I barely rode my bike last year and it's been sitting in my basement since I moved. I finally took it out to go for a ride down my street and get the mail, but my brakes are broken! The bike is from the 70s and has handlebar brakes, but I know nothing else about fixing them. Do y'all think it's easy enough to do a YouTube guided repair or should I head to the bike shop?
Send pics so we can see more.
But a bike from the 70s probably has a relatively simple brake system you could repair yourself. Potential Problems: old parts may be hard to find, and you might not have the tools you need.
If the required parts, tools, etc, feels like a can of worms you don't want to open, a local mechanic can definitely help you out. Or is there a bicycle coop nearby?