In response to the lbs thread, one of the ways in which lbs’s will survive is in offering mechanical services.

Being a practical person and not afraid to have a go, there is virtually nothing mechanical on my bike that I would not have a go at myself. The exceptions being perhaps wheel building and suspension cartridge servicing. Anything else is pretty logical and there is no shortage of guides online.

So how many people regularly use bike mechanics and what stops you having a go yourself?

I do most of my own stuff, never taken my bike in for a service. Wouldn’t do forks or frame bearings as I’d be able to cock it up and be left with a trashed frame, but i’d be happy to change pretty much everything else.

I only use bike mechanics for suspension servicing beyond an oil/ seal change and for wheel building (new wheels).
if I could find someone who I trusted to bleed my brakes I would get them to do that as I HATE bleeding them because of the mess.

Nothing stops me having a go myself. None of mine or my bros bikes have sealed damper units in the forks, so the only thing that I wont cant do myself due to tools is servicing rear shocks.

I do everything myself including servicing forks, bleeding brakes and so on. a mate builds wheels. not done a rear shock yet because i havnt needed to, yet! The only reason i would think about using a lbs would be because i didn’t have the correct tool, (bb thread for example) but tbh i would rather just buy the tool myself.

Shocks have been to TF and Mojo in the past…
That’s it, everything else I know I can do for myself so why pay for someone to do it for me…

I’m tempted to have a go at doing my DHX next time it needs doing actually, found the instructions online, it’s not very complex really….

I really dislike the idea of being at the mercy of someone elses mechanical abilities TBH…

I use them for wheel building/big straightening, and for anything involving a stupidly expensive tool, and for some fork work- repairs really, I do basic services myself.

Same as with the car really…

Same as with the car really…

Yeah, after bleeding several sets of bike brakes, I thought nothing of changing the scored discs on my car and the pads. Simple. There seems to be some sort off inbuilt terror about fiddling with car brakes but so long as you are sensible and follow instructions, what could possibly go wrong? 🙂