Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling: The Cyclist's Bible--25th Anniversary Edition

This book gives a lot of good information about the history of cycling as well as a guide to all mechanical work and troubleshooting you will ever need to do on your bicycle, no matter what type it is. Especially helpful are the charts for calculating the gear ratios on your bike. The historical photos are an important part of the book's value. There is also some helpful information on when and how to ride and on conditioning.

Gene Sloane has wrote some great repair books and all of his books are packed with history, practical advice, and personal andecdotes. This book is a good all around introduction to cycling that will last you for several years. It is NOT the Last or Only book you will ever need (or want) on Cycling, but it is better than most. I have a collection of Gene's books and they are easily superior to Rob VanDerPlas's series (RVP tends to miss a few things in his books and can be too general in his coverage). Having copies of Gene's books over the years is like having a private library of the history of modern (1960s-2000s) bikes and the evolution of their design. He also tends to include gearing tables, sizing recommendations, metrics to english conversion charts, etc.

This is the book that turned me from a casual commuter into a cycling NUTCASE. i've never looked back. In one book, sloan covers everything you need to know to buy a bike, fix a bike, tour on a bike, and race on a bike. Sloan's original book had the audacity to discuss brands and parts and who makes the best stuff any WHY. No other author at the time was willing to delve into these issues. He does it with so much ENTHUSIASM and INSIGHT that his love of the subject is INFECTIOUS. You should think of Eugene Sloane in the same terms as your favorite high school teachers. Sloan is from a suburb of Chicago, Illinois which is a BIKE MECCA because everywhere it's FLAT. One of the things that makes this a cyclist's cycling book is that in the illustrations he always depicts professional parts and also many of the most unusual parts of the 1970's and 1980's. The earlier editions had a racing bicycle on the front, and on the binding, switched to a touring bicycle on the back, if you happen to see it used. Very distinctive cover on those editions. BUY IT AND CATCH THE FEVER.

When I started my adventure to buy a bike, one enthusiast's first piece of advice was to get this book. Then, before doing business with a shop, he recommended I "ask one of the mechanics (not the person working the register) if they sell Sloane. Don't ask for it by title, just ask if they sell Sloane. If they don't know immediately what you're talking about, there's a good chance they don't do good work. Tell them you forgot to put change in the meter and walk out and don't come back." I found this to be good advice.The other reviewer has pretty much said it, but I got more from my time spent reading this book than talking with any shop personnel (no question) or almost any bike owners. Considering the cost of investing in a bicycle, and the cost of this book, there's no excuse for any bicycle owner to not own this book.

Sloane's book is the most complete and authoritative book on cycling in print anywhere in the world today or any other day.If you only buy two books on cycling, make this one your first.