Bike Repair Manual – Chris Sidwells – Dorling Kindersley (UK) 2004 ISBN 1 4053 0252 4 – I love this book! It is not so big but gives good coverage to all aspects of bike maintenance. It starts off with sections on getting to know your bike and caring for your bike then gets down to the nitty gritty of maintaining your transmission, steering and wheels, adjusting rim and hub brake and, tuning your suspension. Lots of “step by step” instructions and colour photos means anyone can follow the processes they describe.
The Urban Biking Handbook – Charles Haine – Quarry Books (US) 2011 ISBN 978 1 59253 695 5 – This book is a one-stop-shop about riding bikes in and around cities. It covers choosing your bike, the issues that crop up specific to riding in the city, customising your bike, what tools and clothing you need and building up to a car free lifestyle. The technical side of how bikes work and how to adjust them is covered but so to bicycle education and how it fits into the community. Lots of colour photos and how to info.
Green Guides: Cycling – David North – Flame Tree Publishing (UK) 2011 ISBN 978 0 85775 096 9 – While not being as information dense as the first two books, this is not bad for beginners and covers the benefits of cycling and choosing a bicycle; Equipment, clothing and safe cycling; bicycle maintenance and troubleshooting. Some colour photos.
Bicycling, A Reintroduction – Karen Ruth – Creative Publishing International (US) 2011 ISBN 978 1 58923 605 2 – This book is about reintroducing the driving public to the bike as a serious mode of transport. The book discusses the new options available for bikes and riding, the health benefits and how to get a bike. It also covers riding skills; clothes and accessories; the parts of a bike and how to fix your new bike. While not information dense on “how to” there is lots on “why you should”. Lots of colour photos.
The Australian Bicycle Book – Ian Christie – Cassell Australia (AUS) 1979 ISBN 0 7269 1400 2 – This book has all the usual bits, choosing a bike, tools and their uses, now to fix each of the various bike bits and bicycle safety. Not huge amounts of detail but some line drawings and black and white photos. Good for beginners (as I was when I bought it!)
The Fantastic Bicycles Book – Steven Lindblom – Houghton Miflin company (US) 1979 ISBN 0 395 28482 3 – This is a pretty wild book about turning standard (recycled) bikes into something different; projects include, a ski bike, a racer, an exercise bike, a tandem bike, a three wheeler and a sidecar rig. There is also lots of good “how to” stuff on modifying bikes. There are only colour photos on the back cover but the book is filled with really good line drawings.
Cycle Repair – Rob van der Plas – Springfield Books Ltd (UK) 1994 ISBN 1 85688 027 3 – A really good book! Lots of detail and colour photos, the book goes through all parts of the bike and how they work. There is then a detailed discussion on how to service and maintain each part of the bike in all their different combinations. There is even a section on bike accessories and how to install them.
Fix your Bicycle – Eric Jorgenson & Joe G. Bergman – Clymer Publications (US) 1972 ISBN 978 0 89287 035 6 – A bit dated but good information on tools and how to use them and a good section on lubrication and maintenance. The rest of the book is taken up looking at the various bike systems. All black and white photos or line drawings, but lots of ‘em!
The Bicycle Book – Twelve contributors from Cycling Plus – Future Publishing (UK) 2006 ISBN 978 1 84188 263 5 – As the title suggests this is a good general book on cycling. The book covers buying a bike in some detail and what is right for you; essential accessories like helmet, locks, lights etc.; Maintenance, storage and security for your bike; cycling safety and getting the most out of your bike. Lots of colour photos.
Anybody’s Bike Book – Tom Cuthbertson – Ten Speed Press (US) 1979 ISBN 0 89815 003 5 – Nothing fancy or high tech here, just good solid information for basic bike maintenance. The items covered are tools, brakes, handlebars, stem, headset, forks, wheels, frame, seat and power train (extra detail on power train, wheels and brakes). No photos but quite good (and sometimes humorous) line drawings.
Better Bikes – Tom Cuthbertson – Ten speed Press (US) 1980 ISBN 0 89815 024 8 - The tag line for this book is “A manual for an alternative mode of transportation” and that just about covers it. The book is in two parts, the first covering how to get the best out of your current ten speed or standard bicycle, like making it more efficient, modifying the bike for shopping and riding a bike in rough weather. The second part covers alternative bicycles like recumbent bikes, portable bikes and high speed bikes. As above, no photos but good line drawings.
Ultimate Bicycle Book – Richard Ballantine & Richard Grant – DK Publishing Inc. (UK) 1992 ISBN 0 7894 2252 2 – This book goes into great detail about different types of bike, how they were developed, how they are made and what you can do with them. The bike is broken down into 7 sections, the first called the essential bike that discusses bikes in general terms followed by a section each on mountain, racing, touring, everyday and future bikes. The last section is on bicycle maintenance. Lots of colour pics.
The Complete Book of Bicycling – Eugene A. Sloane – Simon & Schuster (US) 1988 ISBN 0 671 65802 6 – This is a big thick book (500+ Pages) which covers how to buy and ride a bike, the history of bikes, bike touring and commuting. The remainder of the book (a bit over half) covers the anatomy of the bike and how to maintain all the bits. All black and white pics with a few line drawings thrown in.
The Raliegh Book of Cycling – Reginald C. Shaw (Ed.) – Sphere Books (UK) 1978 ISBN 0 7221 7749 6 – This is a standard size paperback with no photos and a few line drawings that covers all sorts of stuff. Chapters include buying and riding a bike, cycling for health and fitness, cycle gears and gearing, the history of cycling and a chapter each on various cycling sports.
The Penguin bicycle Handbook – Rob van der Plas – Penguin Books Ltd (UK) 1983 ISBN 0 14046 488 3 – Covers all the usual bits and pieces including choosing and buying a bike, a breakdown of the bike’s components, bike history, using a bike to keep fit as well as a section on maintenance and repairs, including painting a bike. The book has lots of good line drawings as well as a centre section of black and white photos.
Richard’s Bicycle Book – Richard Ballantine – Pan Books Ltd (UK) 1977 ISBN 0 330 24203 2 – The book is broken into two halve, the first half covering the types of bike available, how to ride, touring, racing etc. The second half breaks the bike down into its components and then discusses maintenance and repair including putting together a maintenance program. There are some line drawings but no photos.
It’s Easy to Fix Your Bike – John W. McFarlane – W. Foulsham and Co Ltd (US) 1972 ISBN 0 572 00890 2 – This book is quite specific and names names in terms of brands when discussing maintenance and repair processes. Brands mentioned include Bendix, Komet Super, Centric, Shimano, Mattatuck and Sturmey-Archer. All the usual bits and pieces are covered. Lots of good black and white photos.
Bicycle Care and Repair – Ben Burnstyn – Coles Publishing Company (CAN) 1979 ISBN 0668 02706 1 – Lots of good information with chapters on care and maintenance, braking systems, derailleurs , crank assemblies and sprocket clusters, frame and fork aligning, building and truing wheels and short cuts on common repairs. A mix of line drawings and black and white photos.
