Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance (2nd Edition)

Product Description
Road bikes are surprisingly complex machines, but there’s no need to spend excessive amounts on repairs and maintenance. The cost of a copy of Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance should be sufficient in most cases. This well-organized and -illustrated guide, which incorporates the latest in component technology and innovations, shows how to maintain every part of a road bike. This includes chains, derailleurs, shifters, wheels, brakes, cranks, bottom brackets, pedals, saddles, seatposts, handlebars, stems, headsets, forks, and frames — all covered in Lennard Zinn’s trademark clear and concise prose. Novices and seasoned mechanics alike can benefit from the clear illustrations, exploded views of how components go together, and practical tips on how to completely and properly maintain all aspects of their road bikes to ensure hours of trouble-free riding. Zinn shows exactly when to tackle a maintenance project and when a trip to the bike shop for repair is unavoidable.

Lennard Zinn is a cycling god. Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance is revered as a bible among the fat-tire set; he now extends the gospel to the rest of the cycling faithful in Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance.

From simple, routine maintenance to more complicated tasks, Zinn remains "convinced that anyone with an opposable thumb can perform any repair on a bike." He begins with "Basic Stuff" such as pre-ride inspections and cleaning the drive train, and continues on through the super-advanced task of wheel building--arguing that "the construction of a good set of bicycle wheels is actually a straightforward task." Zinn guides readers step by step through every possible repair on every possible part, handlebar grips to Maric Mektronic electronic shifting, with plain-speaking text and helpful illustrations. There's even a section on emergency repairs, including unexpected advice such as straightening a bent rim by hitting it against the ground: "You may be surprised how straight you can get a wheel this way."

This comprehensive manual is essential reading for those who love their bike. "All you have to do is follow the instructions and trust yourself." Indeed. --M. Stein

Indispensible maintenance guide that keeps my bikes out of the shop
This is a great book that gives you basic instructions for maintaining all aspects of a road bike - whether the bike is brand new or twenty years old. I just built a road bike using the techniques in this book, along with some more detailed techniques available on the Park Tools website. I can't count the number of times that this book has allowed me to fix my bikes at home and keep them out of the shop!

Great to have!
Zinn's interest in and experience with bikes and biking is obvious to me when I look over this book or read his tech reports in Velo News (magazine and website). I found the second edition a welcome improvement over the first edition in its inclusion of a section on cantilever brakes (the first edition refers the reader to Zinn's mountain bike book). Since I have owned cyclocross bikes for several years, and found cantilevers infinitely more adjustable (and sometimes infinitely more frustrating) than the side pull brakes found on most road bikes, I welcomed this section. Beyond that, I like the straightforward way Zinn writes (always advocating the proper tools but sometimes offering ways to improvise), I find the illustrations most helpful and the organization of the book easy to follow. While this book does not cover everything (what does and how many of us really need that much information?) it is the one source I return to over and over again; the grease stains on the pages of my copy attest to its frequent use. Combine this book with the Park Tools website and the exhaustive information provided by the late Sheldon Brown, and you will find most of what you need to complete standard bike build or repair jobs. This is the bike book I own that spends the least amount of time on the shelf.

Generally Comprehensive & Detailed
I bought this book and Down's (more popular) book at the same time. Both books have good illustrations, but this book is by far the more detailed and helpful. Down's book is VERY basic and leaves out detail needed to really tune anything to any extent.

Having said that, this book does a decent job of showing how to tune a number of bike features, as well as doing routine maintanence/repairs. However, if you are a gear-head, you probably won't be happy with less than Barnett's painfully exhaustive 4 volume set--which is likely overly detailed for anyone short of a professional shop-set.

Though a complete novice can use this book, it seems geared more to people who have at least a common sense knowledge of bikes & tools when they are looking at them right in front of them. [Down's book spends time describing things that should be obvious at a gance, while leaving out detail you need to fix something.]

Definitely a recommended buy from me....very useful.

Good Buy
This book offers a great deal of information to someone like me who is just now getting in to cycling and is not familiar with the terms and would just like to get a better sense of their bike. It lays out a very helpful maintenance guide that tells you the general amount of time needed between cleanings and replacements.

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