The Total Bike Maintenance Book: DIY Repairs Made Easy Paperback – August 7, 2012

No matter whether you're new to bicycling and looking for a list of basic gear and a "road map" of your new bike, or whether you are ready to do your own repairs and replacements, this book has it all. I have gone through the book page by page, skimming over many of the repairs at this point but reading and re-reading most of the rest of the material. I feel much more comfortable now than I initially did about getting out on the road and being able to handle at least the simple problems that might arise, and I feel more comfortable with the bike because I understand its parts and how they operate. I also learned a tremendous amount about the transmission and shifting that I never knew. I now know when and how to shift properly and don't feel overwhelmed by all the speeds. The material is clearly written and accompanied by numerous clear, full color photographs, and the organization of the book is terrific. There are some particularly helpful sections, such as putting together a basic repair kit and handling emergency repairs on the road, a routine safety checklist before every ride, a regular cleaning routine, and how to set up your bike for your own comfort and purpose. This book was a real find, and even though I haven't had to use it yet for repairs, it has been of tremendous help in getting me going on my way to bicycling once again. I highly recommend it to anyone who owns a bike.

I love this book. I've been riding my touring bike for several years now, but I'm tired of paying someone else to take it apart and put it back together whenever I travel. I know absolutely nothing about anything mechanical, so I'm starting from scratch. While no book can teach you everything, the step-by-step photos in this book are a major help. I'm starting at the very beginning, having to even look up what a "cone wrench" (or spanner in the book) is, etc, etc, but the book gives me the confidence to believe that I can actually do the repair. No, I don't plan on ever truing my wheels or the truly complicated stuff, but to know how that I can actually do a basic emergency road repair is a majo relief. I really recommend this book. FWIW, the author is a Brit, but if you have even a basic tool knowledge, then it's a no-brainer/no-issue (translation: if even I can understand it, lol, then it's not going to be a problem).

I purchased the book based on previous reviews. Just what I needed for learning & upkeep for a GT Talera 4.0 Hybrid.Packaging feedback: Not happy. It's a somewhat heavy softcover book. The manual was placed in a much larger box along with other items. No attempt to protect against shifting so received with some damage to corners. I will try to correct the upturned ends with stack of heavy books and hope it'll do the job of flattening upturned corners.

well written, lots of pics. Excellent for someone who possesses finesse with tools & has the desire to learn & follow instructions..

I should note that this book is British. In and of itself there is nothing wrong with it but, besides a recommendation to have a cup of tea while waiting for the chain oil to settle, some of the terminology can be a bit different than American terminology. I think that this is a good book. The author does not seem to have any agenda (perhaps a preference to mountain bikes and hybrids as opposed to road bikes, judging from the illustrations). The book is very thorough and instructive. It is very well illustrated (only color photographs). It is worthwhile having even without doing too much heavy-duty maintenance on one’s bike.

An excellent guide for the DIY bike maintenance.

British POV and mostly new systems are covered. I was really looking for more "vintage" stuff for my Mid 80's MTB.

Overall I am pleased with the book and I am glad to have it in my library. In my opinion, the photos are the weak link in this book. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being outstanding I'd give them a 7.5. The discussions are clear and lets be frank, bicycle mechanisms are not that difficult to grasp in concept. Where this book helps is in understanding some of the finer points and keeping you out of trouble.

love it very good book

Okay, this was waiting for me after I got back from a one day bike maintenance course. Its the perfect aide memoir for me. Lots of pics. Well laid out as they try to put each job on either a page across a two page spread. Intuitive with excellent light footnotes and tips in the margins re tools, techniques and pitfalls. Im not sure how much sense any of the books would make without the course to bring abstract concepts off the page but I did get the chance to compare this one to others. At under £15 I don't feel honour bound to say that I picked the best one but if I had to put it in order of merit against two other well known ones....no contest. It worked the best for me because its extremely visual in its advice. The photo story style repair topics really shine. Other useful bits: doing a service/cleaning routine/quick checks to extend the life of your love child, fixing those weird creaking noises, general trouble shooting and key chapters on suspension and disc brakes. In short it really lays into the nitty gritty of sorting all of this maintenance stuff out. Knock out.

good product

An excellent book and probably the best bike manual I have. There is not much I can say which has not been said already. However I do have one criticism. It is rather text heavy at times. I know there is the issue of size and cost of the book but a few more large scale drawings would be appreciated. It is leagues better than the Haynes book for explanation though and on a par with "The Chainbreaker Book of Bicycle Maintenance" for ease of use and clarity of information (although that book uses excellent hand drawn diagrams rather than photos). If you are new to biking or want more confidence in doing home repairs this is the book to get. It's written by a lady (yes lads...) who has got years of experience working at one of the best cycle shops in the UK: Brixton Cycle Cooperative. Owned by cyclists for cyclists (not the hedge fund owned Evans Cycles for example). So you know you the book is written by a caring and enthusiastic expert.

I quite like this book. As someone new to bike maintenance and getting fed up of repair bills mounting up to more than my bike's worth (I don't have a fancy bike) I figured I've nothing to lose trying to do them myself.The style of writing is pretty clear and easy to read with added humour etc. the descriptions are about as clear as they could be - but in many cases a picture paints a thousand words. It's due to the odd instance where a picture could have actually come in handy and isn't there that it drops a star (that and the slightly random layout). The layout seems logical at first, broken into sections of the bike, but within each section it does jump around, there are lots of cross references etc. I found some instances where the cross reference obviously doesn't point to the correct page (I guess the writer switched things round a lot before deciding on the final structure, without updating the references). I found what I was after with a bit of rummaging around mind you.However, don't let that come across too negatively - if you're looking to gain the confidence to get started in bike maintenance, then this book certainly did it for me and might do it for you too.