The Essential Guide to Mountain Bike Maintenance: A Comprehensive Guide by Zinn

AdamM: This book is great for any cyclist who is mechanically inclined to do your own maintenance. I happen to be a newb in the MTB realm and have already used this book for a number of “adjustments” and “alignments” to my bike.

United States on Nov 30, 2021

Alex: Livre technique complet mais en Anglais !.. les dessins mériteraient plus de détails......

France on Oct 31, 2020

Alex Hilt: Good book, with a wealth of knowledge and helpful tips for attacking your own bike maintenance. At this point some of the references are a bit dated and specific product, brand and parts have changed but it still gives you a good overall feel for bike maintenance. Might as well get the newer version at this point if you are working on newer bikes I am sure it will be more applicable. The amount of time devoted to rim brakes is a bit excessive in this version given that they are non-existent at this point on real mountain bikes.
Descriptions are usually pretty clear and the illustrations are well selected. More would always be nice but then it would be an even thicker book and probably cost twice as much.

United States on Jan 29, 2018

Nicomedes Gomez Aliende: Libro completo. Es lo que yo esperaba, recomiendo la compra. El ingles se entiende bien y además hay muchas ilustraciones.

Spain on Aug 15, 2017

ChaoticOrb: Now you can watch videos and read web guides on how to maintain a mountain bike but they often skip steps that they assume you already know or have strange angles on the videos. I've learnt more from this book in a week that 6 months of online guides and videos. It is written in a simple but comprehensive way, the hand drawn exploded view diagrams are really helpful and even though the technology is changing very fast it still covers the basics so well. If you take some time to learn some new skills and techniques it will also save you some money and time in the future. One of the best bits of the book has tips and tricks for emergency repairs with some really innovative ideas and suggestions. If you have a MTB and want to look after it better get this book.

United Kingdom on Oct 15, 2016

Barney: I rely heavily on this book and another entitled 'Bicycle Maintenance & Repair for Road & Mountain Bikes' (Todd Downs). We have only MTBs and a hybrid bike in our household, and I find that Zinn's book is not only a bit more in-depth (more explanatory) for our bikes, its instructions are also a bit clearer. If you own an MTB, especially one with both a front and a rear suspension, this book is an amazing value.

So far, I've found only one statement in the 5th edition (c. 2010) that is clearly both nonsensical and a fallacy. Chapter 14, page 367:
"Damping is speed sensitive. Don't worry about settings that feel good at low speeds being too light for high speeds; the shock will get stiffer as you hit things faster."
This sentence was within the context of a discussion about rebound damping. First off, the author must have meant "resistive" where he instead printed "light", because otherwise it is inconsistent with his point. However, his point is completely untrue anyway. My explanatory response to his statement: No! Damper oil is a Newtonian fluid. Unlike a mixture of cornstarch and water, it is NOT shear rate thickening, and therefore a...

United States on Oct 07, 2015

NT: This book is a must for any mountain biker. It goes over pretty much all of the bike and its components. The tips and advice are invaluable and will save you a lot of money on simple repairs. Do not be afraid to do some basic maintanence! This book will help you through many repairs that you can do at home. Something as simple as cleaning your bike to a fork overhaul, this book has it all!

The explanations are clear and concise. There are numerous illustrations througout guide to help you through the steps. Each of the sections will list off tools that you will need to do the job so you're not fumbling around looking for the right tools for the job when you start.

Canada on Jun 24, 2014

Massimiliano: Ho comprato questo libro più di due mesi fa, e finora l'ho utilizzato numerose volte per fare manutenzione alla mia MTB. Le spiegazioni sono chiarissime e complete. Ogni argomento è corredato di svariate illustrazioni (attenzione NON fotografie) tutte chiarissime ed esaustive, permettono, forse ancora meglio di una fotografia, di capire com'è composto un componente e come agire sullo stesso. Finora ho smontato e lubrificato il movimento centrale, spurgato i miei freni a disco, smontato e rimontato la mia forcella, cambiato le pasticche dei freni, manutenuto l'ammo posteriore, il tutto seguendo le semplici e chiare istruzioni di questo libro. Grande Zinn!!!....

Italy on Jun 04, 2014

A. Aurelius: My family is fortunate to own seven bikes including two very nice high end dual suspension carbon fiber mountain bikes and I am at about the advanced home mechanic level of expertise. I clean, rebuild or install my own headsets, bottom brackets, hub bearings, disk brakes and fork internals. I even build my own wheels occasionally. I however, am not a shop mechanic, and I do not chase bottom brackets, weld frames or align dropouts. With that said, I like to have as a backup to the internet, one complete reference for everyday maintenance. The Zinn book fits that bill perfectly.

His book covers all the basics from purchasing the right tools to basic maintenance to emergency repairs. (I like his recommended tool lists more than those covered at the Park Tools website or the lists compiled by United Bicycle Institute) He also covers roughly 99% or more of the repair procedures that any home mechanic might need to attempt. The book even covers wheel building (which bike purists would say is holy ground), frame alignment, proper rider fit and has a decent set of torque tables. The repair procedures are broken down by difficulty in each chapter into Levels...

United States on May 14, 2013

Kindle Customer: This book payed for itself on day 1; I bought it alongside a new mountain bike and the partially-assembled bike had come with the front disc brake assembly not providing enough clearance for the disc brake (it was rubbing, and no adjustments would prevent it). The book showed an exploded view of the type of disc brake mount that was on my bike, and even helpfully suggested where washers could be inserted for extra clearance. I rummaged some small washers and inserted them into the assembly and now the disc fits with perfect clearance.

The book was also good for brake and shifter adjustments, though I am still having trouble getting the front derailleur properly calibrated. The book helped me prevent the bike from shifting the chain off the gears, but so far I still have a slow response to a down-shift.

United States on Jan 13, 2013