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How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair?
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beyond changing a flat tire?

Because, I swear to god, a friend of mine who does triathlons with me, bought a Profile Design Aqua Rack, and HAD HIS BIKE SHOP put it on his seat post. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about that small 2-bottle holder plastic device, extending from the seat post. It clamps on there. That in itself is bad enough, but it goes further.

Not only did they put it on the bike, but they came and picked up his bike in the bike shop's little, sexy, boxy, logo'd up van, at his house, and then brought the whole bike back to him, then put it on at the shop, then brought it back to his house a day later. I guess the shop makes "house calls."

Contrast that with an idiot, which would be me, reading a large Barnett's bike book, trying to figure out why a derailleur cable anchor pivot isn't taking a nipple to move a winding wheel around on a dura ace shifter.

And he's much faster than me. Did I say that.

It's just not fair.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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"And he's much faster than me. Did I say that.

It's just not fair. "

Amen.


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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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Ok, that would be me, I'm embarrassed to say. I can change a tire and I can also clean the bike and do basic lube-stuff, but beyond that I rely on my bike shop.

DawnT (slinking back into my hole now)
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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My bike never sees the inside of a LBS :) but then I'm slow as molasses as well.

The only thing I haven't attempted is building a wheel and it's probably not worth the effort either.



Wilfried Heinle

Artificial Intelligence can never beat natural stupidity.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I can do most basic stuff, but I can't adjust a rear derailleur for the life of me. I've read books and watched people do it a hundred times. I just can't do it. When it comes to tricky expensive parts (ie cutting a steer tube) I just the the bike shop do it. I think it is cheaper that way.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I am with WHeinle. As a former wrench my bike rarely ever sees a bikeshop. Only if it something that I cannot figure out will I relent and visit my LBS.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [WHeinle] [ In reply to ]
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That's right, Heinle, but life's not fair, either. It's not like You and I both don't know that, either. It's not like us wheel builders, Fixing shifterists, doctors of derailleurs, Masters of Ferules, and air drag coeffecient thinkers are lesser persons, just because we are slower beings out there. But house calls to a triathlete to put on a back water bottle cage? Sure. They may be faster than us, but I'll damn sure make fun of them.

Oh, wait a minute, excuse me, that was an installation of a "water system." Er...uh....."hydration system."
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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the fastest guy around here, I won't say any names, could barely change a flat and used to ride with his tires around 50psi... He'd kick everyone's ass...
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I won't build a wheel either, everything else is fair game.

Thanks for asking: The new chopper will be done after Xmas, then I'll paint it and be pedalling it around in Spring.

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I put on my first chain this week. For me that was an accomplishment.........although I don't think its quite right and I will probably bring it by the LBS to check anyways. I don't really have the time or inclination to do much work on my bike. I guess those that do work on their bikes enjoy it. If you don't like doing it, why bother?


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"He broke into the long easy lope, and went on, hour after hour, never at loss for the tangled way, heading straight home through strange country with a certitude of direction that put man and his magnetic needle to shame."

-Call of the Wild
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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Tom D.'s shop does everything on my bike and if it were possible, I'd have someone from there ride next to me and change my flats. I will admit, though, that Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance is on my Xmas list.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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My bikes don't see the inside of a bike shop after I take them home for the first time. There is nothing on my bike that I don't have the capability to fix at my house.

I have an Aqua Rack on my tri-bike and it is funny that your friend needed to paysomeone to mount it. It doesn't get much easier than installing one of those.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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The obvious conclusin I have come too after reading this tread is that those of us who know nohting bout bike repair are too busy getting fast too care ;)

Dan
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I do nothing. Nilch. Nada. I'm basically inherently lazy, other than the fact that I work an average of 50+ hours per week per year and train quite a bit. I use the "lazy" line on my wife weekly, when she asks me to sweep the roof, clean the garage, wash the car, etc. The best I can do is change tires when I flat. Pretty quick at that, but nothing else. I even have the shop put on new tires and clean and lubricate. Pretty pathetic . . . eh?
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [PH] [ In reply to ]
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you know, actually, I do that, and I now think they like me, MORE, than they used to. They actually enjoy my terminology.

