Take it to the shop or DIY- a Poll

Hey - so I am going to be doing my first broadcast with our lovely and talented Jack Thurston on the bike show and I was wondering how many of you are totally DIY and how many take their bike to the shop. Help me out here :)

I do my it.

DYI?
I'm totally DYI.

(shop for jobs I know I'll bugger up)

fking dyslexic me..

A bit of both? Headsets and BB tools can be a pain/expensive, everything else I do myself.

Without wanting to sound like a nob, I doubt most shop mechanics know anything I don't.

there isn't a both button. just pick the one you think suits best i guess.

mr.dov - you's a star :)

I go to the shop for jobs I don't have the tools for- headset extraction and hydraulic disc bleeding.

Anything else I tend to do myself.

Would heartily suggest anyone does the Ctuk mechanic courses.

Errmm... I like to try everything myself firstly coz I am a cheap bastard, secondly I feels good to DIY. I'll take it to the shops if i cant do it or I dont have the tools for it.

Of the cyclists I know, the few who ride fixed/ss are well into the mechanical side of things, I guess almost automatically after learning how to convert/build/etc.
The majority of my friends/family who have bought a complete bike and never tinkered with it would take it to a shop, or ask one of their fixie-skidder friends.

(I think what I'm trying to say is that if you ask on here you'll mostly get DIY, and it might not be the best representation of cyclists in general)

Errmm... I like to try everything myself firstly coz I am a cheap bastard, secondly I feels good to DIY. I'll take it to the shops if i cant do it or I dont have the tools for it.

When, appon your arrival the mechanics all laugh at how you've mashed up all your bike bits.

Biscuits might lessen the ridiculing however (free tip)

I'm lazier than most, and not that anal about maintenance so I pretty much just ride the fucker until, something major comes up that I can't figure out what/why, then speak to Jimbilly.
Taking my roadbike back to Mosquito, when I get back but that's because it has gears and I've got lifetime servicing with them for it.
bought a book on bike repairs/maintenance, so usually look/refer to that when anything comes up as I don't do enough maintenance/repairs on a regular basis to know exactly what to do from memory if anything untoward appears.
Looking to do more when I return though, just one less expense isn't it.

PS I'd only really take the bikes to a shop which I trust, and I'm lucky that Brixton cycles is just down the way.
But like hangedup says, riding fixed is usually the quickest, surest way to get someone to maintain their own bike as there is so little to maintain, so the leap from fitting a crankset to building wheels can be pretty short, I've built two sets of wheels and will probably build my own wheels from now on. So what initially looks like a really difficult thing to do becomes really easy and straight forward..

the only thing that would probably stop me from going fully DIY is the need to have some esoteric tools and the cost there in, you know removing, installing headsets, chasing bottom brackets, that sort of thing

DIY offers a terrific sense of achievement.

I do everything except for the fiddly stuff that I know I can do, but really would just rather not (Basically, cabling and tuning gears). So headsets, BBs, are meh; hammer and spanner work. Easy. Knowing how long I should cut the outer from my lever to frame so as to get the ideal bend and most versatility were I to change stems? That's a pros job.

When, appon your arrival the mechanics all laugh at how you've mashed up all your bike bits.

Biscuits might lessen the ridiculing however (free tip)

Yeap...done that with my hub. I dont mind the ridicule but but buying a new wheel I do. So the next time i bought myself a whip and lockring tool. Do you mean bringing the mechanics nice buscuits?

I'm the type of person that has one, maybe two mechanics of choice and I'll go to them regardless of where they're working. Bringing biscuits is always good.

Horatio

Cables and gears are all taught on the Ctuk courses.

Not that difficult once shown how.

@ modan... Always bring them nice Biscuits.

homemade treats will also curry favor & develope loving rapport

Should I bring a curry to Brixton Cycle if I need anything done?

Horatio

Cables and gears are all taught on the Ctuk courses.

Not that difficult once shown how.

Cheers James, but it's not the know-how that's an issue:

I do everything except for the fiddly stuff that I know I can do, but really would just rather not (Basically, cabling and tuning gears).

Doing that stuff well and quickly is an art (like wheel building, but I enjoy wheel building, so don't mind taking my time). I know I can do it (I've done it a number of times), but I don't enjoy it. I think part of it's the fact that once you cut an outer, it's cut. There's not turning back. There's not much else like that in bicycle maintenance. Also, I tend to forget which limit screw needs to be turned which way. That's annoying.

Ultimately, cycling and cycle maintenance is a hobby and something I enjoy. Not that bothered with the parts that I don't enjoy, so I'll pay someone to have a go.

I bought new cables for my roadie a couple of weeks ago and the assistant asked when I'd like to book the bike in to have them fitted.

I see taking it to the shop as a sign of failure. Except for headsets, don't touch 'em.

Should I bring a curry to Brixton Cycle if I need anything done?

Hi, can I use your track pump please

I see taking it to the shop as a sign of failure. Except for headsets, don't touch 'em.

I now own only one bike without an integrated headset