Customer Reviews

Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

and the most current too. It teaches you how to make simple adjustments in your brakes all the way to installing a bottom bracket. It even teaches you how to build your own wheels. It is so clear and easy to use, you could build your own bike with it. Showing how things work with easy to follow instructions and diagrams. I recommend this book to all who would like to maintain their own bicycles.

Not enough women work on their own bikes. One excellent competitive rider I knew used to call a taxi if she had a flat tire. No kidding. I started going beyond changing tires just a few years ago with the help of another book (Bicycling Magazine's Bike Maintenance and Repair), and have been grateful to that book for getting me started. Every cable replaced or hub overhauled is a small victory.

After a recent mountain bike holiday in Spain, my cousin and I both replaced our 8- or 9-year old bikes. I meant to send her a copy of Bicycling Mag's book, but the reviews for Zinn's looked better. I sent her one, and ordered one for myself as well.

I'm glad I put myself in the loop. I'm impressed by Zinn's thoughtful attention to detail: He seems to always answer the "yeah, but" question in my mind. His writing style is easy-going and humorous, but not much is left out. I especially appreciate some of the appendices, including a trouble shooting index, torque table, pedal-cleat compatibility chart, and others.

This is from my cousin's thank-you note:
"I got the birthday present that you ordered for me. I actually got it a few days ago and have been with my nose in it ever since. I have fine-tuned my cleats and am now going to make a few adjustments on my shocks. I feel better just having a clearer understanding of the mechanics of my bike. Doing routine maintenance is something I always wanted to do but in the past was too intimidated to try---no more!"

Lennard is a great guy and great mechanic. He has written the best book available for anyone wanting to learn beginning to advanced mountain bicycle maintenance. THIS BOOK DOES NOT COVER ROAD BIKES. I cannot wait until he comes out with a book for road bike mainenance.

I am brand new to the world of mountain biking and this book has been my bible. If it isn't covered in this book then you don't need to know. With this book I have been able to make adjustments and alignments to my bike I would have normally taken to a shop to have done.

My wife doesn't care for the book too much though because she has now become a mountain bike widow. I spend about an hour or two a day rereading this book and tweeking my bike. The must have spares part of the book saved me from pushing my bike home one day as I would not have normally had a spare chain link with me. Unfortunately I also went on to break my collar bone that same day and this was not addressed in the book. Seriously though, I'm contemplating buying a second book, a working copy (the dirty one) and a reference copy (the clean one) I can bring in the house.

You won't be sorry if you buy this book.

This book does a great job in not only explaining basic bike repairs, but also labeling bike components. Otherwise, to a newbie, it doesn't do much good to simply state that you must adjust the rear derailler ... but now that you know exactly which piece it is and what it looks like, you are set to performing a basic repair yourself. This in itself is well worth the price of this book.

The first time I flatted, my bike was fortunately in my garage. So with book in hand, I follwed the instructions on how to get the tire off the rim, remove the tube, check for leaks, search for any debris inside the tire, and patch the tube myself. And with just a few attempts, managed to get both the tube and tire back on.

Since then, I diligently read the other repairs and have put them to good use on the trail. And no, I don't have the book with me, but the instructions are so good that I can remember how to perform on-the-trail repairs. This has saved myself and several friends from hoofing it back to the trailhead instead of spending about 5-ish minutes (depending on the repair) to fix it ourselves.

I keep a repair kit stocked and with me at all times thanks to this book. As a female rider who is not typically mechnically inclined, I am able to follow the instructions and spend more time on the trail and less time at the mechanic.

As a rookie, I first checked out the second edition Zinn from the local public library - it taught me the basics of adjusting the limit screws on my derailleur and how to replace spokes on my rigid frame mountain bike.

After 10 years of riding in Marin CA, I now have a dual suspension mountain bike. These bikes are expensive and complicated with a lot more things to break and adjust. I now own a third edition copy of Zinn and am glad to have it. It is a good owners manual. The book provides guidance for things I can do and things I am better off not doing. Even when I can't do something I like to know how it works.

The book provides an added level of safety in getting riders familiar with their bikes and providing guidelines for evaluating if things are worn out and what a good replacement schedule is for parts. Unavoidable things in life include death and taxes, mountain biking adds a concept 'everything will break at some point' and when it does you want to be able to consult Zinn.

The book is nicely indexed and is set-up in easily understood sections that will allow you to handle specific problems you are having with your bike. Explanations are concise and there are a lot of pictures and figures of various models of equipment. Fun to read even if you don't work on your own bike, and allows you to save some $ if you do.

Zinn's book is full of great info that covers topics from pedals to preload and everything in between. (Note: not much info in the way of rear-suspension.) The book is well written, humorous, and has several good illustrations.

This book will give you confidence to do most of the regular maintenance on your bike...if you feel comfortable holding a chain tool and a wrench, Zinn will teach you how to save yourself some money (and maybe even have some fun) by doing it yourself.

Highly recommended!