Bicycle maintenance lesson

soulsurf

Hi,

Anyone know of a basic bike maintance course in Dublin? Just looking to learn the basics!! puncture repair, fixing breaks and what tools I need.. I think cultivate in temple bar used to run them but don't see any coming up soon and I need to learn this stuff as using bike everyday..

Anyway if anyone is interested in running through basic bike mechanics for my wife and I maybe for 2 or three hours I would be glad to pay 25 euros an hour..

Based in Ballsbridge.

Thanks

Zorba

soulsurf wrote: »

Hi,

Anyone know of a basic bike maintance course in Dublin? Just looking to learn the basics!! puncture repair, fixing breaks and what tools I need.. I think cultivate in temple bar used to run them but don't see any coming up soon and I need to learn this stuff as using bike everyday..

Anyway if anyone is interested in running through basic bike mechanics for my wife and I maybe for 2 or three hours I would be glad to pay 25 euros an hour..

Based in Ballsbridge.

Thanks

I'd happily give u the basics but dublin would be a bit too far for me to drive to.

Try this site for free lessons on how to fix just about everything on a bike:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/

Hope this helps and saves u a few quid !

Oh fixing punctures is the easiest thing to do, just have to read the instructions that come with the kit.

EH

The cyclesuperstore in Tallaght ran a couple of courses recently. Check out there recent newsletter for details:

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/Newsletter/news6.html

soulsurf

Thanks guys..


If anyone is still interested in giving a bike mechanic lesson let us know

aburke

I'd nearly travel to Dublin for a one-day workshop like that, but ideally there is something on in Galway that I'm unaware of..

ant_moore123

I'm no expert but i'm pretty sure i know enough to help you's

I'm based in Killiney

Rob_l

I was looking for something like this myself, instead I bought a book

Zinn & the art of Road bike maintenance it covers everything from the basic onwards and seems to do it without resorting into highly technical lingo and also has very good diagrams

Vélo

I bought Big Blue Book Of Bicycle Repair from Park Tool USA.

I still e-mailed Cycle Superstore yesterday to let me know when the next course would be. (No reply yet)

Maybe they're waiting on numbers so anyone who would be interested should e-mail them also.

Gavin

Zinn and the art of Mountainbike Maintenance for me. Great book alright.

Hungrycol

Hee hee hee. I'm know your game .

You want a call-out servicing for both you and your wife's bikes for 25 yoyos an hour! Fix your breaks, fix a few punctures, get bike road worthy, etc, etc, while you feign interest in how it's done! That's a brillant and cunning idea.

Let me see.... Is there anyone on the forum that can call out to my house and teach (ahem) me how to service my wheel axels and freewheel for the front and back wheels? I'll pay €25 for the hour lesson.... BARGAIN!

I'm far to cynical

Poncherello

also emailed cycle superstore

there is an opportunity here for someone to make a few quid .....

Mr. Skeffington

Mobile bicycle mechanic available for hire, PM me for further information, will provide lessons as per hourly rate quoted above. I have worked for a number of bicycle shops in Ireland and the U.S. Greater Dublin area, evenings and weekends only.

blorg

+1 for the Zinn book.

MrSkeffington - you offering at €25/hour? Sounds like a good deal.

LDB

This organisation do bike maintenance courses (beginner stuff it seems) - http://www.cultivate.ie

here is the link to one back in early June
http://www.cultivate.ie/learning/powerdown/bike_maintenance_14june.html

can't find any info on upcoming ones but I'd say just email them.

Mr. Skeffington

Yes 25 per hour, need to raise some extra cash. Will cover all aspects in detail, have worked in a number of Dublin bicycle shops over the years and have a full home workshop. PM me for more info rates do not include parts, labour only, component costs are extra.

soulsurf

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

Yes 25 per hour, need to raise some extra cash. Will cover all aspects in detail, have worked in a number of Dublin bicycle shops over the years and have a full home workshop. PM me for more info rates do not include parts, labour only, component costs are extra.

Thanks Mr Skeffington.. will pm you.. bikes are in good condition... just need to learn how to basic repairs etc..

