Yep. Only two bikes I’ve owned, only two I’ve restored. If you are marginally handy, like can fix basic things around the house and on a car, you can work on a bike. The largest barrier to entry is having the right tools on hand. At base, you need one or two good torque wrenches with Allen key sockets, a cable puller tool, rubber/dead blow mallet, good bike grease, and a chain tool. There are kits on Amazon that can get you started. I’d also recommend a stand…again, Amazon has you covered. As for performing maintenance and wrenching, YouTube and Reddit are your friend. Park Tool has great videos covering nearly every aspect of bike building/wrenching. I honestly enjoy the build more than riding as of now at least lol.

This post was edited on 5/7/25 at 11:46 am

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Posted by talmaniandevil_25

Member since Jan 2020

4699 posts

Posted on 5/7/25 at 2:42 pm to jordan21210

Would you suggest making the upgrade from Sora to 105? 2020 Giant Contend AR 3

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Posted by jordan21210

Member since Apr 2009

14207 posts

Posted on 5/7/25 at 3:56 pm to talmaniandevil_25

Probably not worth what it would cost to swap unless you find a great deal on a full 105 group.

From what I’ve read, best/most noticeable upgrades you can do would be wheels/tubes. If you aren’t on a lightweight aluminum or carbon wheel set, upgrade that. Also, try TPU tubes or tubeless.

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Posted by DownSouthJukin

1x tRant Poster of the Millennium

Member since Jan 2014

31776 posts

Posted on 5/7/25 at 4:12 pm to jordan21210

RideNow (pink) 36g TPU’s are what I use in my Felt and what I used before going tubeless in my Specialized. They were inexpensive and flawless. AliExpress used to have them cheap, but tariffs may have changed that.

This post was edited on 5/7/25 at 4:14 pm

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