Doggone Posted July 4, 2012 Share I have just spent the past weekend on the bike maintenence course run by Johan of Yellow Saddles. I found it to be one of the best courses I have ever attended in terms of straight talk, practical advice followed by direct practice and debunking of popular cycling myths. The course runs over 2 whole days. To say that you get your money's worth would be an undertstatement. It covers the following:Bearings - in depth as these are at the heart of all moving parts of our bikesWe removed and replaced bearings in BB, Hubs and headset as well as discussing the bearings in the suspension of our bikes.We removed our cranks and clusters and learnt to understand the mechanics of the derailleur as well as setting it up and installing of above.Chain and sprocket wear were covered in detail and I can only say that I have been fooled by the lbs mechanics into unnecessary replacements for the last time.Tools required for maintaining your own bike were also discussed as well as sourcing thereof at realistic prices.Overall the course was an eye opener. I believe that even if you dont want to maintain your bike yourself , you need to understand the mechanics lest you be ripped off . It will also help with diagnosis of what the problem is to speed up fixing problems. Biggest lesson for me is that I am always only 2-3 minutes away from a flawlessly running drivetrain. That in itself makes the course time well spent. I will be back for a refresher later in the year as well as going on the shock repair/maintenance course. Thanks Johan and the other delegates for making it an enjoyable learning experience. Edited July 4, 2012 by Doggone DR ◣◢ and DirtyFrank 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieterg Posted July 4, 2012 Share +1.Johan please let the hub know when the next course is? RossW and Coenie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTBeer Posted July 6, 2012 Share anything like this in Cape Town that is worthwhile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwan Kemp Posted July 6, 2012 Share From his website http://www.yellowsad...0Schedules.html EDIT: Removed old schedule Edited July 9, 2012 by The Crow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowpoke Posted July 6, 2012 Share Look at the date on that... I think he runs courses on the last weekend of each month, but he really needs to comment on this thread to confirm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Bornman Posted July 6, 2012 Share 2012 Course Calendar Repair and Maintenance Johannesburg 25 & 26 February 28 & 29 April 26 & 27 May 30 June/1July 25 & 26 August 29 & 30 September 24 & 25 November 8 & 9 December Repair and Maintenance Cape Town 24 & 25 March 27 & 28 October Wheelbuilding Johannesburg 11 & 12 February 15/16 September Fork Maintenance Workshop Johannesburg 07 April 2012 09 June 2012 Fork Maintenance Workshop Cape Town 23 March 2012 26 October 2012 Bike Maintenance for Ladies 28 January 2012 10 March 2012 11 August 2012 slowpoke and TheV 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNT1 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Bike Maintenance for Ladies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTBeer Posted July 6, 2012 Share Bike Maintenance for Ladies?bike maintainance without breaking a fingernail... Edited July 6, 2012 by MTBorDIE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNT1 Posted July 6, 2012 Share bike maintainance without breaking a fingernail... Well, that's why I was asking. I mean, bike maintenance is bike maintenance, innit? And if it's done in way so that the ladies don't get greasy hands, then they're not really learning the right stuff, are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep Pedaling Posted July 9, 2012 Share "bike maintainance without breaking a fingernail" I would be willing to pay good money for someone to teach my wife: 1. How to get her own chain back on.2. How to identify there is something wrong with her bike before the ride starts.3. How to identify her fork is locked out and it is not her bike that is 'uncomfortable'. DR ◣◢ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Bornman Posted July 9, 2012 Share "bike maintainance without breaking a fingernail" I would be willing to pay good money for someone to teach my wife: 1. How to get her own chain back on.2. How to identify there is something wrong with her bike before the ride starts.3. How to identify her fork is locked out and it is not her bike that is 'uncomfortable'. That's the one. I teach them that and more in the absence of chip-on-the-shoulder okes who already everything and just come along for the beer. 15% of of my customers are female and they attend the regular classes - broken nails and all. However, some just want to learn how to do the very basics, feel confident about noises and minor mishaps and identify them and learn how to communicate with their mechanics. I could probably work a bit on the title of that workshop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li Mu Bai Posted July 9, 2012 Share yup, great course from a no-nonsense instructor. Money well spent invested, you will never look back... highly recommended. Edited July 9, 2012 by Li Mu Bai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catatonic_Joe Posted July 9, 2012 Share I've been for the course too, and its excellent, Johan has so much patience with his students and even after the course, never once neglected to help me over the phone. If you love bikes and want to save loads of money paying bikes shop for maintenance, this course it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikekid Posted July 9, 2012 Share If only we had something like this in Durbs - I would definitely do the Fork and wheel building course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenhorn Posted July 11, 2012 Share What are the course prices? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V12man Posted July 11, 2012 Share Why weekends only? weekday courses would be great too, saves a big pink slip with the family, and I am really short on those at the moment thanks to some multi day events... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now