Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance [Paperback]

Lennard Zinn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1998

Guides the reader through every aspect of troubleshooting and mountain-bike maintenance in a succinct, idiot-proof format.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lennard Zinn explains that it doesn't take special skills to learn how to care for one's bike, only "a passion for spreading new grease on old parts." Clearly, his ambition is to share with newcomers the Zen-like joy of bike maintenance. But it's seasoned bike mechanics that should be tripping over each other for a copy of this comprehensive and ambitious manual. Zinn differs from other how-to books by guiding readers--with plain-speaking text--through almost every imaginable repair on almost every imaginable part. He covers everything from rebuilding hubs, to loosening seized stems, to installing six different types of bottom brackets. He even risks cycling blasphemy by walking mere mortals through the art of wheel building--an intimidating task that can take years to perfect. Although best suited for the old pros, his guide is user- friendly, funny, and essential to anyone willing to love their bike. --Ben Tiffany

Review

“Lennard Zinn is a veritable cycling Einstein, and as a naturally gifted teacher he has the unique ability to explain even the most difficult mechanical task." —Davis Phinney, Olympic medalist, U.S. Pro champion, and Tour de France stage winner

"Understanding the mechanics of your bike, knowing how to adjust it to suit your riding style, and knowing how to keep it running smoothly are essential to your mountain biking performance. Nobody teaches these skills better than the famous artiste "Leonardo da Zinnski." —Ned Overend, World and National Mountain Bike Champion

“Lennard Zinn is an institution in the bicycle world—a legend. Legions of cyclists have learned to repair bikes from him, ridden bicycles he’s built, or used his advice as guidance on how to better enjoy the world on two wheels.” — Bicycle Times magazine

"Regardless of your skill level, this book is a great manual to have on hand. In its 5th edition, Zinn adds to an already impressive knowledge base, keeping things up-to-date with current innovations and tools. It doesn’t spend all of its 464 pages going over installation and maintenance procedures; there are also a lot of useful tips and tricks." — Adventure Cycling magazine

"Zinn is very good at taking you incrementally through the learning process—whether you are a beginner or expert mechanic." — Out There Monthly magazine

"This book almost rates along with those ‘missing manuals’ that exist for computer software. When was the last time the manual that came with your bike bore any relation to it? Exactly. You could barely buy a decent tire for the price of this book and that should be justification enough." — TheWashingMachinePost.net

"Simple to reaad and follow, the illustrated, large-format paperback manual features everything from replacing a flat to repairing components. It’s a great addition to any new biker’s library but offers invaluable advice for experts, too." — Sports Guide magazine

"This 5th edition contains details on bike technology introduced since 2005. Includes sections on belt drives and internal gear hubs, which are completely ignored in almost ever other general audience repair book." — Cyclelicio.us

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Velo Press; 2nd edition (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884737471
• ISBN-13: 978-1884737473
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,054,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lennard Zinn was a member of the U.S. national racing team and has been riding and fixing bikes for nearly 50 years. A professional frame builder and bike designer, Lennard is also the technical writer for VeloNews magazine and Singletrack.com and hosts the popular Q&A column on VeloNews.com. His other books include Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, Zinn & the Art of Triathlon Bikes, Zinn's Cycling Primer, The Mountain Bike Performance Handbook, and The Mountain Bike Owner's Manual. He lives and works in Boulder, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any new mountain biker!, April 10, 2000

By 

Nicolas Pottier - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance (Paperback)

Mountain biking is a little different than most sports, you're usually out in the wilderness, miles away from the nearest phone or road, and putting yourself (and your bike) through a pretty grueling workout. In 'Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance' Lennard Zinn does a great job of making sure that if the bike part of the equation fails, you'll know what to do. From suggesting what tools you should carry with you, teaching you how to use them, and giving you a quick lesson on how each work, this book covers it all.

The book uses illustrations instead of photos, so it's easy to tell what's going on, and it covers all the different types (and eras) of components that you'll find. Coverage ranges from the basic (changing a flat tire) to the complex (changing your fork or bottom braket) but is clear throughout.

I highly recommend this to anyone who's doing serious riding and wants to learn more about how to tune and fix their bike. As your bike grows older and you take longer rides, things WILL break or wear out, and knowing what to do in those cases is well worth the price of the book.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must have for your mountain bike, July 31, 2002

By 

Douglas Welzel (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, Third Edition (Paperback)

Whether you have a shiny new mountain bike or one that has been on more than a few trail rides, this book is a must to have in your collection. For about [price] and the price of some tools you'll be able to perform the most common maintenance on your bike yourself. Not only will this save you money (tuneups aren't exactly cheap these days), but you'll understand your equipment much better and be able to handle unexpected situations on the trail.

The book is a large format with two columns of text per page and hand drawn figures (basically no photos). Each part of the bike is covered in great depth in pseudo-outline form.

The only downside is that the figures can be a bit difficult to understand. I can see how they can be more clear that photos, but some combination of the two or perhaps just more figures would have helped. I've found it is always best to look at the figures alongside my bike so there is no ambiguity.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars User friendly, August 11, 2000

By 

Tim Daniels (Humboldt Bay, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance (Paperback)

I've been working on my own bicycles since my first Schwinn Sting Ray in 1969. I never thought I would need to consult a manual to work on something as simple as a bicycle. As we all know the bicycle has evolved into a much more complex machine since the days of coaster brakes, single speeds and no suspension.

A mechanic by trade, I rely heavily on manuals for working on unfamiliar machinery. I have run the gamut of manual quality. This manual rates on the top of my list with very few others. It is written in plain english and there is an excellent glossary for the uninitiated. I highly recommend it for the beginner as well as the seasoned mechanic. After reading the wheel building section I feel confident enough to attempt building my first wheel. I can't wait.