Sometimes you make it look like you’ve been doing this awhile. I can’t believe I just sit here and watch the whole video. It’s strangely great.

at the 24:20 mark, yes, yes and yes. One of the best things about being human is the ability to ride a bike. Spot on!

One tip for the very beginner mechanics here, which can help when dealing with removing rusty fasteners (or parts) is, if you get any movement at all when loosening a fastener, but the part get tight from the rust, stop, then tighten the part, loosen, tighten, loosen, tighten, etc. It can help grind the rust into a finer powder that is inhibiting removal. Combined with any penetrating oil you use, often allows you to get the parts apart without damaging threads. Great video Andy. Especially the details like the spacers and conical washers on some brake pads. But most importantly, sharing your life story with such candor, quite the testament to the practice of self-compassion. Begin Again.

@thinkpadBentnoseTheBlind

15 күн бұрын

awesome advice. Cheers !

When I’m not tinkering with my retro-bikes and the family bikes, I really enjoy watching you tinker with bikes. Not pushing the latest high-end stuff is refreshing content; matching to bike to the user….brilliant!

Thanks Bike Farmer, another great video. You rang a loud bell with me when you spoke about your relationship with the booze.I've been dry about the same length of time and my bikes have been a great help in this. Keep it up all of it and very best wishes to you Philip

Have really enjoyed watching the videos and the candor! Congrats on 12 years of sobriety.

I never quit drinking but I scaled back significantly for health reasons and now I have a beer every three months and usually won’t finish it. As I a side effect I never have to wonder what obnoxious shit I said the night before because I can more easily recall it now.

My favorite change to this bike was going to be the handlebars with sweep. Because it is substantially more comfortable. And then the drill out to Schrader valve happened. First time I ever drilled out a rim was stressful. I wondered if I was compromising the strength of the rim and creating a safety hazard. I watched the sparse amount of videos on KZread and finally went for it. Glad I did. Fiddling with Presta valves is irritating. Thank you BikeFarmer for addressing this procedure. Provides some validation of a mod that increased my bike satisfaction.

@tomalcolm

18 күн бұрын

Is like to know which $20 bars were used? Afiliate link…

One of your best videos so far, in my opinion😊

@bkefrmr

18 күн бұрын

Starting to get the hang of this thing!

Wow you literally described my existence, I was drinking alot and have been sober 8 months bar 1 day. I found walking then realised I can cover more ground cycling, now I want to fix bikes and have been obsessed about learning to do it. I've already bought my son, daughter and diabetic partner a bike and cleaning them and getting knowledge from watching you do your thing. I am so grateful man. If I were in the US I'd come visit. Thank you for sharing we all appreciate you for your efforts. And this was not a Trek bike lol ❤

I had a project to fix up and old steel MTB into a city rider that was standing around for yours. Thanks to your channel I finally fully fixed it up nicely, and I love it so much. Everyday I find myself finding excuses to go ride an errand. :)

Not sure how many times you may have heard this but I’m going to say it anyway. As a kid in the 70s I lived on a bike. And from the time I got my first 10 speed and got a flat. Then had a derail. I learned to fix that stuff myself and from then on all I wanted to be was an “asshole” bike mechanic. I learned to drive when I was 17 the joined the Army at 18. All that stuff went by the wayside. Except that it’s always been in my mind and heart. Now that i have grandsons that are riding they and you have renewed my love for working on bikes. The grandson are amazed at how much I know. I’m amazed at how much I don’t anymore. So thanks and thanks for sharing your story.

Another satisfied customer, that's awesome! I also like to go the extra mile on the build-up: it may seem like you're losing your butt on this one or that one, but the customer gets a bike they can ride and enjoy, and a dealer and service techs they can trust. Those satisfied customers will recommend you to all their friends who see them riding and smiling on a bike you went the extra mile to build years of extra service into. I'll spare you the "I'd ha'done it different" comments, save for this tip: at about 22:30, there's an opportunity to set the limit screws on the rear derailleur, when there's no chain or cable in the way. With Woody Chairellson at the rear of the driveline, you can swing the derailleur with one hand, turn screws with the other, while eyeballing how the guide pulleys line up with the cassette's high and low gears. I find it simplifies the rest of the set up, your mileage may vary. As always, you're awesome! Keep doing what you do, the benefits from tinkerers like you and I. Happy Trails! 😁

Respect to you for opening up about the past. Talking about it helps people in more ways than you can imagine. So happy to hear you made it to the other side. 12 years is a long time! Appreciate it, brother!

