Agree with this - just ask a local LBS. Most are friendly enough and if your idea has merit, they might just set one up. I can't say I've ever seen an LBS who only charges $12/hour for labor though.

Yes, that's a good video, I found it myself before. But still, it doesn't get at the heart of the problem I was having, which is some 'sticking' with the brake mechanism. Again, this is where a class or expert could quickly show you which contact points to lube, rather than wasting time doing other unneeded things. (I actually changed my brake cables hoping it would help, what a waste of time and expense.)

Dont' disagree with you here, but again, it takes a lot of time for a noob to learn anything.

Just stick a noob in front of youtube who's never been around a bike, and ask them to do this:
1) change tire/tube
2) Adjust a slightly incorrect derailleur
3) Change a chain

More than 3/4 will give up in frustration despite perfectly good instructions on youtube, and the other 1/4 will take hours to accomplish what it would take someone who knows what they're doing less than 10 minutes to show you in person.

There are only two pivot points on the brake...lubing them would be a good start. As with anything mechanical, you should take some time to figure out how something functions before you begin working on it.

but I'm just saying I'd gladly pay for that class myself to save the hours of agony of learning it myself with my busy schedule.

________

Then go to a LBS plop down $250 bucks and tell the owner/mechanic to help you with stuff to the point you'll be satisfied. I'd wager you would have what you wanted accomplished, and both parties would be satisfied. This is really the ideal, but what excuse will you give then to why you haven't done this?

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

I have worked with 3 different bike shops in the 7+ years of tri coaching and can tell you, no mechanic wants to have a class bigger than 6 or so customers. The 3 stores I have been associated with all did basic bike maintance classes in the spring, one of them charging I think $20 for the class, the other 2 making you simply pay for the CO2 and or maybe the tubes as well. It's a great "PR" move by LBS's but it's also why you'll see them only go over basic bike stuff. It's a give and take more than anything, and so your idea of going into great detail, isn't very appealing to bike stores because they already are losing so many customers to online shopping, why would they even increase the chance of losing more customers.

Also, I don't know any store in the US that would have the customer base to do a $250 class each week. That would die off probably after 1 month. So your looking at a shop making $1k over that month, dealing with 25ish customers.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Easier said than done.

It improved with lubing the pivot points. BUT it actually had to be completely overhauled per the LBS to get it back to shifting normally ( I brought it in a few months later since it still wasn't working well.)

Videos are NOT the end all be all, and you run into one even seemingly minor mishap, and it'll set you back for hours. An experienced LBS could just eyeball my brake and say, 'you need a new one or spend money completely overhauling it.'

I meant not that the LBS charges $12/hr - it's closer to $80/hr.

But the LBS wrench makes little more than $12/hr.

An idea for you --- Organize a class yourself at a local junior college with a friend who is a wrench or partner with an lbs and help them promote it and you have first hand experience if it is worth doing...


If you are personally interested in building your own knowledge and skills YouTube has a treasure trove of bike repair videos. Quality differs but all basic maintenance is well covered for anyone interested. Maybe not a perfect substitute for hands on but close enough.

J

Completely overhauled? What exactly does a "complete overhaul" of a bicycle brake entail, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm not trying to insult you here but, you are obviously not a very mechanically inclined individual.Teaching a person who lacks mechanical knowledge/ability is like teaching C++ to a computer illiterate person. It's not something you should expect someone to teach you over the course of a few hours.

I think a big part of what we're missing here is that even if you did arrange a class, worked with your LBS, and had them go over in detail how to do any number of repairs (besides the basic stuff) you'd still have to practice it fairly regularly to not only remember it, but be able to do it right (if you've got the right tools). As someone else mentioned, there's a lot of videos on YouTube for the DIYers that are as good as having a one-on-one in a shop. Except with the video you can pause, rewind, and watch over and over again.

If you're interested in learning, DM me and I can pass along information of someone I know that would be able to help you. Sounds like you're in my neck of the woods.

Just a +1. As someone else mentioned REI puts on a fairly detailed 1 day workshop. It was a great introduction, but other than learning how to adjust my derailleurs and other minor things, it was just a whirlwind intro to the art of wrenching. I suppose for others more mechanically inclined it was directly helpful, but for me it was a good education on why it pays to build a relationship with a good LBS bike mechanic.