I have this bicycle. Well, it’s a bicycle in the same way that the Titanic is a ship. It needs a LOT of work – new chain, new brakes, new tires, new seat, probably new gears/derailleur. You get the idea.
I know it would be a lot easier for me to just junk it and get a new bike, but for some reason I really want to fix this one up. I think it would be cool to be able to say, “This bike used to be a complete junk heap, but I fixed it with my own hands.”
I have never, however, done any bicycle repair myself, except for patching tires when I was a kid. I was hoping you Dopers could point me to a really good book or other resource on DIY bicycle repair. Anyone?
Go to Park Tools website. They have online tutorials and videos that show how everything is done. You can also find videos at You Tube that show you what to do. I’ve built 2 bikes from the ground up and rebuilt another using this method.
Agree with FordTaurus that the park website is a great first port of call.
There’s books out there by a guy called Lennard Zinn with titles like ‘Zinn and the art of bicycle maintenance’ that are into several editions and are well regarded, but I’ve not read them myself beyond browsing them in the book shop.
I learned bicycle maintenance online, just by posting questions on cycling boards whenever I needed to learn how to do something. You absolutely can handle a rebuild by yourself - bicycle mechanics is simple in microcosm. The challenge is getting to grips with the wide variation in standards and tool requirements over the different types of bike. What crank puller do I need? How do i handle this particular headset? What’s the best approach to service these hubs etc etc? Wheel building is one area that is a step up in complexity, but even that is (apparently) straightforward if you’re willing to learn - I’ve never gotten round to it.
Good bike mechanics aren’t good because they do a stellar job on one particular class of bike, they’re good because they can do something sensible with each of the 200 different bikes that get brung in each year - 50% of them shit heaps.
You could get started with the gears and brakes using just standard tools in your garage - buying replacement parts from the bike shop. The only extra thing you would need is a cable cutter for the brake and gear cables - this can be improvised if you have a pair of sharp pliers or similar lying around. Tyres and seat can both be replaced nae bother.
A new chain just requires one tool which you would have to buy, but they’re small and cheap - just a type of rivet extractor really. You need one of these anyway if you’re going to start cycling. Are the rear cogs in good shape? If you need to replace them you’ll need a chain whip, again a cheap tool.
Beyond that just take it as it goes. You start to encounter the specialised tools when you work on the principle bearings on the bike - the bottom bracket, the headset and the hubs. You might be able to borrow some here, and others can be improvised - depends on what needs doing.
A lot will depend on the wheels - if the bike is in terrible shape then restoring the wheels will be a skilled job. You might need to just buy a new set here.
ParkTool School Student Manual, it’s a good guide for maintenance, maybe some repair. I took a course at a local bike shop, and it was pretty helpful.
The cable cutting tool is really useful because it guillotines brake and shifter cables more cleanly than you’ll accomplish with a pair of diagonal pliers. I’m pretty sure they’ll also cut the casings that the cables fit into. The other thing I’d recommend is some kind of third hand to help you with brake cables. I usually just cinch a bandanna around the brake lever and handlebar and tie a double knot to lock down the lever while I fix the brakes (cantilevers need toe-in from time to time).
Most screws on a bike of recent vintage take a 4-, 5-, or 6-mm hex allen wrench.
Depending on how deep in you want to go, you’ll need a chainwhip and casette tool for the back wheel and a bottom bracket tool for the bottom bracket - the bearing where the crankset attaches to the frame (wheels and BB’s have evolved a bunch over the years – specific tools you’ll need depend on which type of wheel and BB – check with your LBS)
You can get a basic tool kit for around $50 from most of the online places. It will have the tools to do most of what you would want to do. I did that and improvised for the rest. I think as long as the frame and fork are solid, you can rebuild the bike.
The late Sheldon Brown’s website (www.sheldonbrown.com) is invaluable. Also the Park Tools site, as some above mentioned. There’s a bike discussion forum at www.bikeforums.net where you can post any questions that may come up in the course of your work. You’ll receive more answers than you ever thought possible.
If you can hang a picture, there won’t be any work on a bicycle you can’t handle. Some tasks (like bottom bracket and headset overhaul, chain installation or cog and/or freewheel replacement) will require specialized tools. But they’re still pretty simple.
You can improvise the tools to remove and install headsets and certain bottom brackets.
A hammer and screwdriver can remove the headset. I long bolt with washers and a nut can reinstall it. I used a spanner wrench to install my bottom bracket, but I did order the proper tool later.
Yup. Park Tools, Sheldon and bikeforums will give you more quality information on bikes than you ever thought you would need. I also agree that you should be able to do everything yourself. But beware - it might look simple enough, but in reality the first time you adjust a derailleur, true a wheel, etc., it will take time - sometimes a looong time. Don’t give up, be patient, follow instructions and take advice from the above mentionend sources. If it gets too frustrating, let it sit for a day or two and give it another go.
Bike reparing/building is a great hobby - I hope you will give it a try.
First, you’ll probably want to try and find a good bike shop near you. A good bike shop will be willing to talk with you about repairs and how to do them, and be able to sell you the right tools and parts.
A very good one might have classes you can take. A perfect one, like Broadway Bikes in the Boston area, will let you rent tools and a workstand, or for a little more per hour, tools and a stand plus individual instruction on what to do.
I like Anybody’s Bike Book for a friendly beginner’s approach, but if you’re already pretty mechanically comfortable you might want something a little more technical.
But the great thing about fixing bikes is that you can almost always figure out how something works by looking at it, and it will never explode, catch on fire, or shock you even if you get things wrong.
Zinn’s books are excellent. Easy to follow and lots of diagrams.
Get a decent bike stand (you will use it forever) and a basic bike tool kit. Bike parts can be delicate. It’s not a good idea to attack them with the wrong tool.
Years ago I had a nice Trek frame with Shimano 105 components. I wanted to upgrade. I ordered the Ultegra components (the tech guy at Performance Bicycle was very helpful) and with “Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance” rebuilt the whole thing and it worked perfectly.
Tip: Use the rebuilding process to fit the bike properly. Make sure your crank is the right size. Make sure the stem and seatpost are the right size. Make sure the handlebars are the right width. With a little work and care you could end up with a very nice bike.
The advice given so far is great, but the first thing you should do is determine if the bike you have is a shit heap or not. A crappy bike isn’t worth the effort. Can you tell us the type of bike? Maybe post a photo?
When I put together my mountainbike I had a shop build the wheels, install the headset and fork, and the bottom bracket once I had gotten stuck and didn’t want to force it (it was an expensive frame).
One of the trickier parts was adjusting the front derailleur. The only thing I found that was any help was the instruction sheet that came with it (imagine that!). Also, I really had to muscle on the cranks, but that’s what I was supposed to do.
Ditto R. P. McMurphy’s comment about the bike stand. You’ll want to elevate the bike so you’re not bending over all the time. It makes for a much more pleasant experience. I used a Spin Doctor Essential work stand which is nice, but not as adjustable as a nice Park stand. Or you could just throw some ropes over rafters in your garage and suspend your bike that way if that’s an option.
Depending on how old the bike is, you might be better off refurbishing it rather than getting a bunch of new parts for old bikes that might be hard to find. I have an old Miyata bike from 1981 that I wanted to build anew for city use but so many things - shifters, derailleurs, cassettes, frame braze-ons (or lack of) are so different now I just spruced up what was already on the bike and it’s fine.