I came in the other day, and said I think I had, "Integrated Headset Floatitis."

The dreaded "IHF." And we can thank Cane Creek for this. The King people have warned us about this for years.

This is a most unusual bike to man disease. How you get it, is, you pull real hard on your bike's front end, integrated headeset, holding the wheel down, to see if there is any movement in the stem, along the fork. If there is even the most infintessimal, micro millimeter movement or float, even if it is a mere whisp of air, and if you pull real hard, there might be some, it will bother you for weeks on end. Then for the next few months it will be one endeavor after another to press down REAL HARD on the cups and rings, to eliminate, every molecular freedom, in the whole integrated headset.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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When I was a kid I used do all the work on my BMX bike and ten speed. BMX bike always needed repairs! But now I dont do much beyond changing tires and adding minor components (computer, cassette, aerobars). I figure my time is money and bike shop could do it quicker for less.


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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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Some of the most gifted triathletes I've known are as dumb as stumps when it comes to the bike.

One of the fastest elite guys in our area doesn't have a clue about bikes. Was talking to him not long ago and he made some comment about "the thing in the front where the two rails attach to the wheel". I commented "you mean the fork?" "yeah, that's it. There's one in the back as well." "No, that's called the seat stays". "Oh."

Another gifted trigeek told me that he wanted a really light bike because light bikes are faster going into the wind.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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If I had the money this guy obviously has, I wouldn't touch my bike for service either.



adrialin

(BOMK, racing drug and supplement free since 1985)
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [adrialin] [ In reply to ]
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We all have limited amount of free time and some chose to spend that time doing things they get more satisfaction out of, like going for a swim or a run, or something else, while their bike is being fixed. Some chose to fix their bikes.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [bitwiz] [ In reply to ]
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Most of the times I'm done fixing my bike faster than taking it to the LBS wait a couple of days and get it back.

Most stuff takes less than 30 minutes.



Wilfried Heinle

Artificial Intelligence can never beat natural stupidity.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [WHeinle] [ In reply to ]
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"I'm done fixing my bike faster than taking it to the LBS"

I live an hour to a half decent LBS. That's a two hour round trip to drop it off and then have to pick it up aain a couple of days later. Screw that. I'll fix my own bike.
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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OK, dummy, the clue store is open and we're giving free samples today:

Your buddy didn't spend weeks reading Barnetts and Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, because he was busy training. He needs a pit crew to change a flat, but he's fast. Figure it out.

Just kidding...


Cousin Elwood - Team Over-the-hill Racing
Brought to you by the good folks at Metamucil and Geritol...
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I'm somewhere in the middle.

Flats? No problem.

Derailler installation and adjustment? No problem.

Brakes and cables? No problem

Bottom brackets? Nah, but that's mainly because I don't have the tool(s)and I have a very small bike shed at home that is difficult to work in.

Wheels? I'd love to try building one one day but I should train more instead :-)

I am constantly amazed by how little most roadies and trigeeks know about their bikes. Seems like most of them don't even know what gearing they'r riding on or why they might want to change it!

I'm a mechanical engineer and one of the things I love about bikes is the ability to tinker, for not a whole lot of money or time. I haven't ahd the nerve to tineker with building running shoes yet however :-)

TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"
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Re: How many of you are OR do know triathletes ignorant of bike repair? [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I am your mate (apart from the fast bit!). I change a flat pretty quick, but that is about it. I did attach my bottle holders, but got it wrong and the LBS had to sort it for me. I have not a practical bone in my body. The LBS does everthing on my bike. It would be a massive waste of time for me to try to do it myself. I am hopeless in that spatial realm.

Not everyone can be good, or even competent, at everything. It's all horses for courses, in my book.


kiwipat

per ardua ad astra
Last edited by: kiwipat: Nov 30, 04 17:43
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