uncle uncle

The title should read "Bicycle repair manuals "up to" mid 90's bikes....My big five oh birthday is quickly approaching and when my better half asked what I might like for a gift, I thought a nice repair manual that covers pre "brifter" bicycle overhaul and maintenance would be nice. So far, I have been using my previous knowledge of working at a bike shop (which was mostly sales floor duty and setting up new bikes), but that was limited then and more than twenty years old. I don't mind buying used if a particular guide is good, but an earlier print would be more in line with my needs (60-90's drop bar road bikes). Or maybe tools would be better, because the world wide webs covers just about everything?

shoota 

It's called the internet

gomango

Big Blue Book of Bike Repair by Park Tool

Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance by L. Zinn

thinktubes 

Zinn also has a Road Bike edition which is pretty good. One of Jim Langley's books might work as well.

fietsbob

Sutherlands

gomango

Thanks.

Have one in the workshop, but couldn't remember the name of it.

Clearly, another impending sign of old age on my part.

gomango

I probably have the road bike edition as well.

I like his books.

3alarmer 

...good information, unfortunately the various editions can be hard to find, and much of the information is edition specific (if covered in one edition, not repeated in another).

fietsbob

only have 3rd myself, has 3 speed teardowns in it ..

jiangshi

I have the hard copies of Barnett's, Sutherlands and the separate 3 speed edition. I also have pdf versions. I prefer the paper.

noglider 

There is also the big blue book from Park Tool. I own it but have never opened it. I don't know why I bought it. I guess I like to have good reference books surrounding me.

Grand Bois

I've never bought a bike book. I downloaded Sutherland's 4th and Barnett's for free and I can print pages if I need them for reference in the shop, but I never have. Sheldon Brown is a good place to start.