Booth, I do everything I possibly can to support my LBS, so I first try to install the carbon fiber fork myself, being careful to properly ream out the head tube with my Dremel. Then I take it to my LBS and have them do it right, or, install a new one. :) This approach more than doubles the cost of doing it right the first time, but keeps my LBS in business.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

"one of the things I love about bikes is the ability to tinker, for not a whole lot of money or time."

Me to. I used to restore vintage cars, raced cars and go-carts, always doing my own mechanical work. Bikes are the utmost in mechanical simplicy but it amazes me how many duh mistakes I make once in awhile.

BTW, I've known mechanical engineers who can't change a spark plug. Good at math, physics, theory, etc. but no mechanical ability. IMO, a "real" mechanical engineer is someone who can do the math calculations and the practical work. There's almost something almost perverse about somebody calling themselves an engineer but not being a basement tinkerer.

The stereotype here in this thread is developing into is false: faster triathletes don't have as much time for bike repair, focus more on training, and therefore don't understand their bikes.

Also, here's another one: its the poorer athelete who has to do bike repair.

I would submit to you, it is probably the exact opposite: other than the three or four instances in this thread, I'd wager the vast majority of both professional and top AGers know their bike, inside and out, screw to screw, and are probably "OCD" from everything with colors to positions on everything, to the millimeter.

I'd say, and I'm new at all of this, but I'd venture to say that if you don't know the ins and outs of your bike, you will suffer, at some point.

In all things, consider your extremities?

when i get a flat i get a new bike

Undoubtedly. In my case, although you are quite right and I do know all the components on my bike, I just don't trust myself to mess around with them and not screw them up. And I figure any work I tried to do on my bike would be done poorly and take three times the time of the experts - so I leave it to them.

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kiwipat

per ardua ad astra

That would be me too. Whenever I go racing or living at the other end of the world (Australia or Taiti in the past few years) I have a hard time putting my bike back together. I had to be assisted by a US triathlete in Tahiti last time, two days before the race.

Shame on me.

I prefer to leave it to the experts. It's just too embarassing getting someone else to fix your mistakes! That said, Aquaracks and flats, I can manage.

What about the pshycholigical aspects of knowing you can fix most stuff on your bike?

It gives you an inner calm if your in the back of beyond and you know that if you have a chain snap or a cable tear apart, you'll be able to rig something up to get home. Also, if you're screaming downhill at 50 mph, I like to have been personally present when everything on my ride got tightened...but maybe I just don't trust professionals (or, rather, I do trust professionals - it's the charlatans who hide behind the title that scare the crap out of me...there aren't many Tom D's in the world...)

Cheers,

Phil / UK

I know lota of people who are like that. My brother, who is, admittedly, new to cycling, had his bike shop put on his pedals.

I do most of my work myself, and only occasionally bring the bike into the shop for a once-over or a tune up.

Sadly, this is valid throughout society. Things are so complicated(relatively speaking) that people don't know how anything works anymore, or how to fix it.

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I am making a concerted effort to learn, as the closest bike shop to me that knows what a tribike is is Tom's 2 hours one way. I have an old fuji I use for commuting that I will fiddle with when it needs it. I won't touch the Cervelo yet though.. I have tools and Zinn's on my Xmas list. By the way, I had a wonderful ride to my early class in the snow today. It was a blast! in the new snow.. I will definetly improve my bike handling this year if I ride through the winter as I plan to.

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Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*

Me? I'm afraid to touch anything that affects shifting, although when I feel really brave, I will occasionally adjust brakes.

"What about the pshycholigical aspects"

man, you didn't even get CLOSE to the correct spelling of this word. i mean, you didn't even hit the DART BOARD. which is apropos of nothing, i just thought i'd bring it up. i mean, it's the literary equivalent of being the one in the room who farted, and everybody's just got these thin smiles on their faces, and nobody's saying anything. i felt i needed to bring up the obvious. but i won't belabor the point. it obviously does not bear on the issue of derailleur adjustment. and i wouldn't have mentioned it, except you spelled EVER OTHER WORD correctly, including charlatan, which is not a word universally spellable.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I'm in a difficult position. I'm dumb as a bucket of frogs when it comes to bike repair but my bike is so old I get humiliated at the LBS. The spotty blonde dyed mechanic normally says things like 'Oh a vintage, excellent' or 'Yeah Giant stopped making those about 200 years ago so we'll have to make do'. I normally walk out red faced but with a well repaired bike.

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..........................................................................

I know just enough to be dangerous....which is to say the least....dangerous. Basic stuff like tubes, chains, proper lube and all...no issue....but everytime I've tried to do something new, I think I know enough to try something a bit more difficult. Sometimes I can handle, most times not. Then keep asking myself why take the time when my LBS is awesome and the #1 wrench there can field strip anything out there and re-assemble blindfolded. I'm now pretty much convinced to leave the out of the ordinary stuff to the wrench so I can put my time where I get the most return.

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Train hard...race well.
www.jimmishler.com
"Jim, I happen to agree with you" DougStern

Dan,

I'm in London. Despite my quite obvious keyboard incompetence, I thus reserve the pommy right to play the, "I don't care how bad the spelling was, I'm English so how can you even dream of lecturing me on the language that we allow you to use etc etc" joker card.

"You say tomato, I say tomato, you say pshychological, I say phschohmygodhowthehelldoyouspellthis"

Sheesh...

Sorry, just miss that thread.

That is a hilarious story about "mechanicical work", I think even my wouldn't change a tire to save her life wife would have attempted that one on her own (apparently she went on a bike trip when she was 15 and some idiot changed her flats, and mugged on her but thats another gripe, back to the tires, so she refuses to learn).

Booth, Booth Booth Booth, if I have to live with that the rest of the day you should share my pain.

Slowman....in case an Englishman (or Canadian) slips you up again by their spelling/phrases again use this:


http://www.poisonedminds.com/...English/English.html



It will help I swear! ;)

Mark