there seem to be a fair few people on here who really enjoy bike maintenance and even some who seem to prefer it to riding.

Am I the only one who gave up enjoying it years ago and spec my bikes to suit.

I don't mind paying more if it means less work in the long run ie CK headsets, yes I could buy 4 cheapies but someone (me) would have to change them when they packed up or worse still service them 🙄

I confess to preferring tinkering to even riding much of the time.

depends on the bike ….

race bike gets what ever is lighter and strong …. durability not so much of an issue – dont mind servicing it loads

my general riding bike is SS and has pretty maintainance free stuff on it

I'm with Stoner. I like a good tinker.

I don't particularly like tinkering, but I like even less being dependant on a bike shop to do things. Learning new things is always good being able to do trailside repairs is quite useful.

Tinkering is good for the soul

besides, every time the best bike gets a new crankset or similar the old parts needs to be trickled down to the others.

I've just spent all afternoon tinkering 🙂

But the I ride loads too. Bikes are now *almost* how I want them to be…

Tinker to ride ratio 50/50. Love em both.

Love to tinker.

Now I've learnt about bottom up bleeding (it itches) I'm going to give that a go.

I've built 3 different hard tails in 7 or 8 months. I get bored easily and start again. Going to try and make the mmmbop a keeper though.

I do enjoy riding them just as much though. 🙂

another vote for tinkering. I've only come to the computer now to get some small parts for my fettling.

I spent ages fiddling with the bike this afternoon & all I ended up doing was fitting some new bars, grips & rear pads.

I find it quite therapeutic (when it goes roughly according to plan).

Tinkering is a nice antidote to my non-manual work, and learning to do something practical at long last in my little life feels good. I don't get it right all the time, of course…. but at least the breakages will be my fault and not the LBS's. I do sometimes treat the bikes to a proper mechanic though but even they aren't perfect, so I don't feel so bad about the odd foul up.

I'll tell you something….letting a bikeshop do anything on my bike would be like letting another bloke have a go on my missus…..its never knowingly going to happen 😀

😆 Liam; that's a classic! Love it.

My LBS's all suck so i build and do all my maintenance,The only thing i dont do is wheel building,I have a pretty good selection of tools and i work for an engineering company so its all good.

I like it to a point. If things keep going wrong I just get pissed off. If its just the occasional "tune up" I don't mind. I hate faffing with gears – have considered going singlespeed so many times due to crappy gears! Don't really like bleeding brakes either but my local shop charges £15 a brake which I think is a rip off.

I used to love it, build up all my bikes and serviced forks, built wheels etc. But now I'd rather pull my own testicles off than strip a bike down and rebuild it.

Not that keen on riding either as it happens

I'm an inveterate tinkerer. In fact it's getting to the point where it is virtually an OCD !

From deciding to have only one do-it-all bike a few years ago it's gradually got back up to errrrr…….several! They are all different and all absolutely necessary, although I am finding it hard to justify the fatfixieflatbarjumpframed creation that rose from the 'fat bike' thread a couple of days ago 😳