Any recommendations on a good, easy to follow repair manaual?

I checked some books out from my library some years ago. I like the Haynes Bicycle Book and Bicycle Repair by Rob Van Der Plas because they show nice pictures. These books will get you started. If your looking for something more comprehensive Barnetts is the best manual to have and should cover just about everything. I never got to see one of these though. I have seen a few videos on youtube explaining bicycle repairs also that might be helpful. Although there are lots of great materials on learning bicycle maintainance, nothing beats hands on instruction and I learned most of what I know from a bicycle coop. If you can find some bicycle classes in your area, take them! This is by far the easiest way to learn because books cant really explain how to adjust cones just right or how to true a wheel because you actually have to do it to know. Im not saying its impossible to learn from books, just harder.

www.parktool.com and mouse over the Repair button on the top. Brings up a stylized
bike, which you can mouse over to select different parts BB, wheel, derailler etc to
focus on or just scroll down for the TOC. Covers most items very well. Zinn's book
is well thought of. Few books cover recumbents, and the huge variety and changes over
the past 15yrs have made any book that does rapidly obsolete. The generics apply
however as bents all have BB, wheels, chainrings, brakes, cassettes, shifters and deraillers.
Row bikes you are on your own. (google on Zinn bicycle repair)

Zinn also makes a bicycle repair DVD I noticed. Has anyone ever seen this? There are also two other DVDs on amazon that may be good to watch as well. I checked out a few VHS tapes from my library but I think DVD would be much more up to date and useful.

I love books
but for bicycle repairs...
forget them.
Go buy a $5 or $10 bike or pick one up from the junk
Then pull it to bits and rebuild... then do it again
Talk to other bikers as well
Before you know it you'll be helping others fix their bikes
:)

I recommend The Bicycling Guide to Bicycle Maintenance & Repair, by Todd Downs. Published by Rodale. Easy to follow directions, good advice and helpful pictures.

http://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Road-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1931382697

Good Book by zinn, good pictures and instructions/

I just picked up the Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, the Park Tool book, at Sports Chalet today. I understand it is used in the Park Tool repair classes as a text.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-8161074-1011132?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=big+blue+book+of+bicycle+repair&x=0&y=0

It's not comprehensive, but I believe it does a good job of covering the repairs that most of us would or should attempt at home. It provides a list of applicable Park Tools in every chapter by part number and description. I found this very helpful because when I go to the bike shop to buy the tool, I know what I'm looking for and exactly why.

Sports Chalet is a great place to buy stuff when you insist on paying list price for everything. The book was $4-5 cheaper everywhere else I have seen it, but I happened to be there while out Xmas shopping so what the hey.

Eric