Or rather internet video. I've found the video sharing sites very valuable for in learning how to maintenance my bikes. I think they are an excellent resource in learning how to maintenance your bike, but shouldn't be the only one.
Whilst you can learn bike maintenance and repair on formal courses (something I hope to do in the near future) or someone you know can show you, the courses can be a bit hard to come by outside of major cities (UK-side) and if you don't know anyone, you are going to have to teach yourself through books, trial and error, websites, web forums and video. Of course, this is in addition to the instructions that came with the bike or accessory that you kept, didn't you? Because you never throw anything bikewise away do you...
So that's 6 ways in which you can learn bike maintenance by yourself. Of course, this can apply to just about most other things self teachable. One thing I've found is, it's best to use all these different types of media when learning. Oftentimes (thought I'd go American there), you might get stuck reading the instructions or book, and have to go to YouTube to clarify things. Oftentimes it might be the other way round.
This all ties in with multi-sensory learning some of us have heard about in our quest to be brilliant at everything in the shortest possible time; the recommended way of picking things up: when you see it, read it, hear it and do it, your learning is more effective, and faster.
Each learning method has its pros and cons - (in theory and reality through personal experience...). You are likely to have a preference for one method over the other.
Reading - you can misinterpret what is written so you do it wrong and it doesn't compensate if you need manual dexterity through repetitive practice. Then again, the written word can be referred back to time and time again. It can also give an overview, background and facilitates going into detail, better than a website.
Audio - if you hear it just the once, it's easy to forget - in one ear and out the other. You can also misinterpret what is said. You might then get accused of not listening...On the plus side, someone can say something that makes it all click, something missing from the website or reading material.
Seeing/Doing - very good for practical things like bike maintenance; the downside is that you can be very good at doing what you need to do when you need to do it, but you may never know why, so if you're faced with a different situation, you might struggle. It depends what it is. I knew at least two people who had attained supervisory and managerial roles as accountants at a mid-sized company but who didn't know the basics of bookkeeping...
Whatever methods used there needs to be a degree of repetition, so that it sinks in to build confidence, speed and expertise.
Videos allow you to learn through reading, hearing and seeing so should help you learn that much quicker. They can be entertaining too - always a help in learning something. Via internet, most of them are free to watch. Some are easier to follow than others. Some will be produced better than others eg by a business and some will make things "click" quicker depending on who's watching.
I've found Youtube to be an invaluable resource when it comes to bicycle maintenance. Seems you can find out just about anything, which is handy when it comes to hubgears for example, because in the UK, these can be a little esoteric - one of the best ways to learn is to buy secondhand off ebay and practise taking it apart and putting it back together.
So, when it comes to internet video, I've narrowed it down into two sections: everything and general. Come to think, maybe that should be YouTube and everything else...
Youtube - the best for subject choice from mainstream to the obscure; they come from just about everywhere though - from professional productions by businesses as a form of marketing, to individuals who might have good intentions, but should have made a better effort on things like lighting, which might be poor. You would have thought that if you were going to submit something you wanted lots of people to see, you would have ensured it was easy for them to see...
General maintenance videos - all pretty professional but deal with standard subjects:
Videojug. This site covers a lot more than bike maintenance, but also cycling in general and a lot of non-cycling related subjects (how to do the moonwalk for example).
The official Bikeradar video site - Bikeradar is very sport oriented.
Evans Cycles - a chain of shops in the UK catering for the quality bike market.
Bicycletutor.com has good, professionally produced videos amongst other things, but it's a paid subscription service if you want to watch them.
Anyway, I shall share more as and when I come across them.
