Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance

My girlfriend's husband was in prison. He loves to ride his mountain bike. Reading this book took his mind off his surroundings.

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!"

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.

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.

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.

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.