The Bicycle Repair Book: The New Complete Manual of Bicycle Care

by Robert Van der Plas

Keeping your bicycle well maintained - and being able to fix it when it does develop a problem - is your best guarantee for its continued good service. van der Plas shows you how to do all repairs by yourself. Preventive maintenance and adjustments, selecting tools and spares, illustrated step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting guide and reference tables, information on the latest equipment for road and mountain bikes, and more. Fully revised, update and expanded 2nd ed.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 9, 1992

About the author

Robert (or Rob) Van der Plas is the author of numerous books on cycling, including The Penguin Bicycle Handbook, The Mountain Bike Book, Bicycle Technology, and Bicycle Repair. He lives in San Francisco. He has been called as an expert witness in numerous cases involving bicycle-safety and patent disputes.

Reviews

[Damien S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned many things about this book. Being that i ride BMX bikes and everything about bikes sprocket, chain, handle bars, cranks, pedals everything fascinates me. This book basically describes everything about fixing a bike from changing a flat tire, painting your frame, installing cranks, lacing a wheel with spokes or just how to set up your bike for different types of riding. I wouldn't recommend this book to people who aren't interested in bicycles or learning about bicycles. It is a interest book that you really have to be interested in to read. The author really explains everything clearly and well and i could feel as if I had the tools in my hand sitting in front of a workbench with a bicycle in front of me waiting to be fixed. I really enjoyed this book and i would recommend it to any bicycle rider.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of repair manuals lately and this one stands out. It explains repair work without assuming that the reader has done any type of mechanical work before, explaining things like the function of a locknut (and even just what a locknut is!). The illustrations are clear, especially the cut-aways. As well, it's small enough to reasonably carry with you, unlike a tome such as Zinn's. However, because of this it covers less—some sections are a little out of date now and track bikes/fixed gear setups are excluded completely. Regardless, for the average rider doing common repairs and maintenance work, this book will be an excellent and practical starting point.

[Frans · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book if you want to get a feel for basic bike repair. I picked it up from the library with the intention on reading about the basics, and I think I will follow up with a bicycle maintenance class at a community center, where people can actually help me out. There are also a lot of you tube videos that supplement this content.

[Laura Gilfillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has clear, detailed instructions, and a good review of basic bike upkeep. I think I will find it quite helpful, if I ever get around to actually trying to do some of the bike repair we need to do around here.