Really enjoyable to watch. I'm a 3x7-9 speed guy. So i'm with you.

I'd add a caveat to your upgrade rant. I absolutely agree that the difference between 3x8 and 3x10 is nothing for most people. However, going from 8 speed to 10 speed makes 1x drivetrains viable, and for >90% of people who ride bikes, 1x is the way to go. I'm also upgrading my bike from 3x8 to 2x11 cause I'm tired of managing a triple crankset/derailleur. But I also bike 70mi a week and ride centuries every now and then (doing my first 200k in a couple weeks). Needless to say, I'm far from average

I loved this video very much. Your voice, the music and your work just hit the spot.

I like bikes. I like to ride bikes, I like to tinker with my bikes. Fun to see other people who just like bikes without all the shilling parts and tech.

sometimes, "timing is everything". Glenn is the luckiest bike buyer in the USA this week. excellent combo of bike mechanicing & worldly philosophizing on your part - sharing one's truth w/o preaching (much less, selling) is rare these days.

I watch your tubes for the ethos. I enjoy the Midwest ethic. I absolutely adore the the repair old bikes thing! I love the practical mechanic/ fit your lifestyle thing. I don't necessarily learn many new tricks as I do get reinforced in seeing someone else do it the same way....including dropping the wrenches.

Honestly one of your best videos you are such a true person thank you for that. We need more like you in the industry!!

Just stumbled across this channel and it brought a smile to my face. I spent some time as a bicycle mechanic 20 years ago in Delafield and did it for a bit in a La Crosse a couple years later. It was probably my most enjoyable job with the absolute worst pay. Taking a bike in rough shape and making it run like new was almost meditative for me. Keep up the good work!!!

Andy..great video..i have been in the trade since 1982 and still watched it to the end. Great insights and inspirations. Your best so far..looking forward to the next one..

Thanks for sharing with us. I enjoy your videos immensely.

that is a great bike and super set up, smooth and ready to go, nice job!

Great advice and information in this video! Thanks! I sincerely appreciate your videos of practical tasks paired with empirical philosophy. Even though the video was a comedy of errors (bike, audio, and SD video card memory), you walked us through what was happening and your persistence through failures is inspiring! 😀👍❤

love the bike, love the rants. excellent work and very enjoyable watch! thank you for great content farmer.

Very enjoyable video, from start to finish. Thanks for sharing your personal stories too. I think you hit a resonant chord when you spoke about how important bicycles have been in your life. I feel the same way, as do a lot of others.

Thanks for telling us about your journey to bike repair! Great story! I can identify with that in many ways. Keep up the good work!

I freaking love your channel man. Thabk you so much for putting these videos out there.

I like the tip with the hairspray and grips.Simple,cheap and it works.Thanks💪

Great video. I watched your Trek 7000 video as well. Your videos gave me the confidence to build my own Trek 7000 bike for riding around my neighborhood. It works great and it's easy to maintain. Thanks for all the hard work that you put into your channel.

1:45 I put Maxxis DTH tires on my 2002 Trek 4500 that is now my pub bike. They're great! I also swapped out the heavy suspension forks for rigid Surly forks and added a 24 pack rack to it. 6:00 I don't understand how people can be baffled by presta valves. It's not rocket science. And adapters are cheap! I just keep one in all our bike bags. I could see drilling it out so both rims have the same type of valves though.

i’ve put a lot of my free time into biking and working on bikes, so i can totally see how it would be very satisfying to do what you do. it’s satisfying for me to watch! especially enjoyed seeing the bike go home at the end!

Thanks for sharing your story brother it meant a lot! Bikes and riding have the same meaning in my life. Keep up the great videos.

You would think after being a Bike mechanic myself for 29 years (in the UK and Australia) , I would have had enough of this kind of thing, but you bring a new creative angle to all of it.

Great video Andy! I love all the yapping!!! Keep it up!

You put together one beautifully practical bike! I also enjoyed your comments. Thank you for this excellent video.

