My buddy that got me into the sport and I always do our wrenching together. But it definitely takes multiple weeks due to scheduling conflicts, ordering parts, drinking too many beers, and general incompetence.

That’s why I have two bikes.

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Strava

I built up my latest bike from a frameset. I also rebuild a set of road wheels I destroyed on the road. I'm not affliated with a bike shop, but I am a mechanical engineer. Bike maintenance is fun for me. It's something I enjoy doing.

A few projects took longer than anticipated, and I've definitely stripped a few threads, but after you do something once, it becomes much easier and faster the second time. Start wrenching on an old bike first if you're worried about breaking something.

Also, I'll pay the LBS to do work if the price is right. For example, I had a LBS cut down and thread 6 extra spokes (too long) and replace a broken one in a wheel for $30.

I have taken both my bikes from built to bare frame and back for a few reasons. I have occasionally brought them to a bike shop after the fact for tuning or checkups. I have no affiliation or experience working in a bike shop. I just was looking for a road bike, found a cheap frame, decided building a bike frame up would probably teach me most of what I need to know about working on bikes and decided to try.

It's very time consuming, and maddening, but I've learned a lot. I've purchased a few tools that I thought might end up using only once, and yet it's never been only once. The biggest thing is just not planning on being able to finish it immediately. Especially something larger, you might end up needing a tool you didn't anticipate, or need some additional spacer or whatever. I replaced the cockpit on my tri bike over the summer when I was only riding my road bike for example, and replaced the groupset on my road bike over the winter when I was mainly riding my tri bike on the trainer.

As a younger guy in the sport, doing my own mech work and building my bikes up is the only way i can afford nice rigs and solid components. I have learned it all myself over the past 3-4 years. Anything I need specialty things for (BB things or very very specific things) I will pay a shop to do, but I have also made a lot of friends in the bike shops who do stuff for me for free.

Also I am a mechanical engineer but that really doesn't mean much; I can tell you how an engine works and the thermodynamic cycles and compression ratios for a multistage engine, but I have no idea how to do things outside the basic things on my car.

I will admit that it is a time consuming hobby, but if you have time (like during right now) it will pay dividends on learning how to do stuff yourself. I can just order shit I see online and build stuff up if I want to without worrying about wasting time and money scheduling something at the bike shop. I am also very picky on my bikes and knowing how to adjust and do basically everything on the bike saves me the obsessiveness of wanting something prefect. If something is messed up, its on me. Also helps for anything that happens, say last minute, as I can tweak things if a bike shop or a mechanic is not available.

I will admit, I think I would have saved money in the long term if I just gave everything to a shop. I see a nice part, its easy to just buy it and say "ya I save $50 bucks installing this thing" and doing it again and again, and ultimately spending way more than I would have otherwise. However, I ride a top end tri and road rig, and am in the middle of upgrading my road to Di2. I have saved many thousands on the bikes I ride and I might actually be net-net zero if I sell both my rigs, but yeah... I would rather ride top end super bike rigs than a 105 rim equipped bike for the same price all things considered. At least I know how to work on these things, which that knowledge will last a lifetime.

2/4 replies are from mechanical engineers so far!

I do almost all work on my bikes and I have never worked in a bike shop. I used to give my bikes to the lbs whenever I needed things adjusted or parts changed out. But I got tired of scheduling time around my training when I could be without a bike and the bike coming back to me not setup exactly how I wanted it (I’m OCD). Plus, what happens when you discover something is wrong right before a big race or ride? I want to be able to fix it myself without relying on anyone else.

I watched a bunch of YouTube videos to learn basic things and spent the weekends learning things the hard ways. Sometimes I need the shop to bail me out and they have always been more than willing to help (they are better mechanics than me since that’s what they do all day long).

My wife just got a hydraulic disc brake bike and I have one on the way. I have a little experience with hydraulics (only bleeding brakes on cars) and no experience with discs. I’ll struggle at first figuring things out but give me a couple of weekends and I’ll be able to do it with my eyes closed as well as help a few friends/neighbors out when they need help.

Edit: I’m a mechanical engineer by degree. I used to spend my weekends autocrossing (cars racing in a parking lot) and wrenching on my car.

Another edit: I’m constantly swapping certain parts on my bike as I’m on this continuous search of perfection. It’s a lot easier to do it yourself than always taking it the lbs to do.

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blog

Always done all my own stuff and mods, ever since I was a young teen when i used to strip my first proper MTB (elastomer fork, so pretty easy at the time).

I strongly believe if you take cycling anyway seriously you should learn to do your own maintenance. Some things are worth using a shop for, say wheel building, as you get a lot back for the cost, but I'd never pay them for a bottom bracket replacement or chain etc that seems to be the bulk of their work.

Tools you acquire along the way. You don't need a lot. Bikes really aren't complicated.

I think a lot of it comes down to confidence. It can take a leap of faith to hammer out a press fit BB, especially when you realise how hard you have to hit sometimes and the bearing goes flying over to the other side of the room.

YouTube pretty much tells you everything you need to know these days.

Add two more, myself and the poster just before me.

I doodled on turbo 4 bangers for a while. 500hp VW Jetta. Built and sold a cylinder head, installed tons of stuff like meth injection.

Compared to that, bikes are silly simple even at the most complex level of maintenance.

I built my DA from a frame I was gifted as broken carbon. Fixed that. Then created my own stem mount plate to replace the moronic Felt original piece.

Around here, most LBS want to do basic new bike assembly and basic bike maintenance. You would lose hours of TT bike riding per year waiting on shops to do more finicky work.

Not a jab at them, but no need for such specialized skills on staff always.

