New in Ballarat

[Kingshill]

Yeh, planning on doing it all myself but need to get it right until my bike maintenance manual turns up and I get/make a work stand

What manual are you looking at? I know one of the blokes bought a book and it has been pretty useless because parts are different, bikes are different etc. If you can watch some of these guys work you learn a lot more.

Also Ballarat Bicycle Centre in Armstrong Street tends to looks after a lot of the Hardmen. He rides with the group quite a bit.

 

[moorey]

Dave at Bicycle centre is a hard man, yes. Roadie who just opened cyclescape is a regular rider, but a bit busy with the new shop at the moment to ride much. Phil Orr at gove is a hardcore xc/road rider and top mechanic and Tim at Navajo has as good a workshop as any.
Personally, I say that any one of them will look after you well. It might come down to location, or just who you get along with/ride with. If i recommend one over the other, it would be more biased towards friends than anything else. I have never had a bike service in 15 years, just learnt to do it myself or got a hand with the occasional fork from stoo (who you'll catch at the hard men most weeks)
Playing with bike maintenance is fun, particularly if you're practically inclined, like, oh, an apprentice welder/metal fab man. Buy some basic tools, you can get kits cheap, and have a crack. You might even be able to claim them on tax ;-)
Google bike James for technical info, and YouTube vids for most stuff. You really can't fuck up the basics like drivetrain, brake adjustments, cranks/bottom brackets and headset tightening, so just have a play if you have 30 min spare.

 

[moorey]

Ps, you're welcome to drop around on the weekend and I can show you the basics. I can't ride the hardmen this weekend unless I can magically find someone to look after the kids for the morning. I'm free most of Saturday, and at home Sunday incase you need anything done after your morning ride.

 

[mitch_302]

The maintenance book I've ordered is 'Zinn and the art of mountain bike maintenance' I read a heap of good reviews on the net about it so I thought it would be worth the money. My internet access/usage is a bit limited at the moment and I'd rather have a book to go back and forth too in my garage.

Have got myself a neat little tool set that's been handy already as well a solid collection of mechanics tools, I've got every intention of getting to a point where I do all of my own work. Have been playing around this week with gears, working on the bike upside down and now the breaks have gone soft. Assuming that working on the bike upside down has worked some air into the lines, and my gear adjustments aren't 100% either.

So think ill get a proper service to get it spot on until I get this manual, a work stand, and a better light for my garage, the one I've got now is useless so time limited to when the.sun starts dropping.

 

[moorey]

I didn't notice what brakes you were running. If the reservoirs suck from the bottom, and they were low on oil, and you had the bike upside down, you could have got air in the lines, giving you the spongy levers.
If you're trying to get it serviced before the weekend, get onto it...most shops are pretty busy at the moment, and you don't want your steed stuck in a workshop over the weekend.
Consider my offer for a quick tune up and brake bleed on the weekend. 30 minutes should cover it.

 

[moorey]

Oh, and what is this 'garage' you speak of. A mans workshop is in his living room (provided his wife doesn't know about it)

 

[mitch_302]

Oh, and what is this 'garage' you speak of. A mans workshop is in his living room (provided his wife doesn't know about it)

Despite my best efforts, living with my girlfriend, my sister and another messy bastard of a house mate my workshop is more storage unit than anything else.

Just dropped the bike off at Navajo for its first and last service with me.... Hopefully.