Is replacing the spokes on bike wheels something you can learn to do yourself?
I’m a heavy guy and regularly have spokes break on my back wheel. Getting a bicycle repair guy to fix it is a pain in the ass and kind of pricey. Ideally I would like to have a couple of spokes lying around so I could fix the wheel myself.
I’m not a complete idiot with tools but I’m still very much an amateur. Can I learn to do it myself?
If you do want to fix it yourself, it’s kind of a steep learning curve if you don’t have someone there to hold your hand your first couple of times, bring in a six pack of beer to your local bike shop and ask if they can show you the basics, I always loved doing that when I worked a shop. YouTube can teach you a lot, but since it sounds like you’re rough on wheels, I recommend prebuilt ready to run for the least hassle. If you’ve got time to learn, I recommend going to a thrift store, getting a really cheap wheel, and take it apart and put it back together a couple of times, paying attention to what spokes go where. Again, super steep learning curve, but you can mess it up as you don’t need this wheel to get by.
I can get a grandma from zero knowledge to pro in about 80 hours. I wish I was joking but my areas disenfranchised population wants to work in this factory for the benefits and chill atmosphere that comes with a bicycle company.
I do hate these fucking dentists I build wheels for. Don’t get me started about triathletes. But holy fuck do I love bicycles. I’m grateful for them being a healthy outlet for my rough childhood.
