Bike Maintenance

Not that I normally do "New Year's Resolutions" per se... I find the negative aspect of most of them ("I'll stop smoking," "I'll work out more," etc.) bad. I prefer to create "New Year's Goals" in which I give myself a challenge to work toward - goal-setting is a better way to succeed, in my opinion.

Anyway, one goal I have for this year is to become able to work on my own bike. Not that I have anything against my LBS, they do a great job. But I like techy stuff to a certain extent, and what better and more productive way to manifest that than to learn to work on a bicycle (as a cyclist, naturally).

My question to all of you who are more versed in this than I: what's the best book for learning this stuff? I've heard good things about the Lennard Zinn books, is there one of them that might be best for me? I ride a Specialized Expedition Sport, if that helps.

Thanks in advance for your input!

People, not speed.

Comments

  1. Jamie-

    Here's the book I've got (but try and buy it local, you know the score):

    The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes(Expanded and Revised 5th Edition)

    I'm pretty happy with it. Even though I've been working on cars and motorcycles for years I still need some help with how certain things go together/come apart and so far I haven't been stumped by anything with this book. I think I may have gotten mine up at Westerville Bicycle Shop but I'm sure you can find it wherever.

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  2. The Zinn books are very good, but you might also look at the "Park Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair", from the folks at Park Tools, who make most of the tools your bike shop probably uses. You might also check with your local shop or shops, and for that matter, Park Tool themselves, to see if anyone offers their "Park Tool School" or similar class in your area:

    http://www.parktool.com/clinics_training/parktoolschool.asp

    When I was growing up, I taught myself, using books, so it can be done, but most folks find it helpful to have a live human being show them how to do mechanical things.

    And no, I don't work for Park, but I do work with their tools every day, and recommend that book to our customers.

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  3. I like your positive philosophy of goals rather than disincentives. No book recommendations from me, sorry.

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  4. This confirms my old fart status, but I learned much from Richard's Bicycle Book and The Complete Book of Bicycling by Eugene Sloane. Both are probably terribly dated now, but I've seen them in used bookstores now and then.

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