Poncherello

Called out to Mr Skeffington for bike maintenance lesson last night. Would highly recommend it for beginners and more experienced bike enthusiasts.
After only 2 hrs or so, I am confident I can service my own bike (better than most bike shops) and save myself a few quid on any problems that might arise in the future.

SerialComplaint

The biggest barrier to home maintenance for me is the absence of a stand. Adjusting the gears or brakes with the bike turned over just doesn't cut it anymore, but I'm struggling to justify the €120 approx for a stand. Are there any better options?

Mr. Skeffington

There are a number of cheap stands available that hold up the rear wheel only, you can pick them up for 25-30. I will post more details later today. I agree you need some form of stand to effectively carry out maintenance.

BostonB

Could you make your own? Even out of wood etc.

paddyb

ive got one of these
it was the cheapest i found

kenmc

a stand is really a necesity. I'd definitely recomment getting one which is more than the 'back wheel off the ground' one though, it makes it soooooo much easier to fiddle with the gears, brakes etc if they are between waist and eye height.
I got one of these:
and I find it great. It folds down flat and I find myself taking it out for even the simplest of things that I don't really need it for, just cos it means I don't need to be bending up and down all the time

Mr. Skeffington

Ken, I agree with you however if Serialcomplaint does not want to spend in excess of €100 then one of the cheaper ones that hold up the rear wheel is a good start. In one particular shop that I worked in all they used were rear wheel stands and there was very little that could not be carried out using this type of stand (Image Attached).

Of course if you have the money by all means buy a better stand which elevates the bicycle so that you have all components between waist & eye level. But if your just getting started and dont want to blow loads of cash on a stand follow my reccomendation and maintain the bike whilst seated or standing with a cheaper stand.

Apart from the stand the following is a list of tools for basic maintanance:

Tool Box
Steel ruler & measuring tape
Screwdrivers, flat & phillips head
Hammer
Pliers, needle nose & regular
Combination spanners 7mm - 17mm
Shifting spanner 12"
Shifting spanner 6"
Tyre Levers
Track Pump with Gauge
Puncture repair kit
Pedal spanner
Cable cutters
Allen keys
Teflon spray oil
Teflon grease
Chain oil
Chain link tool

For more advanced work consider the following additional items:
Socket Set
Torque Wrench
Good work bench & vice
Vernier calipers
File
Bottom bracket tools
Crank removal tool
Headset spanners, if required
Cone spanners
Spoke wrench
Freewheel / cassette removal tool & chain whip if required
Degreaser (Jizer or Gunk)
Zip ties
Spare cables, inner & outer
Bag of rags

kenmc

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

Ken, I agree with you however if Serialcomplaint does not want to spend in excess of €100 then one of the cheaper ones that hold up the rear wheel is a good start.

I agree that the cost of some of them is prohibitive, but the one I linked above comes in around 70 euro or something, so it's not silly expensive. Whilst you will certainly manage to do most work with the cheaper rear-wheel stand, anything involving front wheel/brakes will be difficult to achieve. For the extra few euro I do think that you're better off going to a cheap elevated stand, cos you're probably going to want to get one down the line anyway - I know I did.

Having said that, I did see a post somewhere (bike forums?) about some lad who made a wooden homemade stand which seemed to do the job just fine.

Just sayin....

Hungrycol

paddyb wrote: »

ive got one of these
it was the cheapest i found

Is it ok to clamp around carbon tubes?

kenmc

I'd say not - wiggle says not to clamp around carbon tubes - even for stands that you take the wheel out and quick release to, so it sounds like a universal warning. A simple solution is to get a cheap alu or steel seat post, and use that with the clamp stands - just take out your saddle/post, insert the cheap one and clamp on that.

Gavin

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=15815

80 euro. Gets very good reviews.

blorg

Clamp the seatpost rather than the tubes.

Many do clamp carbon seatposts, being careful not to overtighten the jaws (some also put a rag around the post); some suggest that it is possible that the repeated swapping of the seatposts could be more damaging than simply (carefully) clamping a carbon seatpost.

