This is a book about caring for your bike. Our hope is that this book will bring you and

your bike closer together, and in the process provide you with countless hours of trouble-free

cycling.

The bicycle is an amazing piece of technology, when properly maintained. But, the

bicycle is not perfect, and from time to time even the trustiest of bikes needs attention. That is

where this book comes in.

When we started work on this book we had a lofty goal, we wanted to create the

definitive home maintenance and repair guide for cyclists. This is not the kind of book you sit

down and read from cover to cover and then put away. This book is designed to be on your

workbench. Keep it close to where you work on your bike and refer to it often. Think of this

book as another tool for working on your bike.

This is not a shop manual that even experienced technicians have trouble understand-

ing. This book is targeted at everyday cyclists, those with only modest amounts of mechanical

ability. We not only tell you what needs to be done, but we tell you exactly how to do it. For

those of you blessed with more mechanical ability, the information in this book will enable you to

attempt even the most difficult of repair jobs.

Our goal throughout has been to create a book that will enable even the first-time bike

mechanic to properly do a job. The key to this approach is the use of repair spreads, photo-

graphic step-by-step sessions that walk you through the entire process of fixing a part of your

bike. To use the repair spreads, first read the preliminary chapter and then study the individual

repair spread that pertains to the task you are working on.

It is important to remember that today s bike uses many ultralightweight materials.

Although these materials make riding easier and more enjoyable, they do not stand up well to

abuse. If you are having trouble getting a nut or bolt to move, take a minute to reread about the

job you are doing, before applying extra force. The fine threads used on bicycle components can

easily be permanently damaged.

We hope this book improves the relationship you have with your bike. To fully enjoy the

cytling experience, the feeling of being at one with an extremely efficient machine, you have to

know your equipment inside and out. Hauling your bike off to the local shop for every little

repair is not only costly and deprives you of riding time, it also does nothing to help you

understand and get to know your bike. Perhaps the biggest benefit of maintaining and repairing

your bike on your own is that you get to intimately know and understand what a marvelous

piece of equipment it really is.