I have only recently properly delved into your videos and I think you've got something really special going on. You have combined all the necessary ingredients to make really excellent relatable content. You are the Jurgen Klopp of fixing bikes! If anyone is unfamiliar with the name, he is the hugely likeable really cool guy who was the manager of Liverpool FC until very recently. He's always smiling and has a great sense of humour with an amazing way of relating to people. Not only do you look a bit like him but you share similar characteristics, you could be a long lost relative!

Great work. Nice bike at the end. Will make owner happy!

Great build and attention to detail. Always enjoy your channel.

Loved the bike. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time.

From renovation through to happy customer - excellent!

What a fabulous outcome 👍🏼. Another great video plus a satisfied customer who will doubtless return with future business not to mention the ‘word of mouth’ recommendations and referrals. Way to Go Bike Farmer!

I love your videos, even though I'm mostly into BMX your videos are relaxing, and I enjoy them while I do cardio. Keep up the fantastic work!

There's something SO satisfying about getting a 3x indexed all perfect and smooth 🤤

Another great video Andy. You mentioned what you think your target audience is and I think I'm somewhere in there. I love my fancy road and tri carbon bikes (still mechanical) but I also rock a gravel and adventure bike (heading out to the GDMBR in a month or so) and my 1990's steel Trek 850 that I use as my commuter. I do almost all of my own wrenching and converted the 850 to a SS a few years ago because the winter commuting just ate through drive chains. Your videos are informative and entertaining and sharing some of the personal stuff really made this one stand out. Thank you. Trying to get my riding group talked in to a long weekend ride up to Lake Mills but it's a tall order coming from Iowa.

Great looking bike. Love the yapping.

I don't want to make the same comment as someone else, but you are amazing to watch. I love bike stuff, and you make it relaxing. The Bob Ross of the bicycle world. I will be a long time watcher

Great video. Bike looks awesome!

I love the way this one turned out!

Idk how to explain it...., but the videos are therapeutic after a long day at work.

Great video Andy! Greetings from Australia!

Great channel . Loved your bike packing video to. I’m hooked .

Excellent video!

Love your content, hope to visit your shop some day!

I have a Raleigh M50 from the early 90's (1993'ish) with no suspension fork and converted it to an x-bike with drop bars and an older 3x8 SORA brifter set. Damn fun bike to ride on just 26" wheels and floats over ruts & potholes in the city or on the trail. Simple, convenient and rock solid. Had to replace the freehub from the older 3x7 size to newer 8, 9, 10. One of my fav rides.

Great episode. Love the rants/bike philosophy every time!

Dawn Power Wash came in super handy yesterday. Got home from a ride to find that my tire had thrown some turd up onto the underside of my saddle. Wiped it off, then went over the traumatized area a few times with a generous dose of the DPW & 90% rubbing alcohol. Think I’ll give it one more wash + furniture polish before I ride next! Thanks again for the tip on this combo!!!

Beauty of a video Brian Kefemer. Thanks!

Love your videos man!

I am a biker that is only slightly above your target market. I have two bikes - a 1987 Schwinn Voyager and an early 90's Trek mountain bike that I have converted to a comfort, ride to work bike. I differ slightly on your 7/9 speed "upgrade" comments. Last year I "upgraded" the rear cluster from a 6 speed to a 7 speed cluster. The small cog went from 14t to 13t, extending the range by about half a gear. That made all of the difference in the world when riding with friends - I went from spinning above my normal cadence to a comfortable ride. Perhaps 8-9 is marketing but 6-7 was definitely worth it.

this channel shows me that it's actually possible to end up with rideable bikes. I recently acquired 3 more bikes and they were all picked up as project bikes. I had a vision for them when i saw them, I even have most of the major parts but things came to a stop for no reason. for example, I found an old german made chromoly road bike. I got as far as the teardown, gave away the wheels, seatpost, brakes, shifter/derailleurs and other parts to a local community bike place. ..and now that frame sits with track wheels in the dropouts to hold it upright on the floor.

Just throwing this out there …. As a 50+ life long commuter you get it. I wish you were my local shop. High five buddy🇨🇦

Thanks!

