[Closed] Technically inept..

best advice I can give is to strip your bike down and rebuild from scratch (or build a new one from scratch). The only bit of bike building / maintenance I don't do myself is building wheels, and I'll be having a go at that myself next time

Save the money and get yourself a toolkit. Next time something goes wrong or needs replacing, look on the Park Tools site or You Tube and have a go at fixing it yourself. If you can't do it, take it to the bike shop for them to do.
This is how i've learned to do things. Only thing I don't have patience for is wheel truing, but the LBS only charges £10 for this anyway...

I know cyclewise at whinlatter used to do them, I'd not suggest stripping it down and rebuilding as your first go.

Look for a local shop that does the PARK Tool School, be a good start, they help with what tools and things to look for etc

Youtube is awesome for most stuff now, good set of tools and you are off. The thought is mostly worse than the actual reality as most things are quite simple, even wheelbuilding.

[url= http://www.ctc.org.uk/what-we-do/courses-training/maintenance-courses ]The CTC run some[/url]

[url= http://cycle-systems.co.uk/courses ]Cycle Systems Academy[/url] do the most basic course but i see it is £100, ask round your local bike shops as i imagine many will do something similar.

When i worked in the trade (so to speak) i used to run a basic maintenance course for dummies, involved a simple [i][b]M[/b][/i] bike check - called so because you start by examining the front tyre for inflation/splits/cuts etc then move up the bike in an [i][b]M[/b][/i] pattern so front tyre>wheel & hub>skewer>brakes>headset>handlebars>shifters>brake lever>grips down to BB>chainset>chain>pedals>front mech up to saddle>seat post down to rear brake>rear mech>rear wheel & hub>cassette>rear skewer>rear tyre and obviously check the cables & housings as you go along.

Also carried out simple maintenance tasks such as fitting brake blocks (disc brakes were another matter), splitting/joining a chain with quick links/correct lubrication of chain, cable & brake pad replacement for brakes/gear with theory + hands on practical maintenance/adjustment, headset adjustment, tyre fitting/puncture repair/tube replacement, presto/schrader valve explanation.

I imagine most large shops will have a similar course available - they will hopefully offer a basic but decent repair stand and selection of basic but functional tools to purchase along with the course.

Anything remotely difficult on a bike requires specific tools, that you're unlikely to be carrying with you on a tour. YouTube and the Park Tools website are a pretty good combination, and you get to practice with the tools you have on the bike that you have.

Do Evans still do monthly free sessions - they used to be on a Sunday I think? You took your own bike and they showed you how to do basic maintenance. No idea if it was any good, or if it still happens, though.

Videos and online guides are great for a problem you already have but probably not ideal for learning things in advance of a problem. I'm not generally a big fan of these courses but sometimes they're a good option

Spend £50 on a clunker of a bike off of that there ebay.

Take it apart, Try to put it back together again. if you can ride it without dying you've learnt pretty much everything you need to know....

(if not, you can probably sell the parts for £25 😉

I'm pretty bad too Nick - macpuppy will tell you some tales !! - and part of the reason for getting one, and now another, old bike off a mate was so I could faff about making mistakes and it wasn't the 'real' bike..

A list of things you might need to fix, and the tools (and spares) required would help as a start, just for your own peace of mind. I have an upper limit on what I reckon is reasonable to fix (which is low than many). Have built some wheels though.

For me the complexity of building (not repairing) a bike is getting the compatibility stuff - i.e. if I buy this brake, will it work with this lever and this hose/cable. Same for bottom brackets, MTB/road, for chain sets, for chains, shifters. No wonder I prefer SS 🙂

Chat up and LBS? go to a mate's with a bike and some beer and dismantle / re-assemble.. take a bag of bits and replace...

kcal - Member

For me the complexity of building (not repairing) a bike is getting the compatibility stuff - i.e. if I buy this brake, will it work with this lever and this hose/cable

Comes up if you're repairing with limited parts access too- you might have to bash a bike back into working order with whatever's to hand. Very useful stuff to know sometimes

You could do a course as mentioned above however it may be worth looking for a local cycling charity that does maintenance sessions. For instance, the Bike Station in Glasgow (and a few other places) runs evening classes which are much cheaper as well as Fix Your Own Bike sessions which will have a staff member or two around to lend a hand.

http://www.thebikestation.org.uk/evening-classes-glasgow/

That said, the knowledge depends entirely on the individuals experience, on rare occasions you get the keen but clueless types but usually they're on the ball (barring the guy who couldn't fathom why my headset race wouldn't fit till I discovered it was JIS which, to be fair, I hadn't heard of either).

Local-ish idea - Frodsham Bike Project would teach you for free in exchange for time donation or some old spares? Nice guy, got it going from scratch all this year. Have a look at facebook.