Note none of this is personal experience, just from what I have read when looking into this question myself.

km991148

I have had moderate success with a broom handle cut to length wedged under the seat post; work best if you have a walled garden or simmilar where you can lean the handle bar against a wall on the left, with the front wheel pushing against a wall in front..

go easy tho, if it fall then I claim no responsability!

Chips Lovell

I clamp the seat post, but I have an aluminium one. Even if you had carbon, a broken seatpost is way easier and cheaper to replace than a broken frame.

kevin2wheels

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

Mobile bicycle mechanic available for hire, PM me for further information, will provide lessons as per hourly rate quoted above. I have worked for a number of bicycle shops in Ireland and the U.S. Greater Dublin area, evenings and weekends only.

Hey,
Myself and three friends need to learn how to fix bikes. We need about 5 hours of lessons over 5 days on select parts of maintenance. Would you be interested in giving us a tutorial.
If so please email me your rates on kevinjhillier@gmail.com or call 0857147340. We will have all the tools and a space to have the lesson.

kevin2wheels

Hey,
Myself and three friends need to learn how to fix bikes. We need about 5 hours of lessons over 5 days on select parts of maintenance. Would you be interested in giving us a tutorial.

If so please email me your rates on kevinjhillier@gmail.com or call 0857147340. We will have all the tools and a space to have the lesson.

too_sleepy

Another endorsement for Mr. Skeffington. I wasn't entirely happy with the bike setup the bike shop did for me, Mr. Skeff fixed these for me:
* gear indexing
* brake position
* front derailleur adjustment - was positioned too low on the frame and tweaked the limit positions. I didn't know what they were before my visit.
* checked tension on seat clamp, apparently a problem on a carbon frame.

Received a proper bike fit:
* Corrected seat height, angle and fore/aft position.
* Handlebar height and angle
* Cleat position

When all this was going on had a good chat about maintenance and feel more confident in making fixes and tweaks on my bike now. Great tips on stretching and training.

Best money I've spent so far and would be my first call if I had any bike problems or questions.

Highly recommend a visit to anyone who wants a good bike fit, maintenance or wants to learn about maintenance,

poochiem

too_sleepy wrote: »

Another endorsement for Mr. Skeffington. I wasn't entirely happy with the bike setup the bike shop did for me, Mr. Skeff fixed these for me:
* gear indexing
* brake position
* front derailleur adjustment - was positioned too low on the frame and tweaked the limit positions. I didn't know what they were before my visit.
* checked tension on seat clamp, apparently a problem on a carbon frame.

Received a proper bike fit:
* Corrected seat height, angle and fore/aft position.
* Handlebar height and angle
* Cleat position

When all this was going on had a good chat about maintenance and feel more confident in making fixes and tweaks on my bike now. Great tips on stretching and training.

Best money I've spent so far and would be my first call if I had any bike problems or questions.

Highly recommend a visit to anyone who wants a good bike fit, maintenance or wants to learn about maintenance,

Yup, as above, Mr Skeff is excellent. I was calling out to learn some gear indexing and basic maintanence and on the way my rear hub seized and a couple of other problems. he fixed all while showing me how to deal with the problems. great stuff and gave me a better understanding of the mechanics of the bike. A1

gman2k

I don't want to take anything away from Mr. Skeffington - all I've heard is excellent reports!
But for those who don't live nearby, I'd highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of the Parktool Big Blue Book of Bicycle repairs 2nd edition.
It has saved me a few trips to the LBS for silly things that I should be well able to do myself! saving money with it every month!

AgriAir

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

Mobile bicycle mechanic available for hire, PM me for further information, will provide lessons as per hourly rate quoted above. I have worked for a number of bicycle shops in Ireland and the U.S. Greater Dublin area, evenings and weekends only.

Hi Mr Skeff,
I'm just wondering if you're still providing lessons on Bike maintenance. If you could PM me some details I would appreciate it.

Beasty

AgriAir wrote: »

Hi Mr Skeff,
I'm just wondering if you're still providing lessons on Bike maintenance. If you could PM me some details I would appreciate it.

Mr Skeffington has now left these shores ....