Customer Reviews

Mountain Bike Maintenance

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book should be the current leader in mountain bike maintenance because it shows how to maintain the components on newer mountain bikes. This book shows how to maintain the current Shimano and SRAM drive components, hydraulic breaks and front and rear shock maintenance.

I like Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance because of it's thoroughness however, as time will do to all books on mountain bike maintenance Zinn is dated.

This is a super book and pretty much all you really need to maintain your mtn bike. I'm so turned off by the thousand page manual books on bike repair. This book does it in only few hundred pages and in full color. Foreword by Gary Fisher, the father of mtn biking, lets you know this book is the real deal!

This book has plenty of color pictures and the text has enough information to perform most of the maintenance or repairs in a mountain Bike. I found this book very useful, being a self taught weekend "mechanic". Overall I recommend this book, I also have the Big Blue Book that is a little less graphic, I think its a good idea to have (and read)at least these two books if you want to do bike maintenance specially in models with newer components.

I am very surprised by so many positive reviews of this book. In my opinion, it's useless, unless you are very very much beginner to bike repair (and thus to cycling as well). I bought it as a gift for my brother, who bothers me with his bike repair requests all the time. Sincerely saying, I even didn't look into the book and I just gave it my bro, who soon complained to me that the book seemed to have very few use for him. Well, I didn't trust him and took it to look through.
First of all, this maintenance guide is extremely basic. Even more basic, that any "dummy" guide I've ever seen. In fact, it just gives you a systematized and illustrated list of bike components with short comments on their set up. For example, book gives a short introduction on what are the possible brake types you may see at your bike (thus, it assumes, you are very newbie to the subject), but after that, you read just few sentences on how to set up each type of brakes. I am on bike since 1996 (I am 30 years old) and although I am not repair guru, I had experience of almost every bike job. Believe me, you cannot set up brakes by this book. It's merely not giving you enough information neither on this, nor any other subject. Another example, author says that vast majority of modern mountain bikes has a thread-less headset and steerer set up, however you may find threaded design as well. So logically, while describing how to set up this components, you expect to find author mentioning threaded type as well, but it doesn't happen. He gives just very basic description on thread less parts and that's all.
I've read the whole book just for interest and frankly saying, I cannot understand what purpose it serves. It cannot be a maintenance guide due to lack of subject depth. You may find it useful only in case you are absolute "dummy" to bicycle, who even doesn't suspect existence of e.g. disk brakes or clip less pedals, so when you buy this book, you ll know it. My opinion is, that this book became a victim of attempt to make it as easier as possible.

I give two stars for good publishing level of material and for author's language, but I am afraid, these are the only ads of this "guide"

Bottom line: Do not buy it. Even if you are very beginner (and particularly if you are very beginner), you ll not find any use in such reading

Both beginners and experienced mountain bike users will benefit from a survey of how to keep the bike in peak condition - and with its specific focus on the mountain bike apart from others, no better home reference can be had than MOUNTAIN BIKE MAINTENANCE. From tools and workshop equipment to avoiding problems which lead to maintenance needs, chapters cover all part of a bike, including on-trail repair tips, and come from an experienced bicycling magazine editor who has worked for a number of major cycling publications.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Not really as detailed as i expected it to be. The factory manual that was supplied for free with my mountain bike was more helpful in showing me step by step how to remove and re-install my brakes and derailleurs.
This book is Good for beginners who wish to do minor maintenance.

small and basic things are covered pretty well. I'm a haevy trail rider with 30 - 40 miles of trail riding every week. basic tune ups and cleaning and lining are well explained and that made me save a lot of money.

I bought this for my husband at Christmas right after he got a new mountain bike. He loves it and refers to it often. Great book for anyone who wants to maintain their bike.

I own both the "Road Bike" and the "Mountain Bike" guides. I bought the Road-bike guide, loved it, and hoped the Mountain-Bike Guide would be just as good. It was! The photography, text, and even the Binding design are all perfect...now if Guy Andrews and Gary Fisher would write an identically designed guide on Fixed-Gear / Single-Speed Track, Urban, and Messenger Bike Guide...

I am a recent mountain bike owner and long-time DIYer. This book is great for fully explaining how to perform all the work I will ever want to do on my bike. Good pictures to illustrate the parts and work to be done. Highly recommended.