rear calliper didn’t fit the frame so I needed to bodge it a bit with part of the old brake and then I had to actually read the instructions for the new 105 front mech as things seem to have changed since my day – sticky bits for the frame, random, adjustment screws and a strange plastic tool for seeing which way the cable should go?!?

Anyway OP, music on, tea/beer to hand and just enjoy the process. Think how much better will you understand your bike now.

As an ex bike mechanic I would say about an hour for the drivetrain and then an hour for each brake including the bar tape.

Internal cabling is either easy or a right faff. The trick is to use the old cables to pull the news through. Hydraulics can be more of a challenge. Taping the hoses to the old cables can work. It helps if the plastic cable guides can be removed from the frame.

Now as a DIY mechanic I don’t care as I enjoy it so much more. Unless my mate has just rolled up with a car full of bike bits he wants me to fit 10 minutes before a ride! Take your time and watch some youtube videos if you get stuck.

An hour if the hydraulic cabling is internal & all the parts were at hand/rotors & wheels straight & i didn’t have to stop to serve customers/answer the phone etc

I love bar taping

Me too 🙂

Answering a different question, for me the key to getting RS685s bled was some sharp pushes of the syringe attached to the caliper. I could push fluid back and forth through the system all day long with no bubbles, but a sharp push on the syringe dislodged lots of trapped air.

Taping the hoses to the old cables can work

See you come to about the right tools? Park Tool have an internal cable routing kit. Makes things a lot easier.

hour for each brake

Really? Again, the right tools make it so much easer. SRAM make a hose cutter and a tool to push the barb/insert in, and the proper Shimano bleed funnel is indespensible but it’s not hard to bleed them from empty. Usually takes two goes. If they arrive fully bled then you shouldn’t have to rebleed after cutting the hoses.

Thanks for the moral support and practical advice on bleeding and front mechs.

No wonder I couldn’t get the fd to work quickly… I too didn’t bother to read the manual either.