MTB maintenance

inkey$

inkey$

Lifer
 Sevenoaks & Suffolk
Have decided to build a couple of extra 26" wheels for my 2011 Orange Crush hardtail so I can swap between MTB and slick tyres more easily. Found all the bits I need on eBay so fairly confident I'll be okay, but it got me thinking how I've always wanted to build my own bike from scratch.

Unfortunately my mechanical skills are lacking when it comes to bike maintenance - especially around the areas of bottom brackets, chainsets and adjustments etc. Anybody got an idiots guide to adjusting chain sets, disk brakes or building in general? Any good websites I can look on? Seen a few useful YouTube vids.

Anybody built their own bike with little or no knowledge?
 
I may have misread the first post, you're saying you are going to build a pair of wheels but struggle with the other bits ?
Wheels are the hardest thing to build properly as they need to be round...daft as that sounds, as well as true, rear wheel needs dishing due to the rear cassette (cogs) etc etc
I have built numerous bikes for the last 35 years, built one pair of wheels and now leave it to the pro's, it costs nearly as much to build my own as it does to get a good LBS to do it. You'll need quite a few decent tools (expensive!) to properly build a bike from scratch and will find that you could have bought a pre built bike far cheaper than a home build..unless you have really specific 'wants' for the kit fitted to the bike.
Price it up both ways, road or MTB and see what I mean.

If it's a scratch you simply must itch..go for it, buy a decent bike maintenance book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zinn-Art-Road-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030988/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386360188&sr=8-1&keywords=bike+guide and the right tools...a bike stand comes in handy as well. :thumbsup:
 
^ Agreed. I do all of my own mtb maintenance, have done for years, also build my last 3 bikes. But building wheels is something I've always left to the experts, for all it costs. Seen too many friends DIY wheels folding 12 miles from the car or continually needing truing. The rest is easy :)

I'd like to learn the art though...
 
If you do your own maintenance then building is easy. If you remember I built up my Cotic BFe earlier in the year.

Would like to have a go at building wheels but doubt I will ever get round to it.
 
Thanks a lot guys. Maybe building wheels is a heavy step to take first off! I've ordered that book and have a stand so maybe I'll dedicate some quality time towards basics homework.
 
Wheel building looks quite tricky! When pre built wheels and hubs are so abundant i went with the easy option of some hope wheels for the mtb and fulcrum for the road bike.
 
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