Bike Repair and Maintenance For Dummies Paperback – Illustrated, February 9, 2009

Liked gave the kids ability to research problems and see if they could fix on their own.

I needed a book for making repairs and improvements on my recumbent trike. I am a bit mechanical but was not familiar with some of the new types of bikes. I haven't worked on a bike since the early 60's so the gears, cables, dic brakes, and cassette on the rear wheel, and all the accompanying adjustments is all new to this old timer. Easy to understand and good diagrams.

Saved money bc I bought a used copy in Good Condition. Has pictures & is very detailed. Definitely recommend if you have a traditional conventional bike.

Rather basic and repetitive. Not well-organized. Kindle version did not have Kindle TOC, although there was a hyperlinked TOC after the cover page. [22 pages of TOC -- very clumsy compared to normal Kindle TOC] No index!!! Very "cutsey" names for sections of the book. Too much material on shopping for bikes and accessories and using a bike shop; too little on maintenance.I am a big fan of "Dummies" books, but this is far inferior to their usual products. Look elsewhere.

I've made it about halfway through the book and have mixed feelings. It is good for entry level and people like me who want a strong foundation before proceding. So far I would give this book a 5 star on the basics and things easy to overlook. I just wish that it had more indepth guidance. Usually when I maintenance something I will take every bearing and screw out to overhual and inspect it. So far this book wouldn't serve that purpose. I also purchased the Zinn book and am awaiting it too arrive. I am hoping what with this as the entry the Zinn will take me to moderate to advanced maintenance. I recommend the dummies guide as a 101 course book for all riders. If you feel comfortable or wish to advance further then look elsewhere. It is a guide for dummies/beginners, so keep that in mind.

Do you love bikes enough to spend a fortune on your ride but just don't have the urge to memorize all the mechanics? Then this book is for you! It is perfect to have around for basic bike maintenance, keeping down your costs at your local bike shop as well as expanding your knowledge of bicycles!

It has some useful information for basic repairs... not so heavy on the maintenance side but there is some in there. The pictures and drawings are in black and white, but mostly visible. Only a few are difficult to see. However, they are in 2-dimensions and they don't show you HOW to do the thing, they only show you the general area and the part you want to manipulate. The phrasing in the instructions can be hard to follow without a good visual reference unless you're already a master bike mechanic (which you aren't if you're thinking about buying this). So, buy this for general reference and rely on Youtube for video. The two together are better than either one alone.

I'm a newbie cyclist but I've hit the point where I'm ready to start doing some of my own bike maintenance. This book makes that possible. It's clear and easy to understand and laid out in a very organized fashion. I'm a beginner so I can't authoritatively say that it's completely comprehensive but it sure looks that way to me. It has everything that I want to do in it plus much more. I originally checked it out from the library but I quickly saw how valuable it would be in my home collection so I bought it. I highly recommend it to anyone who rides on a regular basis.