Bicycle Mechanics - good bike maintenance books

i would like to buy a good bike repair book

i would like it to be well illustrated...color preferred

but most of all i want decent advice


i have seen the manuals listed at the top of the forum....but my slow dialup has fits trying to download anything


thanks

I like the books by Zinn, but they are not color.

hustler!

If the your connection is too slow to download the Barnett's chapters online, getting a set from amazon oro Barnes and Noble is the only way to go. I have the Zinn books and the bicycling guide, plus several other smaller books, but nothing compares to the detail or explanations found in the Barnett's set of four books. Some things may be a little greater detail than you'll need in order complete the repair, but it's good to know. There clear illustrations throughout the book (computer designed - not color photos). You can get the four book set for around $100(I think-I bought mine a while ago) or each seperate book for around $30 each.

-Moab

Barnett's can be intimidating to a amateur mechanic, it was to me. One of the very best general books on bicycle mechanics that I have found is manual put out by Haynes. Haynes has been publishing how-to books on automotive and motorcycle mechanics for many years. Well written and very well illustrated with color photos make it easy to use.

Another source of excellent advice is from Park Tools. See their bike repair web-site at: http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml

When it come to things mechanical, there is no such thing as too much information. You should have more than one book and more than one source of information. You need to learn to follow the instructions, in order, rather than dive in the middle of everything. Bike repair is not rocket science, but is does have a methodology that you should follow.

One last word. Tools. There are some special, bike-specific tools required. Don't skimp on tools. Buy the very best you can afford. If you can't afford the best, wait until you can. A crappy tool can ruin a job and ruin a part that you're working on.

Working on your own bike is fun, and very rewarding. Not even counting the money that you will save by being able to do it yourself.

Get 'Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintanence.' It's a great book to introduce yourself to bicycle mechanics, easy to understand, and has detailed sketches, and is only about $15-20.
I'm just getting into doing my own repairs and such and I find it and Parktool.com very useful.