We all experience times where our bikes become a little less new than we would like. Parts are creaking, brakes not working as well as they should and the time comes to make a decision; should I fix it, or bring it in to the LBS?

We love supporting the LBS, but sometimes want to delve a little deeper into the finer details of the inner workings of our beloved machines, and spend a few hours fixing that which is not working so well.

I typically feel comfortable doing minor to somewhat complicated maintenance on my bike, and do so with the help of an indispensable book (I might add in a little note here; this is a very inexpensive book, there is also Barnett’s Manual that does cover more detailed maintenance, but at an increased cost. I will cover this manual at a later date.). Zinn and the Art of Maintenance is to road bikes as the waffle cone is to ice cream. A lot of people love it, but there is a little to be desired. The book covers a lot of ground, but does skip over some details in situations where you are scratching your head on what to do next (derailleur adjustments). I particularly found the section on adjusting brakes to be spot on.
The black and white illustrations are an excellent way for a new biker to learn the intricate details of the inner workings, and names of individual parts of their bike. The descriptions, and illustrations on tools are also quite excellent.

If you do decide to purchase this book, make sure to pick up the 2nd edition. This was updated in late 2005 and covers a lot more of the newer hardware.

Here is the list of chapters to give you an idea of all that it covers:

1. tools

2. basic stuff

3. emergency repairs

4. the chain

5. the shifting system

6. wheels, tires and cogs

7. brakes

8. cranks and bottom brackets

9. pedals

10. saddles and seatposts

11. stems, handlebars and headsets

12. computers

13. wheelbuilding

14. forks

15. frames

There are also a few charts and other helpful information in the appendices of the book that I found as a little bonus. All-in-all I use the Zinn book more than any other book I’ve purchased thus far.

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance