Originally Posted by FrenchFit

I've found those "past 50" books dissapointing, but they are good for starting fires on cold nights. There's better information in this forum and on the web generally if you read judiciously.

Best 'how things work' orientation is to build or rebuild a couple of bikes and components, you learn a ton through trial and error and if you need information to solve a problem you can usually find it on the internet, and it becomes a good deal more relevant in practical application. Welding? That I haven't tackled, but maybe I'll take a class from a builder someday...some allow you to build your own frame in their shop for a student fee.