DIY Bike book

jam_on_toast

Hi,

I am looking to buy a book about the repairing/building of bikes. Something which goes through how to fix and assemble a bike basically.

I have looked at a few online but don't have a clue which is good or not.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

Cheers

triv88

Try chapters bookstore in middle abbey street.I got a massive glossy diy book for bicyles for 9.99 a couple of weeks ago in the sports section..I was thrilled ,I can't wait to have problems with my bike now:P

peterk19

I bought this under recomendation from other users here and cant fault it

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/book/-zinn-art-of-road-maintenance-book-ec005722

jam_on_toast

That was quick!

Will check them out. Thanks

Bunnyhopper

A lot of the online sources are at least as useful as the printed stuff, and work out a dang sight cheaper.

For example:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/byregion.asp
and
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

A detailed book would be Barnett's, but it's not cheap. You can download sample chapters, however.
http://www.bbinstitute.com/manual.htm

The same's true of Sutherland's:
http://www.sutherlandsbicycle.com/7th_Edition.html

Of the cheaper books, I believe Lennard Zinn's have quite a good reputation, for MTBs anyway, but I haven't used them myself. Generally I'd go to Park Tools or Sheldon, or ask on here if I'm stuck.

stuf

jam_on_toast wrote: »

That was quick!

Will check them out. Thanks

I've a copy of Zinn which I'll part with for a tenner and pick up in Dublin 8 if you're in the area

FrankGrimes

stuf wrote: »

I've a copy of Zinn which I'll part with for a tenner and pick up in Dublin 8 if you're in the area

If jam on toast doesn't take it I'll take it for the tenner and collect at the weekend.

scottreynolds

I just bought the park book -Big Blue Book of Bicycle repair (think thats the title i think). Its okay but really Park Tool specific. I'd tend to go for something more generic like Zinn Art Of Road Maintenance which, if you are in Dublin, you can look at in Cycle Surgery in Dundrum.

jam_on_toast

stuf wrote: »

I've a copy of Zinn which I'll part with for a tenner and pick up in Dublin 8 if you're in the area

Cheers for the offer but i'm gonna have a look at a few of em before i buy.

Go for it Grimes.

blorg

+1 on the Zinn book, it is very good and easy to follow.

kenmc

Zinn for me too. I have the road one, my brother had the MTB one, both super - one nice thing is the exploded drawings rather than pictures, really helpful for putting stuff back together!

penexpers

Another one for the Zinn book.

DirkVoodoo

I had the big blue book too. While its handy to have a book out in the garage, all the information is available on their website so if you have patience and a nice printer you could print all the pages and stick them in a ring binder. But you may as well get Zinn, it ain't that expensive.

As Scott said, it is based alot around "Now take your PT-11 and hold the crank while inserting park tool CN-22 into whatever".

Home:Ballyhoura

Hi, is there a difference between the Zinn books with different cover pictures?

Like here is one type of the road: CRC & Wiggle
Whereas here on PBK the cover is somewhat different (more old fashioned in my opinion)

The same can be said for the MTB version: CRC and Wiggle differ to that of PBK

Basically, my question is weather or not this different cover indicates a different version? Thanks in advance

P.S. I would have gone for the Park Tool one before reading this...and it seems you can get most of its contents online! Cheers

DirkVoodoo

They are just different editions, I don't know which is the current one, a quick google should reveal all

EDIT: I might be wrong on this actually, I can't find much info from amazon about versions. The grey bike one was published in 2000 if that helps.

DirkVoodoo

Ok, the red bike one is the second edition and published in 2005, get that one!

Bunnyhopper

I've seen the Zinn books in Borders in Blanchardstown a few times, so that might be worth a look if it's more convenient than Dundrum.

IM0

edit

Ant

I see there's a new edition of the Zinn book coming out in June this year: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zinn-Art-Road-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030422/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232456101&sr=8-6

Eoin D

Went looking for the zinn book in my local book shop there but to no avail, ended up getting 'it's not about the bike' by the man himself. Anyone read it? I've a few books to get through before I'll read it but it's seemed like the most interesting book in the cycling section anyway!

dave.obrien

The only one I've ever had is The Complete Bike Book by Mel Allwood. It's not too technical, but does the job well. I'm not in a position to compare it to Zinn or anything, but it's very clear, very easy to use.

Bunnyhopper

Eoin D wrote: »

...ended up getting 'it's not about the bike' by the man himself. Anyone read it?

Yeah, it's a decent read. It has good stuff about cycling but also about his illness etc. I read a later one of his as well, Every Second Counts. It's more purely about cycling so it might have less of a broad appeal.

If anyone wants a geeky read I'd recommend Bicycling Science by David Gordon Wilson. It's no page-turning bestseller, but if you want to know about drag coefficients and rolling resistance* then it's your man.


*Yes, I am that sad, but no, I am not in fact an engineer....