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I have a less-than-stellar Schwinn road bike that I bought a few years back for city commuting. I haven't ridden in a while, but I'm looking to casually get back into it (think paved paths at a moderate pace) and was looking to spruce the thing up a bit to make my rides a little more enjoyable. For what it's worth, the bike is an aluminum-framed 7-speed with drop bars and basic rim brakes.
Disclaimer: I know virtually nothing about bike maintenance, but I want to learn; I like working with my hands and I don't have the money to spend on professional shop work. That said, I have a few questions:
1. What are some good resources for DIY tutorials and information (aside from sheldonbrown.com, of course)?
2. I'm thinking about upgrading my brakes. Aside from correct sizing, what should I look for in a good brake system? What brand(s) would give me the best bang for the buck? Is replacing the brake system a hard thing to do?
3. I was hoping to upgrade the cassette and chain. I've been having some trouble finding 7-speed stuff, and I got the crazy idea to swap out the entire drivetrain. Would that even be worthwhile or should I just hold out for some 7-speed gear?
You tube is a great resource. BicycleTutor is great too, I think they began charging a year or two ago.
Replacing brakes isn't that difficult. Best bang with brakes IMO are the pads. KoolStops are good ones.
With the cassette and chain you'll need some bike specific tools (a chain breaker most likely and a chain whip).
If you plan to be wrenching on the bike a good amount and doing most stuff yourself, I'd invest in some good tools. And the most important thing IMO is a stand.
I also checked the library for bike maintenance books that make sense to me, not all do. This is the one I ended up buying:
Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance: The World's Best-Selling Bicycle Repair and Maintenance Guide
I usually read through the procedure first, then study my bike, and then look up a youtube. Yes, good tools help. I'm coming to this late in life: at my last house, I lived down the street from a bike store with inexpensive rates. Now, the nearest bike store is on the other side of the metro, and their rates aren't cheap. I would use them for something major, but I'm learning to do my own tune-ups and seasonal maintenance.
Books are helpful but they can’t show things like a video can. I guess both are good – books and Youtube.
One last thing though. There are many places around me that do free bike repair clinics. Shops sometimes do it too. You may want to do a google search for that and see if there is anything in your area. Or post the question of repair clinics on a bike forum – roadbikereview.com is a good one.
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