Demystifying the bike mechanic and observing ethics in the bike industry

Bikes are a mystical thing.  As are the creatures who build them, repair them, build wheels, wrench at shops and work on pro riders bikes.  They posses alchemist like abilities to diagnose and prescribe remedies to solve any bike related mystery with a seemingly divination like methodology.  This is what myself and many others at one point believed in; that bike mechanics are wizards who do things beyond "normal" peoples abilities.  But how wrong we were...

Bikes are simple objects in principle

When I initially got into working on my own bikes I suffered from the preconceived notion that this stuff was half magic, half science.  The multi speed drive train was an enigma to me and working on bikes beyond the basics of single speed and fixed gear was daunting.  I didn't really know what I was doing until I started to dive in and get my hands dirty, only to discover that with some homework, elbow grease, perseverance and patience I could take care of most basic bike related mechanics with fairly basic tools.  Sure, if I wanted to press in a new headset or overhaul a bottom bracket there was an initial investment in the proper tools, but once the principles were understood and applied it started to become clear that even with so many different bikes with different designs out there in the world, I could wrap my head around how to work on them by understanding the fundamental parallels.  If these people out there in books and on the internet we able to do it, from novices to professionals; so could I and so can you.

There is a problem though; The multi-national, mega profiteering bicycle and component manufactures that spin this little bike world round are not doing everything they can to help make these things do able for the average DIY person, if anything at all.  It has become increasingly difficult to open up and repair bikes and their components as getting inside requires newer proprietary tools and highly specialized bits for such products.  Lets not even get started on Suspensions, hydraulics and electronics in the bike world.

Some badwomen showing the men that they can get it done solo

The less you understand, the more they profit

 Most bicycles today are designed and manufactured in a blackbox fashion that makes simple tasks far more complex than they need to be in the name of supposed convenience.  As a stark example, when brake levers and shifters are integrated into one large, enclosed unit of rubber and plastic it is no wonder that most people look at the thing and believe that its function is beyond their realm of knowledge.  Push a lever and get a gear shift with an audible "CLICK"; drop a gear and vice versa.  Look for an answer of how it works and you probably won't find an easy answer in the jungle of springs, cir clips, pawls, detents and more plastic. All of these facets are deliberately contained in a nice, smooth and seemingly featureless body of rubber and plastic.  The outward appearance is simplicity and seamless function, but the inner workings are a delicate dance of the razors edge of precision.  All of this stuff does indeed work initially; but when things get gummy and gooey inside as they inevitably will, springs loose tension, detents stop grabbing, pawls get stuck and operating on these these things can be a daunting task even for skilled mechanics.  The cost-benefit of such labor is so highly inverted in most bike shops that if the brifter (as Sheldon Brown coined the integrated shifter/brake lever term) can not function again with a basic flush and re-lubrication, the thing is often tossed and replaced with a new unit.

 It is not in the manufacturer's best interest that your repair comes cheap and easy, especially in the case of $200+ brifters that are wedded to your groupo or 7/8/9/10/11/12 speed drive train from such manufacturer (as of this blog post Performance Bikes sells the mid level, Shimano ST-5700 10 speed brifters for $200 on sale and $300 for the Ultegra 11 speed counterpart).  Usually by the time someone's brifter wears out there is already a new, "better" upgrade to have hit the market with 1 more gear, or a new pull rate or new cog spacing that requires a new brifter, derailleur or cassette. If the upgrade doesn't occur, its just as lucrative to have the product disposed of only to pressure the consumer into buying a replacement if they wish to continue the drive train marriage that they initially invested lots of money into. When this happens no one learns anything, fill-in-the-blank component manufacture and bike shop get to make a much more cost effective sale (plus labor for installation), product is wasted, and the whole magical mystique thing continues on.  The consumer is never told that had they spent their money more wisely (against the discretion of bike shop salespeople and the brands that back them) they would see a higher return on their purchase in the form of easier and less expensive repair, extended longevity and a more user friendly product. 

This is what the inside of your brifter looks like. Most of these will be quickly discarded  :(

Simple gear means simple fixes

  This bike wrenching thing is pretty universally applicable, accessible and as stated earlier nearly anyone is capable of doing it.  When presented as the basic function that bike mechanics can be, it opens up a new world for "home mechanics/hobbyists" and those who wish to be able to do most basic repair themselves.  When things like wheels, drive trains and bearing assemblies are designed in ways that function as simply but effectively as possible, it allows for intelligible and repeatable repair with fewer and fewer proprietary parts, tools and knowledge.

The fact of the matter is that bicycles and their inner workings do not need to be over engineered, super complex feats of technological alchemy to do what they have been doing very well for a very good while.  If you look at the design and function of a road or cruiser bike from the the 50's and beyond, you will see that not a lot has changed even with the many refinements that have occurred along the way.  It is only due the relentless focus on corporate earnings that we see such forced "innovation" in this massively competitive market that gives us back such obsolescence, complexity, and lack of cross compatibility.  It is simply not in the best interest of the bigger powers that be to have your bike and its components to last for 10+ years and be highly serviceable for low cost.

A simple, well designed bicycle.
Most of these parts can be opened up and worked on many times over with few tools.

Getting started

 

If you want to either buy a complete bike and begin servicing it or start from the ground up with just a frame and fork; here are a few of the things I would recommend after having gone through much trial and error throughout the years with various bike builds and repairs both at home and in bike shops.

1.  Getting a reliable bike frame (steel will outlast and outclass just about anything) that uses commonly accepted industry standards.  1" or 1 1/8" head tubes for a variety of fork replacement options. A 68mm bottom bracket shell that will work with an incredible amount of bottom brackets, be it newer outboard style bearings or square tapered units allows myriad option.
2. Selecting wheels that use conventional spokes, materials and designs.  Regardless of whether or not you prefer disc or rim brakes: there is a reason why aluminum clincher rims, stainless steel spokes and 32/36 hole hubs have constantly been used for well over 70 years.
3. Using a drive train that will allow you to mix and match cassettes/freewheels, shift with confidence and be serviceable.  For those of you who don't know me well, my ideal drive train is a friction setup that allows for near 100% interchangeability.  If needed one could use  Suntour shifters, Shimano derailleurs, Campagnolo hubs, an atom freewheel, sugino cranks/rings and a Sram chain all on the same bike.  Good luck finding a modern, off the shelf bike like this.  The initial setup for friction shifting is very simple and the upkeep is even simpler.

Purchasing within your means is key to doing this all in a non stressed, fun fashion.  There will be marketing pressure that pushes the importance of having tons of gears, ultra light weight material and super modern components, but if you can only afford an inexpensive used 70's road bike, work within your means and make the most of it.  Some of the most incredible and cost effective bike builds I have seen and taken part in have come from 70's and 80's frames that have been graced with ergonomic bars, comfortable saddles, racks for hauling gear, wider tires and lower gearing for practical riding.  Even if practical riding is not your thing and you just want to go fast, all of the aspects above can still be applied to such a bike.

Someones old Raleigh that got some good love. All the aforementioned upgrades brought this beauty back to life.