Completely remove the brake pads from the calipers before bleeding the brakes.

Any oil on the pads will contaminate them and then they will need to be replaced.

What’s a “non-trivial” upgrade? To me, that involves some degree of fabrication of one-off custom components, or bespoke wheelbuilding. Anything else is relatively straightforward.no I’m not an engineer. I did work in a shop for a time, but was mostly just assembling new bikes. Pretty easy stuff that I already knew how to do.

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LBS; I'm more of a software guy, and 'revert changes' in code is way cheaper than 'buy it again' for bike parts when I screw up.

The unfortunate reality is that not many shops are keen on putting in the effort for a really slick TT build.
If you have a store with a really good mechanic it's a different story, but a lot of the time doing it yourself is the only way to go beyond the basic level of 'the the parts are on and it works'
Of course, easy for me to say - I learned wrenching in a store (from a really good mechanic) while at University

Do it all myself. Mostly just as a hobby. I enjoy working with nice tools. (software engineer)

Most things I think I do pretty well. Though I still haven't mastered the perfect bar tape job. Don't know why that one troubles me so much.

I do most of mine, mostly because the nearest LBS is over 40 minutes away. I think the newer “super bikes” may be less user friendly, but my 2012 Cervelo P2 is fairly straightforward to work on.

All done by a shop for me. I don’t have the time, and very little inclination to learn. I like to workout, ride etc. But, at least at this point in my life, I don’t enjoy wrenching or maintenance that goes along with the exercise habit.

I do all my bike work and a lot of work for friends.

I'm not affiliated with a bike shop and I buy my own tools. For the last few years I have a budget of $100 a year for new tools.

This is a small project I'm doing for a friend



Edit: I was a heavy machine mechanic for several years now I'm a Instrumentation tech, troubleshooter and mechanic for an automotive component supplier.

I'm a failed engineer (withdrew a quarter and switched during junior year) if that counts.

I've worked on all my bikes TT, road, gravel, MTB and CX. I have not been to a mechanic in years.

Honestly, it's not even the sheer complexity of the installations.

With the right parts and right tools, nearly anybody can get anything to fit 'well-enough' on a bike, even with just youtube videos through trial and error.

It's the hassle of getting and finding all the right parts.

Can't tell you how many times I've had to research and buy specific bolts to replace rusted or worn ones.

I just had to replace a Cervelo 2008 P2c seatpost - doesn't matter how smart you are, do you know if the 2012+ Cervelo seatposts fit on a P2c from 2008? Sure, you can order it and try it, but add all that time messing with it if it doesn't fit. Do you know if it comes with the actual seat rail holder assembly? Do you know if it you need to replace the custom seatpost hold clamp if you do get lucky and the new seatpost fits since they've got a new clamp design now?

A lot of this stuff is a cakewalk for a well-equipped LBS to fix - they just try out all the reasonable looking parts until one works. That literally happened with my seatpost - the LBS brought out ALL of their Cervelo seatposts, and we found that the 2012+ one worked. Then we tried out the clamps - we ended up just keeping my old one. Wasn't hard for an LBS with supplies. But for a solo hobbyist without LBS support, it can be super time consuming and annoying.

I mostly do my own work. I’ve built six over the past 10 years. First one was a single speed which was a good easy first attempt. Since that one I’ve done a Cervelo P2C, Speed Concept, Cervelo S3, Yeti Arc-X, and Open UP. One two of those bikes I’ve re built them back up after doing a full tear down back to the frame. On the P2C I also did the tririg top tube mod to improve cable management.

I just read lots of article and forum posts and watch lots of YouTube videos. I enjoying doing building the bikes and working on them as it helps me better understand the bike. Occasionally I’ll bring stuff to the shop if I can’t get something quite right or if it involves a tool that I don’t want to buy as I think I might only use it once or twice. That said, single and childless are no longer terms that describe me so my free time is less than it used to be and finding time to educate myself on how to fix an issue or make a change as well as carrying it out is hard. So I’ve been taking more things to the shop lately

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Matt

I found that out the expensive way...

To be honest, i wouldnt trust my bike if i didnt personally go through the whole thing and rebuild and secure every piece

My handlebars came loose a week after i had a bike serviced last year. Luckily it was on the trainer. Terrifying to say the least. I learned my lesson...

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Strava

I spent 4 years at a bike shop, 2 of those while earning my A&P license, and then did an entire career (now retired) as an aircraft mechanic specializing in jet engine overhaul. I do all my own bike wrenching. I've had to consult youtube a few times, and they've never let me down. I've been at it for nearly 50 years, and I don't know if bike design has improved or gone to shit.

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Athlinks / Strava

Thats an issue of parts compatibility, which isn’t really what I thought you were talking about (and a phone call to the LBS, who should in turn contact the distributor, should easily clear that up). That’s not really a wrenching issue, it’s a supply chain issue.

Sometimes you run into the issue of the part you need, like a top cap for a 1” integrated headset, far more rare than you’d think, just cannot be found. So then you get into actually mixing and matching parts to make things work. But I’d do that, not my lbs.

I can’t recall the last thing that an lbs did for me. Seriously. It’s always more time efficient to do it myself. Other reason I do everything, because I want to know if something goes wrong what the cause was.

It’s the same thing as figuring out what rd hanger works on a specific frame. Quickest and easiest route is to call or email someone who you know can give you the answer.

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I do my own wrenching and never worked in a lbs nor have I had any training. I have definitely learned what sweat can do to components as I just got finished drilling out some rusted bolts.

Most annoying thing is having to wait for specific parts as it is amazing how little the lbs carries. Seems like most of the Lbs’s around me rely on their distributors for stock and at that point I can just order off the web.