WANTED: Help/tutoring to pimp my Plug

Not sure how this is going to go, but if you don't ask, you don't get...I want to pimp my Plug Charge - change the wheels, new front fork, handlebars, brake set up etc etc.

However I don't have a clue where to start, other than the wheels (which even I know how to change and which ones I want)

I know I can get guidance and tips from here and other internet sources but my mechanical skills/understanding are pretty basic. It took me a f**king age to do the simple task of replacing a chain, but once someone actually showed me how to do it, I could master it, and can do it with no probs.

So...big ask, would anyone be up for showing/guiding/teaching me how to replace bits of my bike bit by bit? I'm afraid I can't really afford to pay but I could pay in food, booze and do the dance of gratitude. It's a good dance.

Anyone? Bueller, Bueller?

I suggest you do an internet search for sheldon brown, a great reference site for all things.

also there are some great maintainence books out there that will explain most things.

where do you live? i'm in putney and wouldn't mind showing you around your bike and how it fits together. i wouldn't need payment.

Maybe you could start with bars/ brake levers as they're easist to take off and install, and quite rewarding as you get the most noticeable difference looks and performance-wise.

CTUK do awesome training courses on bike maintenance

you can often get subsidies to cover some of the training

i did a write up about them

https://www.lfgss.com/thread48608.html?highlight=ctuk

re pimping your bike, its probably best to just upgrade components when they wear out or if you decide there is a specific purpose to changing something (eg clips and straps to clipless pedals, change of handlebar type to get extra riding positions etc). though so says the man who just changed cranks for the hell of it.

I suggest you do an internet search for sheldon brown, a great reference site for all things.

also there are some great maintainence books out there that will explain most things.

I'm a big fan of Sheldon Brown, and well aware of his work but like I said, I learn better from being shown stuff rather than trying to teach myself...previous attempts at trying to do stuff myself have ended in making things worse than better.

where do you live? i'm in putney and wouldn't mind showing you around your bike and how it fits together. i wouldn't need payment.

Thanks! : ) I'm in Tottenham, but have bike, can travel etc...will PM you, thanks again!

Maybe you could start with bars/ brake levers as they're easist to take off and install, and quite rewarding as you get the most noticeable difference looks and performance-wise.

This is where I was planning on starting tbh but thanks for top tip

CTUK do awesome training courses on bike maintenance

you can often get subsidies to cover some of the training

i did a write up about them

http://www.lfgss.com/thread48608.html?highlight=ctuk

re pimping your bike, its probably best to just upgrade components when they wear out or if you decide there is a specific purpose to changing something (eg clips and straps to clipless pedals, change of handlebar type to get extra riding positions etc). though so says the man who just changed cranks for the hell of it.

Will look it up, thanks DJ...and was going to start on bars cos a) I've somehow managed to warp the flat bars I've got on my Plug (probably when trying to sort something else) and I'm hoping switching to drops might speed me up a bit...

Come round mine poots, bring stuff and beer. I'm SE22 thooooo. And a quite busy and a bit sick of building bikes but always here to help. :)

Ohmygod...I really wanted to "like" the above post...I've been facebookwashed.

I still like it though. Thanks for awesome offer!

Bikes are not really all that complicated bits of machinery, just take it apart and see what happens. Do this on a Saturday morning so you can take the remnants down to the LBS in the afternoon to put right what you've wrecked.

though so says the man who just changed cranks for the hell of it.

Ah, up-grady-itus.

All that's left of my commuter is the F&F. Everything else "needed" to be changed.

Now, where's the Salsa catalogue?