You've hit the nail on the head. This describes my mindset. Thanks for the encouragement.

For the first pass, I'll see how well I can tune the existing hardware. The derailleur hanger looks maybe slightly bent. Hopefully I can at least improve it a bit. I'll definitely consider disc brakes for the next bike.

Those were fun videos. Lots of these tools seem like they would be good enough to try out on junk bikes to learn what it worth doing on my own vs. just sending the bike to the shop. Thanks.

Thanks for keeping my expectations realistic. I think I'll give it a go on the cheap wheels for experience, but I'll likely leave it to pros if I ever invest in a quality bike.

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I get to this stuff in the next couple weeks after the wheels and brakes.

Sadly, there are no bike co-ops that I know of in my area, but I'll ask around at some local shops.

Great suggestion. I'll definitely look around for local classes.

Sweet, at least my bike definitely passes the basic safety tests.

Its funny, two hours in and my back is also telling me to invest in a bike stand :D

Thank you for help.

Wow, that looks like a ton of info. Thanks.

I appreciate your insight.

There is minimal rust on the chain and gears. There is quite a bit if discoloration on the gears, but its not rust and doesn't seem to be a structural concern. The drivetrain definitely needs some work, but it's functional enough that I'll probably work on brakes first because they are simpler.

Sounds like I need to get these wheels straightened out first, then I'll probably fix up the brakes, then the drivetrain.

Thank you! I think this is exactly what I needed.

I like the concept of drawing the line between DIY and "just take it to the shop". Based on my minimal knowledge, I purchased a bike that looked like it only needed DIY fixes. Sounds like I should take a closer look at these wheels before I move forward.

The wheels wobbled a few millimeters. This caused the brake pads to touch at various points while the wheel rotated (with the brakes disengaged). I believe the spokes just needed a little adjustments to straighten out the wheel alignment. After briefly adjusting the spokes, the brake now function (albeit poorly) without touching the wheel unnecessarily.

From here, I think I'll spend some more time finetuning the spokes to make sure the wheel is as straight as possible before further tuning or replacing the brakes.

I am just taking it on short and slow rides around my neighborhood right now. I'm not too worried about safety. I'm not fixing it up as an investment. I mostly a fun project to learn more about bikes.