Is it always cheaper to do your own bike maintenance? We do the sums to work out when the bike shop is best

If you're a regular rider then you've probably realised that your road bike requires the odd bit of maintenance. There are some bits like changing an inner tube that are pretty simple and cheap to do by yourself, and sometimes necessary if you're on a ride; but what about the bigger jobs, like replacing a bottom bracket or cables? Is it always worth investing in quality tools to do it yourself at home, or is your time and money better spent dropping your bike off with the professionals?

For bike shop staff reading this... don't worry, we're absolutely not suggesting anyone should work on their bike without proper tools or knowledge. And we know how frustrating it can be when a customer brings in a bike and claims not to have fiddled with the limit screws, except there they are, hanging in by a thread.

To save everyone's time and frustration, we wanted to put the theory that working on your bike yourself will save you money - particularly in the long run. So, we've got some pretty standard bike maintenance scenarios and put them to a local bike shop, The Bike Mill, based in Queensbury, West Yorkshire to price up. We've been told that Ralph the shop dog accepts tips in the form of dog biscuits, so make sure you add that to your tally. 

Alongside this, we've calculated roughly how much doing the same bit of maintenance would cost if you did it at home. 

Let's dive in...

Replacing or repairing an inner tube

Replacing your inner tubes (if you run them, of course) is one of the first things you learn when you're figuring out how to maintain your bike. Unfortunately, punctures are more of an inevitability than an 'if' if you ride in the UK so it's important you know how to fix one in case you're not in a shop when your tyre goes flat. 

How to patch repair a bike inner tube

How much it costs at home: If you were to do this at home, you'd need a pump, a replacement tube if you're replacing it, or a patch kit if you're wanting to repair it. And then some tyre levers if you have a really stubborn tyre. 

If we say a replacement tube costs around £5 (depending on brand, width and valve length required), a hand pump costs around £20, a patch kit is usually a couple of quid, and tyre levers you can also pick up for around £5. The total if you're replacing/repairing the tube at home (and need to buy the equipment to do so), is around £25-30. If you already have the kit? Then around £5 just for the tube. 

How much it costs at a shop: Around £10 to get someone to replace the inner tube for you and pump your tyre back up.

Changing a bottom bracket

Bottom brackets - get the insider info on your bike's beefiest bearing

Now this one is a bit more time consuming and requires more tools than changing an inner tube, but is still handy to know how to do. If you start to feel your bottom bracket grinding a little when you're riding, (especially if you've been riding your bike through a British winter), it could be time for a new one. 

First up, you need to find out what type of bottom bracket you have. The two main types are press fit and threaded. Both require specific tools to remove and replace, and within each type there are several more subsets of standards just to keep you on your toes. So unless you have the same BB across all your bikes, you may need more than one tool to replace each one. 

How much it costs at home: For the sake of this extremely scientific article, we'll assume the threaded BB is a BSA or English threaded bottom bracket. So, what do you need to remove/replace one? Firstly, a compatible bottom bracket tool. Like most things, you can spend a lot or a little, so we'll go somewhere in the middle and say roughly £15 will get you a threaded BB tool. 

Then, you'll need your bottom bracket, which again, depends on the make and model of your BB, but roughly around £20 should see you get a semi-decent one. If you want a bit of bling from the likes of Hope or Chris King, expect to spend much, much more. 

You may also want a torque wrench that tightens up to 40Nm, which may set you back around £40+ for a set. So, for a threaded BB removal/replacement, you're looking at around £75+ for the tools and bottom bracket.

When it comes to a press fit BB, you need a bit more specialist kit, including tools to remove the crankset (perhaps an Allen key), a bottom bracket removal tool, mallet and a bearing press. We're going to assume you have the Allen keys lying around, but if not you can pick up a decent set for around £15-20.

The bearing press is probably one of the most expensive tools you can buy for a bike maintenance, with ones like the Park Tool HHP3 retailing at £100. You can get cheaper options, of course, for around £50. A press fit BB removal tool will set you back around £25, and a soft mallet won't cost much - you can even use the one you bought for camping many years ago. A replacement BB will set you back between £15 and £100+ depending on the brand/type.

In total, that's around £95 at the cheapest, depending on tools bought and BB type. 

How much it costs at a shop: For a press fit BB, The Bike Mill quoted us £45, and for a threaded basic BB, £40. And, something we think is important to highlight if you have a press fit BB - if you take it to a shop, you don't have to psych yourself up to hit your lovely frame with a mallet. 

