Playing With Grease

I tend to be the kind of person that wants to know EVERYTHING I possibly can about any hobby I have. This can be a blessing and a curse since I have many interests. Currently I've been spending the majority of my time learning about bike maintenance. Sure you could take your bike to the shop every time you need a tune up or something fixed, but how much better would it be to know how to fix things yourself? If this isn't something that interests you, think about the headache you'd save if you had problems with your bike in the middle of a ride miles from your home or a bike shop.

Here's how I learned what I know so far:

1. Get your hands on a manual. If you don't know what all the parts on a bike are and have never done any bike maintenance before I suggest starting by reading The Chainbreaker Bike Book. It gives you a good foundation of what constructs a bike. In other words you'll be able to name more than just the top tube, saddle, etc. Even if you do know what makes up a bike, it's a great manual on how to do your own adjustments and overhauls. I read through it once in order to wrap my head around all the parts and different tools involved. Then, I read it again to focus more on the maintenance aspect of the manual. There are plenty of other manuals that are much more in depth and are used by professional mechanics, but this is a great one to start with so you don't get too overwhelmed.


2. See it with your own two eyes. I found some helpful videos on Bicycle Tutor. You can post any questions that seem unanswered in the video.


3. Check out Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info. We are lucky to have such a great resource. The site's a little hard to navigate at times, but it contains a wealth of information.


4. Get your hands dirty! I just started the tune up process today (I plan on completing a full overhaul). I'll be posting rough maintenance guides as I learn.

A word on tools: They add up! So if you have friends that want to work on bikes as well it might be a good idea to start a tool share and split the cost. If you just want enough to take on your rides to make sure you can make it from point A to point B just get yourself a multi tool that includes metric allen keys, and a flathead and phillips screwdriver. And don't forget tire levers, a tube patch kit, and a pump.