REI Hands On Bike Maintenance Class Review
Yesterday, I took REI’s Hands On Bike Maintenance class at the Raleigh store. To start things, off, I am a avid cyclist, but not a die hard. I am not super-mechanical when it comes to fixing things, but I can usually figure things out when I have a good set of directions and maybe a few pictures. As far as bike maintenance goes, it has always kind of bothered me that I pay $60 - $100 to someone to do basic maintenance once a year that doesn’t seem all that hard. I also must admit, I was a bit inspired from reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
So, when I saw that REI offered a Hands On class taught by their lead wrench, I figured, “why not? It is the same cost as a tune up”. The class was great, the mechanic was very friendly, informative and great at at answering questions.
For the class, I brought my Specialized RockHopper (about 4 years old) b/c my Felt F90 road bike had just been in for a tune-up. Other people in the class had road bikes, but most of the information pertains to either style of bike. If you have both styles, however, I would bring your Mt. Bike, b/c you will want the added info about suspension maintenance.
The first thing we did (there were 4 people in the class) was wipe down the bike, talk about the parts, and examine the frame and components for problems. This was good for learning some more about the different parts and how they work together. Next we took off our wheels and set them aside. We then measured our chains for wear. I definitely needed a new one, as it was very well worn. Luckily, I didn’t need a new cassette or rings. We also checked our cassettes for wear. We then took off our crankarms and cleaned/inspected the bottom bracket. I had never done this before, but it was quite easy. Then we took off our cassette’s, cleaned them up and examined them.
After putting the wheels and cranks back on, we worked on our dérailleur’s. Our mechanic walked us through how to align the jockey wheel’s, work the limiting screws and adjust the tension. This was a real eye-opener for me, b/c someone in the past had told me the main way you fix shifting problems is by changing the limiting screws. In reality, once you get the limiting screws properly adjusted, you shouldn’t have to do too much with them unless you notice a problem (at least in the rear). After some playing with that rear dérailleur, we moved onto the front. After inspecting mine, it was clear I needed a new one, but I didn’t have time to put it on in the store, plus they didn’t have what I wanted in stock, so I need to order one and do it myself. I now feel totally confident in doing this. For the time being, I got mine setup the best I can, but there is some play in the it due to it being worn out.
Finally, we went over adjusting the headset, truing the wheels, adjusting the suspension fork (if applicable) and brakes. Most of this part I was pretty obvious, but still good to go over.
In all, I believe the 5 hours spent will be well worth my time, as I am now confident I can do most of the work on my bike and will just need to buy some tools and parts from time to time. Naturally, the incentive for REI in this game is they want you to buy tools and components from them, which I don’t have any problem with at all. I have been a member their a long time and have always liked doing business with them. This experience just adds to that feeling of trust.
So, if you are sick of not knowing how your bike works, sign up for a class. You won’t regret it.