I like your yapping especially the personal stuff you talked about in this episode. I relate to that. I feel that it's quite meditative to work on them. When I'm not at work I spend a day a week at a charity bike shop then work on my own bikes. The busier I am the less time do other bad stuff. I love these tyres. I've recently put a pair of tan walled versions on an old GT though I swapped the suspension fork to a solid one

Great seeing the bike head off with its new owner! I love the swept back bars too-wish I’d known that was an option back when I had my first nicer hybrid bike!

I enjoyed a lot this job. Greetings from Brazil.

I'm glad that you finally found yourself in a good place, surrounded by the things you love most: bikes! Besides the problems that always come, the peace is gonna be there, no matter what. It's a fantastic feeling. Very nice bike, by the way, haha

Love the channel, so much that i have given up riding for watching your videos about riding..

Nice work on quittin the Piss. Best thing I ever did was quit alcohol. For my health,family,finances and freedom. Now in the arvo after work ,Im either on my bike or at the golf course. (or playin ham radio if the weather sux)There is a lot more to life than where the next drink is comin from.

UPGRADE: I would consider anything done to a bike that makes it Better For Who It's For is an upgrade. If I wanted a softer seat, taller bars, grippier breaks, adding one of those rubber ducks with the propeller helmets, it's an upgrade for me. A light that isn't any brighter but has longer life or don't crap on in the rain is an upgrade. ...stuff like that.

Thanks for the great video!

@bkefrmr

17 күн бұрын

Wow! Thank you!!

I Love your channel, very entertaining and relaxing. As a side note, I am also a fan of metal band watches. I’m thinking about hopping in the DeLorean and trying to hit 88mph to see if I can find one like you wear. Lol Only teasing Man, my favorite watch is a $29 Timex that has never let me down. Keep up the good work and great videos!

40:11 "Feels really, really good to get it off my chest, and off the chests of my inferiors." - C.M. Burns, no but seriously, I enjoy your rants AND the technical explanations.

Well done! I'm going for a ride!🚴🏼

Among the best you've done. Wide ranging, honest, takes some stones to tell the world your life hasn't always been perfect. Maybe some won't care, but you're right about the "just" a bike mechanic snobbery. If people really understood how marvelously efficient the bicycle is as a functional tool for everyday living, we would be a lot better off. Yes, I suck wind when you talk about a bike shop hourly rate of $90-$100 an hour, but you do stuff in five minutes that would take me an hour. Good stuff - and I was not in Grandma's basement as I wrote this.🤪

I love your looks of utter exhaustion and despair during the nightmarish portions of this tune-up -ha, I feel your pain. I hate what comes out of my mouth at times when I work on stuff. It ALMOST would make it worth paying someone else to do it.

I learned a lot from this video, thanks.

I loose all track of time when working on a bike, in my garage with the door up. But if I use Lemon pledge for the frame waxing, sure enough a bee or three will come in the garage looking for a flowering tree. I throughly enjoy your videos !

Well done Andy, here in Australia most bike shops just try to sell you something new and say get rid of the old one, even though it could only be a few years old.

Love your honesty…

Soon as you said Mars Red I was like this guy has owned VWs. Lol

Great video, I do love a good rant, keep 'em coming. Although I don't remember Bob Ross ever unloading on a topic but I'm sure he had his days and also never had to deal with youtube comments.😁

Looks like a nice ride now!

I agree with you about going from 7s to 8 or more speed is necessarily an upgrade. The chains+cassettes are cheaper, the derailleurs are cheaper, and they are less likely to go out of whack on shifting. This is important when you consider that it's an "everyday-guy rider," not a competition bike. People may not ride it as often, might let dust get on the cables, might bang it around in storage, might let it lay on the grass on the derailleur-side, lots of things. All of which affects shifting. Unless you replace your gear cables and housing and hanger every 6 months and your shifter every year, then you will start seeing the shifting degrade on a 12-speed. A 7-8 speed will shift reliably far longer with far more neglect, and is easier to keep in-tune, and cheaper to get parts for when the time comes. All in all, that is more convenient for the customer. Customer convenience makes for happier customers. Happier customers are more likely to see bikes as something more than just a money-pit with no utility. They're less afraid to ride it. 6-8 speed is the sweet spot for practicality, I find. The chains still can come with bushings and be fairly lightweight, with z-link available and ramp-ups on the cogs. Even old 5-speed cogs can go from 13-32t, which is plenty of range for even a 1x in most settings. (Seriously, try it sometime!) If you adjust your expectations for reliability and service windows to be "longer", then you can get more casual riders enthusiastic about their bikes and riding. I can't begin to tell you the # of times customers came through the door SAD that their bike they'd only ridden a handful of times wasn't shifting anymore, and they'd have to drop almost $150 to get it shifting and riding right again (new cables, new derailleur hanger, new chain, plus shop time). They'd just give up and think: "Anyone who rides a bike is an Elitist Snob." Anyone who says that to you and is aggressive to riders is probably someone who had this experience with a Trek Shop or something.

