Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair for Road and Mountain Bikes [Paperback]

Jim Langley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bicycling Magazine | Publication Date: June 19, 1999

Fix a broken chain with a shoelace!
Improve shifter performance with dishwashing detergent!

Inside are thousands of tips to repair and maintain any road or mountain bike. Whether it's the latest model or a classic that has thousands of miles on it, beginners or experienced riders can keep their bikes on the road longer and spend less time in the repair shop. With this ultimate repair manual:

* Build a dream bike workshop with complete plans and comprehensive tool lists
* Wow ride partners with tricks for fixing breakdowns with a minimum of tools
* Roll wheel hoops and save time and money
* Dial in suspension shocks for comfortable rides
* Discover top tricks from professional mechanics
* Expertly work on any style of brakes, including the V-Brake
* Overhaul freewheels and cassettes for peak performance
* Service clipless pedals for maximum safety

What's new in the expanded and revised fourth edition?

* Updated text that covers the latest models and parts
* Over 160 new photos so you get repairs right the first time
* Clearer, better designed captions so you can read as you repair
* Troubleshooting sections to quickly identify and correct common problems
* Web sites and phone numbers of bicycle and parts manufacturers
* An updated glossary with the latest in bike lingo

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Your local bike mechanic might have you thinking that "wrenching" is right up there with rocket science. But the truth is, anyone can master the ins and outs of bicycle maintenance under the guidance of a good teacher. In lieu of a professor, the editors of Bicycling and Mountain Bike magazines have created a shop companion, which they refer to as "another tool for working on your bike." They guide you from the basics of your pre-ride checklist to tuning your derailleurs and overhauling your hubs. And they offer updated information on maintaining front shocks and even a handful of rear suspensions. What's more, they can walk you through the arduous task of rebuilding ancient parts that some shop mechanics haven't even heard of. If you've ever tried to work on your own car, you've undoubtedly developed a healthy fear of automobile shop manuals. But unlike the cryptic list of part numbers and equations you'll find at Pep Boys, this guide is written by people who want you to see just how rewarding bike maintenance can be. --Ben Tiffany

From Booklist

In an old Monty Python sketch, the world is populated with Supermen, each wearing tights and a cape and an S on his chest. But one mild-mannered Superman is, in reality, Bicycle Repair Man, a hero who fixes bikes quickly and efficiently, all to the awed delight of the assembled Supermen. Now there is a way for any man or woman to become a hero with this easy-to-use-and-understand how-to, complete with superb photos of each and every movement the repairer must make. First there's a list of tools and all the maintenance that needs to be done on a regular basis. Then it's on to specific items (frames, suspension, wheels, tires, hubs, brakes, seats, and handlebars). Langley contends that anybody who has learned the basics of maintenance can fix a bike when equipped with the proper tools. He also provides for unusually constructed bikes and foreign models. Probably the most important advice appears at the beginning of the book, with the focus on preventive maintenance. Joe Collins

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 351 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; 4 Updated edition (June 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579540090
• ISBN-13: 978-1579540098
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Cycling > Mountain Biking
  • #65 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Cycling > Bike Repair

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All types of bikes covered in one source with great pix!, September 18, 2001

By 

John H. Henderson (Las Cruces, NM, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair for Road and Mountain Bikes (Paperback)

This is an excellent book on the maintenance and repair of all bicycles.
Each of the 17 chapters discusses one component of the bike, such as rear derailleurs, front derailleurs, brakes, wheels, suspension, frame and others. Each chapter begins with a drawn illustration of the system, which is followed by a text description of the system and maintenane and repair of the system. This is followed by a troubleshooting section listing common problems and their solutions. But the best part of each chapter are the step-by-step procedures with excellent black-and-white photographs of each step.

In addition to discussing bike systems, there are chapters on creating a home workshop and even how to box a bike. (Exactly how my bike came from its manufacturer!)

There's really not a lot more to ask for from this book. The main complaint is that some of it seems a little out-of-date despite its 1999 copyright date, and I regret now that I did not list examples as they struck me, but a minor one, for example, was ignorance of 10-speed cassettes. However, some bicycle components are changing rapidly, and it's difficult for authors to keep up. Note that this is the 4th "expanded and revised" edition, so it does appear that the editors of Bicycling have made a commitment to update the book regularly.

I also got bogged down some times in the text description of procedures without pictures, but everything is clear when you get back into the step-by-step procedure section with the photographs. So it also seems that information is unnecessarily repeated.

Bicycling magazine has run articles on how to get home from different types of roadside breakdowns. It would be nice if they include this as one separate chapter that can be read before a trip. The rest of the book lends itself to a "only read the chapter I need at the moment" type of use. You don't need to read through the whole book to understand chapter 15 on saddles, for example.

I have also read and reviewed Complete Idiot's Guide to Bike Maintenance and Repair, and despite its knowledgable author and fun style, did not have step-by-step illustrations which are required for such a book. Others have also recommended the books by Zinn and Van Der Plas, and I have seen them and they look good, but separate books are written by each author for road bikes and mountain bikes, while this book is one reference for all bikes.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only helpful sometimes, April 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair for Road and Mountain Bikes (Paperback)

I had great hopes for this book. They have been repeatedly dashed. About 10% of the time I find what I need to know. Until recently, I thought the problem was me, since I'm a novice cyclist and bike mechanic. But then I discovered 'Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance'. I no longer feel stupid! I respect Bicycling Magazine, so it's a bummer that this book, which they published, is lousy.

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money on this book!, November 30, 2003

By 

M. Baron (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair for Road and Mountain Bikes (Paperback)

This book might suffice if you've got an old bike, and need advice on something simple like cleaning, or tire replacement. But, if you're a do-it-yourselfer like me, who wants all the details, and maybe even some tips and tricks, this book falls pathetically short. Most of the components pictured look like they were late 80s vintage. There's little or no information on newer equipment. I've even found blatantly incorrect information. The "step by step" instructions jump around like they were written by someone in the late stages of Alzheimer's. You'd be better off trying to assemble a bike from scratch using only a picture of what it's supposed to look like when it's done!

I recently built my own criterium bike from the bottom bracket up. This was my first attempt at bike building, so naturally, I had a lot of questions and needed step by step instructions. I went through just about every chapter of this book during the project, and found serious problems with nearly all of them. I spent more time trying to decipher the book than if I would have learned on my own by trial and error!

Save yourself some money and a whole lot of headaches, and buy Zinn & The Art of Road (or Mountain) Bike Maintenance.