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

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!

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.

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.

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.

Not enough detailed information. Needs more pictures, more examples. Otherwise the info is good and all aspects of what you need to know are covered. Just be prepared to be frustrated when you can't figure things out by the limited picture drawings. This book needs a serious overhaul.