Replacing gear cables

Over the last decade or so we've seen the majority of bike brands shift to internal cables and reduce as many of the outers on show as possible. This has led to some pretty radical bar, stem and headset designs, which we know cause a few grumbles from those who work on them regularly. But how much does it cost to actually replace your bike's cables?

How to replace gear cables on your road bike: 2 top tech tweaks for smoother shifting

How much it costs at home: Cable sets from a reputable brand like Shimano or Jagwire cost around £20 for both inners and outers and usually include all necessary fittings. Tool-wise, you'll need cable cutters (usually around £25, like these from Topeak), Allen keys (roughly £15-20), a pick (don't need to be road bike specific and can be picked up from a hardware shop or Amazon for around £5-10 a set). 

This brings the total to around £65+. 

How much it costs at a shop: Going off the basis the cables are for a 2x mechanical groupset setup, around £50. 

Replacing your bar tape

Ahh, the old bar tape conundrum. Do you wrap from the inside out or outside in? Match on both sides or go opposite? It's an argument that still remains rife within workshops and social media today, but the main takeaway is that it looks neat and it's functional. But is it worth doing yourself?

Best handlebar tape for cycling 2025 — get some cost-effective comfort and grip by choosing quality bar tape

How much it costs at home: Thankfully you don't need many tools for this job. Just something to prize the bar end caps off (usually a flat head screwdriver or an Allen key) and then the bar tape (usually between £10-40) and some scissors and electrical tape for a really neat finishing job. 

Wrapping your own bar tape can be incredibly frustrating if you're not well-versed in it, or it can take literally minutes to do if you are. If you fall into the former category, it might be worth your time just asking the local shop to do it for you. 

How much it costs at a shop: If the customer supplies the bar tape, then £15 for labour. If not, expect to spend between £15-40 depending on the bar tape. 

Bleeding your disc brakes

If you've noticed your brakes becoming spongy and you've still got plenty of life left in your pads then it could be time to give them a bleed. Bleeding your brakes can be a messy affair if you're not 100% sure on how to do it, and personally, after an incident involving DOT fluid and some cream carpet, I'd rather let the professionals handle it. 

But, if you're keen to try it yourself, could it be cheaper?

How much it costs at home: Depending on the brand of brakes you use (SRAM or Shimano, for example), the price of equipment needed to bleed your brakes may vary. That being said, you can buy brake bleeding kits for both SRAM and Shimano, with 'official' ones costing around £50. If you go off-brand, however, they can be cheaper. 

The kits often contain syringes, master cylinder funnels, and caliper bleed spacers. You'll also want some nitrile gloves which you can buy a multipack for a couple of quid at the local hardware shop, and the brake fluid (mineral oil or DOT) which costs around £10.

You'll also need a Torx bit and/or Allen keys (which one depends on your brake calipers) and some pliers would be helpful when removing the brake pads so you don't contaminate the surface. The cost of these is around £15-20 for a set of good Allen/Torx bits, and around £10 for pliers. 

Disc brake refresh: maintenance and top tech tweaks for effective and quiet braking

So in total? Roughly £80. Of course, you can re-use these things again and again, so if you do it annually, it'll pay for itself in about two years. 

How much it costs at a shop: The Bike Mill quoted us £20 per brake, or £40 for both front and rear brakes to be bled.

Conclusion: bike shop or DIY? 

It goes without saying that every job is different, and everyone's knowledge of bike mechanics and ability to dedicate time to fixing their bike is different. And we would never suggest doing your own maintenance if you're not confident about what you're doing - the most important thing is that you keep your bike in a safe enough condition to ride, and sometimes that means dropping it off at the bike shop so they can take care of it. 

It might be surprising to some to find that the bike shop is often cheaper than doing it yourself, usually because the investment in some tools can be pretty significant. That being said, if you develop the knowledge and acquire the tools to use again, they will pay for themselves over time.

But, neither doing it at home or letting the professionals work on it is right or wrong. Everyone's circumstances are different, and if you don't feel confident working on your bike, then there is no shame in dropping it off at a shop. 

Equally, we wouldn't recommend making the bike shop's job harder by having a go at something and then creating more problems than you started with. If you don't know how to bleed brakes and aren't comfortable following YouTube or reading an article, it's not worth the hassle of potentially getting mineral oil all over the carpet and/or stopping your brakes from working entirely. 

What jobs do you do at home, and what would you leave to the professionals? Let us know in the comments.