I undertook two repairs this weekend that seemed like they were going to be pretty hard:
- Fixing a broken spoke
- Replacing a frayed rear derailer cable
Turns out neither was overly complicated, and there are some great resources online. The howto’s on this site were really helpful for info on how to remove my rear cassette. This site was also useful for fixing the wobble I had in my wheel. And of course, BicycleTutor.com had a great video on replacing the cable in grip shifters which I have on my bike.
Some advice though: when you need a new spoke, take the broken one off of the wheel so that when you go into the store they can find the correct replacement. Also, talk to the bike techs, not the sales people. Oh, and apparently Lemon scented dusting spray does wonders on bike frames! Just make sure to keep it off of the parts that should have grease on them. My bike now has a fresh lemony scent!