Bike Building/Fixing

Where can I learn, ideally for nothing, how to build and fix a bike. I know you can do accredited courses like Cytech but they cost a fair bit. I'm hoping there might be

a) opportunities to pop into LBS's and shadow mechanics on weekends on various builds and repair jobs
b) attend free build workshops or skillsshare things

Any ideas?

I'm based in South London (Tooting) and willing to travel for learning!

Cheers

Joe

Sources - The instructions that come with components, the Park Tools website, Sheldon Brown and YouTube.
Seriously, aside from wheelbuilding and frame repair, I've learned every other bike maintenance skill from the above.
Tools - Buy nice or buy twice.
Have patience.
Take notice of parts that require low torque on bolts (I've watched several fixie skidders crack their Thomson faceplates from over-enthusiastic cranking with an allen key). You may not need to buy a torque wrench, but there's no harm in treating yourself.
Strip your drivetrain to clean it properly (that means chain off, cassette off, chainrings off, jockey wheels off).
Learn to set up cables, it's a piece of piss (gears and caliper brakes especially).

It's not rocket salad.

There is/was a place near Elephant and Castle that does open workshop and has a stock of tools/parts for casual users. Someone here from sarf London will pick up on this and give you details. My name tells you all you need to know about my intimate knowledge of hell!!!

Ah, think you mean http://www.56a.org.uk/bikeworkshop.html

I'll pop down and spend a bit of time learning from them.

Some of the best tools I have bought are a chain whip, locking nut, and park monkey wrench - use it all the time to get the cassette off and clean it - by Park and great quality. Have now invested in a torque wrench. It's bottom brackets and headsets that get me all confused/scared I'll break something. I don't have any of the tools or knowledge in how to complete repair work - eg fitting fork or bb and crank.. I suppose those are the two areas I want to know most about..

Thanks for the tips chaps.

Have a start with this video and work your way along the parts(6 parts I think) of the bikemanforu videos on BBs. I found them a good reminder when I hadn't done much bike stuff for a while. For the most part you would be looking at cartridge bottom brackets or "external" ones and then to get the chainline correct it's just a case of measuring the chainline and then switching the bottom bracket with another one that is the correct size(the videos explain it well).

American Bottom Bracket - Crank Conversion - Part 1 - BikemanforU DIY Repair - YouTube

In general the tools you will need will be a BB wrench for external styles, it goes around the outside of the external BB with the teeth.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/TOJWBBW/jobsworth_bottom_bracket_wrench

Or for the other styles a splined socket end thing that looks kinda like the one for a rear cassette but bigger. Also a crank puller to force the cranks away from the bb.

Buying tools I would generally say buy a set to start with and add to it as you go, I have the jobsworth set under and then another chainwhip that isn't shared with other tools and a couple of other bits that aren't in the kit.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/TOJW13PC/jobsworth_13pc_essential_tool_kit

This kit is maybe a bit better, has one of them bb wrenches too but generally speaking the kits are mostly the same.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/x-tools-bike-tool-kit-18-piece/rp-prod40997

Tools I wouldn't rush out to buy are things like wheel truing stands(as you can flip the bike over and true from the forks/brakes), anything to do with the headset like headset presses and extractors and all sorts. Other really obscure tools you might use once if you are lucky. Cone spanners another thing I wouldn't rush to buy, you only need one to be thin and then the top can be any thickness, they really aren't different the more you spend.

I have a bike in bits at the moment as I'm planning to respray it and convert it to single speed. It's a pile of junk tbh but I can risk spraying it badly for just that reason. If you want to come over and have a look at "the insides" then I'm in streatham hill not far away. Happy to put the old bb back in and take it out again so you can see.

Sorry linked to the wrong one. 1 part cranks are kinda rare these days but this should help understand chainline a bit more.

Sealed Bottom Bracket - 68mm BBT Shell Spindle Lengths - YouTube

Thanks very much for this - those videos are incredibly helpful and finally I'm understanding BB's a bit better now....

I might take you up on the offer providing that's still open... I'm in Tooting Bec so really close..

Thanks very much for this - those videos are incredibly helpful and finally I'm understanding BB's a bit better now....

I might take you up on the offer providing that's still open... I'm in Tooting Bec so really close..

The bike is half way sprayed so I won't be rebuilding/touching it for a week or so now apart from the other coats.

Glad the videos are helping. I find the bikes that guy works on look more like "real" bikes and less like the brand new sparkling carbon everything bikes in some of the other youtube videos.

Hey guys, I'm new to this site and this thread caught my eye.

I'm part way building a bike for the first time. Learning loads, but I've got stuck:

I've an old Raleigh 501 frame and bought some old 105 brakes to put on it, but the mounting bolt nut is too wide for the hole in the frame. Went to lbs. He suggested finding some longer bolts - use front for back brake, but would need 75mm bolt for the front. He also suggested joining this so...

Is it possible to get a extra long bolt? If so any ideas where?
Or does anyone have any other ideas of how to solve this problem?

Thanks!!

Your frame was made when brakes were held in place by a conventional nut, which threads onto the brake and sits outside the fork and chainstay bridge.

The brakes you have are the modern style, which use a nut fastened with an Allen key which sits recessed inside the fork or bridge.

You can easily drill out the rear of the forks to accept a recessed nut, using an 8mm bit.

There is no access to drill out the bridge in the same way, but there are a couple of ways around this.

You can drill out the rear of the bridge and mount the brake on the front, in the opposite way to the usual.

However I guess your bridge is likely just an unreinforced tube and if you drill it, it will be too weak and twist or snap when you brake.

As the mechanic suggested, you could mount a front brake on the rear: they have a longer mounting bolt which will protrude far enough the bridge for you to get a nut on.

Alternatively, use the intended calliper with an external nut: they're cheap and you don't need a dual pivot brake on the rear wheel.

or you could get some old weinmann calipers? i use 730s on most of my bikes and they can be had for pretty cheap on the 'bay, may be too long a drop depending on the frame/wheels, but there are other sizes available.

Great, thanks guys. Really helpful, will investigate!