Great video and thanks for the breakdown on costs for spare parts. Most people don't realize how quickly it adds up to a substantial sum. They would say:... But it's a used bike!

@zygis337

17 күн бұрын

Unless where he lives is very rural or has extremely high taxes or those are CA$ otherwise those part prices make no sense at all. 25$ for a 6-8 speed chain, 30$ for the 8s cassette, 10$ tubes? and then he would add 90$ of labour on top of that if he were repairing a customers bike? These parts are dirt cheap here in Europe, 5€ for the chain, under 10€ for the cassette, 3€ for tubes, 17€ for those tires and so on and that's retail. I really don't understand the support the LBS thing if the LBS is straight up scamming you, by charging labour and asking to buy their marked up parts when doing repairs.

This one was a good video. I was sold a bill of goods. I used to have a 4 speed Beetle. Over the years car makers have made transmissions more complex and added gears. This was for efficiency, i.e.. gas mileage. So, I always thought it would be the same for bikes. You convinced me using simple common sense that I don't need a ton of speeds. Bike looked good. I think those handlebars were a real improvement.

Hey Andy. Just wanted to say a couple of things. First, on your use of Tri-Flow as a lubricant, I cannot recommend it enough. Whether on my own bikes, or bikes I'm refurbishing, Tri-Flow makes a world of difference where grease isn't used, like cables and derailleurs. In point of fact, I lubed all of the cables, levers, and shifters on my 29 Hardtail, and my back brakes have never felt better. That said, right now I'm getting ready to finish up a late 1990s Magna MTB for my brother, so he can get back and forth to work. A taller geometry frame, this Magna when I got it was absolutely abused and wrecked. I'm waiting on our only local bike shop to open up tomorrow, so I can get replacement derailleurs and derailleur cables to finish up this Magna for my brother. Literally, this bike took about 20 hours of cleaning, as whoever had it before had globbed grease all over the place, and ridden it through sand and gravel. The drive side was coated in the combination of sheer shite I had to clean. Thankfully, the bearings weren't destroyed, and despite replacing two spokes and four nipples between the wheels, the truing process and cleaning process came out great. And when I recommend tires, I'm going to recommend a fatter tire than the 26"x1.75" tires currently on it, as they have a bit of life left on the tread. And thanks to you, I was able to learn how the cantilever brakes on this Magna work quite easily, having never worked on a set before.

I always like a test ride at the end!

I have really serious mountain bikes, but most of the bikes I typically flip are of the caliper you are dealing with and definitely relate to your channel, which I love! I enjoy the vid.s, great work! BTW, I'm from Wis., and trying to find a time to mosey your neck of the woods to stop in maybe and say hey..

Bikes are magic. You are a magician!🎩

Thanks

It’s amazing how the right, quality tire can make a big difference. With any improvement to your bike start with the tires.

Ride it like you stole it, Glenn! Great video!

Great transformation! Lots of fun and hopefully the content will earn you some of the cash back!

I was bringing a 1997 Marin back to life that had an STX and a rusty 7 speed cassette. I realized the shifters are 8 speed, so got an 8 speed Tourney cassette 12-32. Shifts nicer than my 9 speed Deore from 2007.

Hey,bike guy KEEP doing it for you and blessings to you and your family Thank you for all of your hard work Brother MAD RESPECT BIKE GUY FAMMER JASON NA KEEP THE BIKE WORK GOING , Mike WAVEN FROM Southern California 🎉🎉

My first decent bike was a Raleigh M40 that I bought with my 11th birthday money in 1992. I rode that sucker into the ground, I think it might still be in my boneyard. It served me well.

Your a good bike mechanic