Hi, I am new to trying to learn bike repair and maintenance so I can give more love to my bike. Since I do not know much about the subject, I want to start learning about it. Can folds here recommend me some books, literature to start my learning process?

Also, for vintage bikes, what is a good toolset to start from? I have seen the price differences from different brands and not sure if they are worth the price increase but still want to start off with a set that can cover most of the jobs.

Thank you!

Tool sets waste funds. Buy as you go, as needs arise. Park Tools are among the best. Buy on eBay.

Here is our go-to information source:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/

Also, the Park Tools website has a ton of videos showing you how to do many bike maintenance tasks.

For books, you might want to start with the Park Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair. There are others that focus on more-vintage bikes (just Google "Vintage Bike Repair Manual"), but this one is a good starting place.

For tools, I've posted this before, but still think it's a pretty good list of tools that would be useful in most home shops:

I'll preface this by saying you may already have a lot of these tools in your home tool box. Anyway...

--Set of metric open/box end wrenches up to 17mm;
--12" adjustable ("Crescent") wrench;
--Ball-peen hammer;
--Metal shop ruler (to measure chain stretch, etc.);
--Needle-nose pliers (to grab the cable when adjusting derailleur cable length);
--JIS (Japanese) Phillips head screwdriver, probably No. 2 will cover you in most instances;
--Hex/Allen Tri-wrench in 4, 5, 6 mm;
--Socket Tri-wrench in 8, 9, 10 mm;
--Torx Tri-wrench (I have one but don't use it, because I don't have any Torx fasteners);
--Pedal Wrench (I have an older (Verma?) model that has both 15mm and 1/2" at either end);
--Set of good quality cone wrenches (I use Park);
--High-quality spoke wrench to fit your spoke nipples. Park makes these. Get the kind that looks like a hot-air-balloon with rubber grip. Don't cheap out on this tool!;
--Headset wrench specific to your headset if you use one. Park makes these as well;
--Chain Whip;
--Cassette lockring tool depending on cassette manufacturer (This will be used in conjunction with your chain whip and adjustable wrench);
--Bottom-bracket tools, depending on what you're using and the era;
--Fourth hand (Hozan makes an excellent one);
--Quality bike-cable-specific cable cutters (I use a discontinued Shimano version but the newer Park one seems quite capable. Knipex are also amazing);
--Metric Allen key set (the "L" shaped ones);
--Chain Tool (type depending on what you use--rivets, quick links, etc.);
--Tools specific to your bike--I need an extra long 6mm Allen key for my stem and a 8mm Allen for my cranks. I also have a specific tool for my chainring bolts and crank dust caps, and one to adjust my pedal bearings;
--Good quality oil (your choice; I use Tri-Flow);
--Good quality grease (your choice; I use Shimano Special Grease. Phil is good too);
--Good quality floor pump including good-quality chuck for your particular valves (I use a Silca Pista Plus with Hiro chuck for Presta valves);
--Tire valve core tool (I think these would be used if you are tubeless and need to remove the valve core);
--Decent floor stand if your bike can be lifted into one;

Fun tools but completely unnecessary: Angle gauge; digital bike (expensive) or luggage (cheap) scale.

This list is what I can think of off the top of my head, but should be a good start for most home shops. YMMV. There are of course very specialized tools like dropout alignment tools, headset cup and race removers/installers, wheel truing stand, spoke tensiometer, etc. These can be pricy and not used very often, but many can be fabricated at home. I may add to this list as I think of things.

I'd also advice against "sets". You'll also probably better off with "generic" hand tools, vs. bike specific.
So when it comes to hex/allen wrenches, JIS screwdrivers, combo wrenches, etc. - I don't buy "bike"
specific brands. Buy specific tools as your needs come up - buy the necessary bottom bracket, headset,
etc. tool for your specific model.

I bought a bike tool "set" because I found it cheap & used locally. It worked out for me because the price was less than what it would have cost me to buy 3-4 tools in the kit. That said, I have not used more than half of the tools, as they are not relevant to the bikes I work on. I agree with the folks above, buy tools as needed, specific to your bike(s).

I got a $19 dollar tool set from Lidl a few years ago. Was worth the price, and had several tools that I still use. I wouldn't spend much more than that for a set, though.

Glad I never bought into the "Buy them as you need them" philosophy.

If I want or need to repair or upgrade something, I'd prefer not to have to make a trip to the bike shop or hardware store to purchase a tool before work can begin, or wait for eBay to ship. When I want to work on my bike, I want to do it now.

One source I have come to appreciate a lot over the years is RJ The Bike Guy's channel on YouTube. Lots of practical advice and DIY examples, and I always like to at least check out his solution(s) for a specific problem before trying to tackle it myself.

If you are working on most bikes, metric is the way to go. Older American and British bikes might have SAE sizes...which means more tools... If anyone has anything I missed?

Stage 1: Basic bike maintenance (this will do just about everything to take apart the bike and do simple maintenance. And some are just normal tools)
1. Chain remover tool (don't skimp...trust me, your fingers will notice)
2. Allen wrenches (Get a decent set off Amazon that are color coded and have the ball ends... 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 (I like Bondhus...metric only)
https://www.amazon.com/AMTOVL-Anti-S...9&sr=8-10&th=1
3. Open end/box combo wrenches https://www.amazon.com/ELEAD-Super-T...10&sr=8-6&th=1
The critical sizes are 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17...maybe a few others I can't think of...24 is helpful
3.5. Decent ratchet set (8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 are the key ones)
4. Tire bead jack https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tir...39&sr=8-1&th=1
5. Tire levers (not sure which to recommend, they all are flawed)
6. Pair of needle nose pliers,
7. nice cable cutters
8. Solid pliers
9. Small and larger Adjustable wrench (flat edges are critical, don't skimp!)

