How would you rate your mechanical skills?

flickerx

Just curious as to what people's level of repair skills are here, and whether they go to the shops first for repairs rather than have a shot at fixing things up themselves.

blorg

I'm very good at stripping threads, if anyone needs some threads stripped then I'm yer man.

emty

I usually give it a go myself- and then end up bringing it to the LBS to get it done properly

short circuit

Punctures, brake pads ... can do myself ... punctures ... I can even fix in heavy rainfall ... does that give me extra points ...

Apart from that ... if my rear wheel seizes, I just buy a new pair from Tiny ..

And when the chain needed cleaning, I bought a new bike from planetx

So ... anyone need me to fix anything on their bike ...

penexpers

The only thing I can't do properly is wheelbuilding.

mikemac

Hopeless, I pay my lbs to puncture repair and fit things like cycle computers
I've never fixed a puncture.

I'll learn soon though, bought a set of tyres and gonna try to fit them myself

Gavin

I think I'm fairly shit hot at the bike mechanics

Caroline_ie

Gavin wrote: »

I think I'm fairly shit hot at the bike mechanics

EEeeeeerrrrrrrrr is that a trowel mixed with your tools? ... Do you plaster your bikes often ...?

RobFowl

Beer/hammer/Trowel/Bike
not a great mix

kenmc

RobFowl wrote: »

Beer/hammer/Trowel/Bike
not a great mix

Thats not a trowel, don't ye know anything about DIY? That's a scraper. Handy bit of kit in the toolbox for picking your mates up off the road.
And at least it's a decent beer too, bonus points for that!

colblimp

I like the speakers next to the telly - nice...:D

Funkyzeit

Ok - so who are my comrades at "Non-Existant"?. I even had to get my pregnant wife to set up my turbo trainer for me

Karma

who is Royston Brady?
Gav, the is the only setup, do you talk to yor bikes about the hammer just being there for moral support- have a varied selection of them for all bike work


needless to say, you get/have to to break a lot of bike bits and bikes to learn

72hundred

Gavin wrote: »

I think I'm fairly shit hot at the bike mechanics

Love the fact that there's a bottle of beer open in the second pic! An essential piece of kit.

scottreynolds

kenmc wrote: »

Thats not a trowel, don't ye know anything about DIY? That's a scraper.

I'm happy some one else mentioned that.... its show the level of mechanical skills here

I'll try anything, just build a bike from scratch, not the wheels, with little problem. For my good bike, where I'm not 100%, I'll take to the shop. e.g. My headsets seems to be sticking so its off for someone else to look at it.

P.S. If anyone works on a bike shop let me know as I need to avoid that one.

P.P.S -- I'm happy to try to fix anyones elses bike.

flickerx

72hundred wrote: »

Love the fact that there's a bottle of beer open in the second pic! An essential piece of kit.

Except for the fact its a Coopers dark stout, that stuff is rotten. The pale ale is OK.

flickerx

short circuit wrote: »

And when the chain needed cleaning, I bought a new bike from planetx

That seems to be a common solution to problems on this board

Karma

i am still at a loss about the spirit level there with the BIKE tools, Gav?

TinyExplosions

Karma wrote: »

i am still at a loss about the spirit level there with the BIKE tools, Gav?

Need something to level your saddle -especially after some of the coopers!

ROK ON

Glad someone posted a thread like this.
I have changed bike tyres for donkeys years without an issue (both at home and on side of road).
Last night I had to replace a tyre on a set of fulcrum 5's.
My armadillos have a small rip in the tyre wall above the wheel rim - so I decided to replace them with conti gatorskins (700*23).

It took me an hour to get the gatorskin on the onto the wheel. I found the edge of the tyre incredibly inflexible and very difficult to get over the wheelrim.
Has anyone experienced this with this/or any tyre.

If so, how do you solve it. I dont want to have to change the tyre up the side of the mountain in the pissing rain and have it take me this long. Tyre changing is normally a 5/10min job for me.

I put two gatorskins on my commuting bike three weeks ago without a problem but they were 700*25.

Húrin

I invented bikes

DirkVoodoo

I struggled with a road tyre, couldn't get it on. gave it to a mate (he is a big lad) and he also struggled, he got some water and wet the rim, helped to get it on.

Obviously not very helpful if you are on the side of the road, at least there is plenty of snow around.

zzzzzzzz

ROK ON wrote: »

Glad someone posted a thread like this.
I have changed bike tyres for donkeys years without an issue (both at home and on side of road).
Last night I had to replace a tyre on a set of fulcrum 5's.
My armadillos have a small rip in the tyre wall above the wheel rim - so I decided to replace them with conti gatorskins (700*23).

