Seasonal tune up ideas

[Boberto]

Greetings All!

Newbie road biker here and with spring around the corner and hopefully no more snow in Minnesota, I'm excited to hit the roads/paths for the first time (in a long time). I purchased a bike that was sitting in someone's closet and it needs some TLC, so I was hoping to do most of it myself rather than paying the local bike shops $180+ for a seasonal tune up. I did do some googling but I'm not savvy on the terms so of course I ended up with motorcycle stuff, 'cycling' which could go down completely the wrong path, etc... and just not good resources.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

 

[alfeng]

Start with ...

www.sheldonbrown.com

www.parktool.com​

 

[rz3300]

The two main things that I make sure to do is the clean my bike, like really really clean it, and make it look as new as possible, and I always inspect the brakes. I have gotten pretty good at looking at my brakes and diagnosing and fixing any issues, and it usually does not require anything more than that. I try to avoid the shop, but sometimes that is just not possible.

 

[oldbobcat]

Around here a basic tune-up costs around $69-80. That generally includes adjusting shifting, brakes, hubs, and headset, a general exterior cleaning, lubing the chain, and non-invasive wheel truing. New parts and any procedure that requires removing components other than wheels would be extra.

If you've got basic tools, desire to learn, and are detail-oriented, you can do most of this yourself.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

1. Buy this: http://www.parktool.com/product/big-blue-book-of-bicycle-repair-3rd-edition-bbb-3
2. Buy these: http://www.parktool.com/product/professional-tool-kit-pk-2?category=Tool Kits
3. Profit?