Stage 2: Overhauling stuff (Buy as you wish to try it)
1. 32mm, 36mm headset wrenches
2. Crank extractor tool
3. Cone wrenches (rubber handled 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
4. Bottom bracket tools (depends on the bottom bracket; older Bottom brackets need different tools)
5. Freewheel, cassette removers
6. Spoke wrenches

Stage 3: You are getting to be a good bike mechanic...you'll know when you need something! And when to use junkyard mechanical skills @MadHonk

Valid point and I have experienced this frustration, especially when my local shop does not have the tool I need. Your list above is a good starting point for gathering what will be needed for general tools. I think, for me, the "buy them as you need them" refers to the more unique tools ie "don't buy a bottom bracket tool until you know what bottom bracket you have" or "Buy a freewheel remover, for the freewheel you have" In my ideal world I would have all the tools I need on hand, but as most folks here know, if I had every tool needed to work on my various bikes, It would be a huge kit and cost a pretty penny. I am pretty sure most people built their tool kits over years and as they acquired bikes that required new tools. That said, if I had a bike as nice as your Cinelli, I would be sure to have all the right tools on hand to give it the love it deserves.

"Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance" by Lennard Zinn is a very good book. It covers both modern and C&V stuff. You can also use it to get a good sense of what tools you will need.

Hey Now! I resemble that remark! I bought a set of bike tools at my local pawn shop for around $20 made by Ascent but there are plenty of others like it on flea bay etc. The kit has most common tools needed for bike maintenance and even though not professional grade they do work. I use the Freehub tool and bottom bracket tool the most, but the crank arm remover works like the Campy model. Here are a few pictures showing the kit contents. Smiles, MH

The kit is self contained and is about 12" by 15". It lays in the top drawer of the carport tool box and gets used a lot during the summer months.

The contents: lever arm for crank removal tool, pin spanner, pedal wrench adjustable wrench, chain tool, and needle nose pliers.

Chain whip, headset/bottom bracket wrench, Allen wrenches, cone wrenches (2), Shimano cassette lockring tool, crank removal tool, and Bottom bracket tool.
An inexpensive set but is a way for a lot of tools to be found on the cheap and all in a self contained unit. Great starter set and can be upgraded a bit at a time when needed.

I've been working on bikes for a long time, but most of the tools I've purchased have come when needing to work on a particular mechanism or area, e.g., overhauling a bottom bracket involves pulling the crankset, lockring/adjustable cup/fixed cup removal; overhauling hubs involves freewheel/cassette removal, cone wrenches, small adjustable wrench. Of course, there are multiple variations of these tools based on country of origin, time period, manufacturer spec. So, to the OP, what bike are you intending to overhaul?

The best way to learn is by doing. Buy a inexpensive bike from FB or Craigslist, tear it down to a bare frame and reassemble. You will quickly find which bicycle specific tools are necessary.

I want to know what bike choj wants to work on. Many of my tools came from pawn shops as did a tool box. Then google how to use them.

First and foremost in my mind - buy top quality guaranteed for life tools when it comes to wrenches, if possible. Second, is your bike Imperial (inches) or metric (centimeters and millimeters) or Whitworth or American threaded (or a mixture)? No sense buying metric tools for Imperial nuts and bolts Hope I made an important point.

There are some great recommendations offered here. Some very complete and, in my case, it took me many years of needing this or that until I managed to complete building a set of every tool I needed. I am close to eighty years old, have owned Metric, Imperial, Whitworth and even American wrenches. And I still have not finished building my tool set. This is something you have to learn as you go along. But you will learn and the folks here will enjoy helping you learn. Keep the questions coming, one or two at a time. That is how I learned.

What is the Park Tool code for crystal balls?

I'm not mocking Park.
I just recommend that if you have the option, buy VAR or Hozan. Seem very well made

Walmart set

Get this for $30 as an excellent starting point.

I agree with learning on junk, but the rest is really bad advice. Don't go for maximum challenge right out of the gate. This leads many to the proverbial five-gallon bucket full of bike parts and the proverbial ball bearings all over the garage floor. I would suggest starting with a fairly tuned up bike, riding it, and learning how to deal with each issue as it arises - one problem at a time. It is also genuinely helpful to have another brake or wheel or brifter or whatever to look at while you have the other one in pieces.

Park quality certainly has declined over the years, but they would still be my go-to for most bike specific tools. I’m glad I have the early versions of some tools, especially the tri Allen wrench. Hozan makes the best fourth hand, bar none.

cb-1

When researching vintage bikes, https://www.sheldonbrown.com/ was the site that many of us cut our teeth on. Authoring one of the earliest internet pages focused on vintage bike maintenance, Sheldon Brown set the gold standard when it came to delivering clear, concise information with an eccentric bias towards English bikes and some French culture. Always worth a read.

Sutherlands 4th edition is a great reference manual for most bikes in the post War period up to the 80's.

Also, use your local library and borrow some maintenance books.