It took me an hour to get the gatorskin on the onto the wheel. I found the edge of the tyre incredibly inflexible and very difficult to get over the wheelrim.
Has anyone experienced this with this/or any tyre.

If so, how do you solve it. I dont want to have to change the tyre up the side of the mountain in the pissing rain and have it take me this long. Tyre changing is normally a 5/10min job for me.

I put two gatorskins on my commuting bike three weeks ago without a problem but they were 700*25.

I'd say it'll loosen up a bit after being on the bike for a few days.

Caroline_ie

Arrggghhh I am trying to remove my cassette of my specialized and I just can't ... I am not strong enough! FEEEEEECK !!!

Ciaran500

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Arrggghhh I am trying to remove my cassette of my specialized and I just can't ... I am not strong enough! FEEEEEECK !!!

Always have trouble getting these started and every time I try I'm always expecting to break something before it gives.

I think I'd put myself between advanced and professional. Only thing I can't do is build a wheel (due to lack of skill) and put in a headset cause I don't have the tools. But I'd have no problem building a bike outside of these.

Gavin

Well, such attention.
*preens*

Ok, firstly the scraper was used to remove the decals from The Banana. Although it proved useless and I just used a hair dryer in the end.

The bottle of beer actually wasn't mine and was not consumed prior or during any bicycle maintenance.

The hammer is applied in situation where I don't know what I'm doing. It tends to solve problems or exacerbate them to a LBS level.

The speakers are also not mine, but yes they are very good.

The spirit level, I have no explanation for.

Run_to_da_hills

Built wheels since I was in my teens although haven't touched anything with less than 32 spokes.

NeilMcEoigheann

i would have thought that making a bike form a pile of expencive componants that are supposed to fit together is alot easier than re fitting the 26tpi headset on an old raleigh 3speed

SerialComplaint

Húrin wrote: »

I invented bikes

Class.

I used to do quite a lot on my old Dawes Super Galaxy, even down to changing the wheel bearings from time to time. But in the technology just seems so completely different now, I'm a bit scared about doing anything more than a puncture. Oh, and by the way, I hate cables. Can't do anything that involves taking out a cable.

irishmotorist

ROK ON wrote: »

It took me an hour to get the gatorskin on the onto the wheel. I found the edge of the tyre incredibly inflexible and very difficult to get over the wheelrim.
Has anyone experienced this with this/or any tyre.

I've had this with Schwalbe Marathons. Putting a bedded-in tyre back on is just a case of have one side on the rim, pop the tube in and then just push the other side of the tyre onto the rim.

The most successful way that I've found so far for a new and rigid tyre is to put it on somewhat like the method above, but you have to be much more careful with both sides of the tyre. Make sure that you actually hook the bottom part of the beading into the wheel rim on both sides as you're making your way around. The rim and bead will grab each other if it's in snugly and will save it popping out as you make your way around the circumference. Having 3rd and 4th arms will definitely help you in this, but it should be achievable for a normally limbed person.

blorg

@ROK_ON- some tyre/rim combinations are known to be near impossible and Fulcrum rims have a reputation for being difficult. I generally find a kevlar folding bead to be easier than than a steel one. I use a Crank Bros Speedlever and carry an auxilliary tyre lever just in case. This does make mounting a lot easier although there are still some combinations that are very difficult, I recall helping someone with a puncture on a Boards spin once that was near impossible. Don't be afraid to use the tyre lever to mount the tyre, in some cases it is necessary.

ROK ON

irishmotorist wrote: »

I've had this with Schwalbe Marathons. Putting a bedded-in tyre back on is just a case of have one side on the rim, pop the tube in and then just push the other side of the tyre onto the rim.
Having 3rd and 4th arms will definitely help you in this, but it should be achievable for a normally limbed person.

This is what I actually resorted to.
Thanks.

xz

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I struggled with a road tyre, couldn't get it on. gave it to a mate (he is a big lad) and he also struggled, he got some water and wet the rim, helped to get it on.

Obviously not very helpful if you are on the side of the road, at least there is plenty of snow around.

You have a drinks bottle don't you?, if that's empty (because you have drank it all), then wait until your kidneys have done their thing and your bladder is singing "Please release me" and voila, you can wet the rim, and keep your fingers warm in the process:eek::D

IM0

theres a category missing there...what about the one for doing everything except for things that require lots of expensive tools (which cost bazillions)
like headset and BB facing tools and jigs. I build full bikes except this stuff and wheels. And I buy wheels that are bomb proof and dont need truing...accept after break-in in miles.

kenmc

flickerx wrote: »

Except for the fact its a Coopers dark stout, that stuff is rotten. The pale ale is OK.

Nope, it's the sparkling ale, not the stout.