Do you know of any resources to help learn bicycles? I wish I could tune my own bicycle but can't seem to figure it out. I can build my own computer, change the oil in my car, paint a house, etc. but my bicycle always befuddles me.
It's a learning curve. Start with the bits of regular maintenance you need to do, and go on YouTube to learn how to do it. Besides Sheldon Brown's webpage, Park Tools make great maintenance tutorials.
Start with tuning brakes, to changing chains, and tuning derailleurs, changing cables, taking bits off for cleaning.
It will feel cumbersome, and a few times you will get yourself into a mess and end up taking a more-broken bike to the shop. But you'll get there eventually.
Just about any book on the subject will be adequate to get the basics. There's also nearly nothing on a bicycle you can screw up in a way that you can't in-screw it up by turning the screw in the other direction (exception: wheel trueing, but even that you have to blow pretty bad to taco a rim). If you get into rebuilding mountain bike suspension, this doesn't apply, but that shouldn't be your first project anyway. Oh yeah, and hydraulic brakes probably also wouldn't be a great first project.
Get a book and start experimenting. Plan on re-doing some work.
Maybe find a way to hold the bike without investing in a work stand if you're over thirty. I've done a lot of work on the side of the road while bike touring, but that doesn't hold much appeal these days if I have another choice.
ETA: get a tube of bike grease from Park and a bottle of chain lube (Tri-Flow is fine, and so is everything else). Those'll cover your lubricant needs for years.
Besides Sheldon Brown, look for community bike shops in your area! They often need volunteers to help out with all kinds of things and you’ll get direct exposure to a huge variety of bike tech and really knowledgeable folks who live and breathe bikes.
Also get a copy of the Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair from Park tools. A good reference before the Internet. There are other good books as well that cover specific parts - The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt is good too if you want to go really in depth on spoked wheels.
Talk to the folks at your local bike shop, and they can 1) tell you what type of parts your bike has so you can find the right resources 2) refer you to local groups who work on bikes like "bike kitchens" 3) sell you parts and tools you may need.
Also, friends who work on bikes are usually happy to help!
Yes, definitely, but please remember that while we love talking bikes, if you make a habit of discussing the purchase of an $8 set of brake pads for 20 minutes, we'll mysteriously disappear the next time you walk in.
Another vote for Sheldon Brown, but I'd also recommend searching on YouTube for how to do various maintenance jobs. Once you've watched a few videos, you'll soon learn the terminology for the various parts.
They are looking for specific recommendations. There are lots of resources out there and Sturgeon's Law means it's still difficult to find really great sources.
