Book Review: Mountain Bike Maintenance
As UConn students ten years ago, my friend Mike and I went for a late-night mountain bike ride. Climbing over the crest of one of the University’s farms, we began a fast downhill when we found ourselves adopted by a herd of deer. Whitetail were on each side of us, in front of us, and I don’t know but I can guess that they were behind us, too. Just like we’re not meant to live among chimps or grizzlies, we’re not meant to run among deer. By pure chance, though, Mike and I did. This is still one of my favorite experiences in nature, and despite having worked in a bike shop all throughout college, I had never heard of such a thing.
Then I read Guy Andrews’ Mountain Bike Maintenance (Falcon Guides, $19.95). Right in a chapter he calls "The Basics," Andrews warns, "don’t race deer- they’re fast and unpredictable."
Despite ruining my Jane Goodall experience, the down-to-earth advice in Andrews’ new guide is as entertaining as his repair instruction is practical. His is not the poorly translated language of owners’ manuals. It is a fun to read, sometimes blunt, but always knowing voice that you can trust.
Take, for instance, his down-home flat tire remedy: "Stuffing your tires with twigs and trail debris is an okay idea if home isn’t too far away and you’re on smooth terrain. And you have a sense of humor."
The sport of mountain biking, however, can be just as fast and unpredictable as the deer Andrews describes. Therefore, mountain bikers routinely face complicated repairs, sometimes in remote places, so they need to be even more self-reliant than road riders.
"This is how it is and how it’s always been," writes Gary Fisher in the book’s foreword. "It’s about self-sufficiency, your own power and your machine."
This machine has come a long way since Fisher introduced the "Klunker" to the world of cycling, but Andrews covers all the mutations that have taken place since the 1970's. With his assume-nothing language, Andrews reaches all readers, without excluding those with prior knowledge, and starts with the basic anatomy of the modern mountain bike by using a highly visual "Bike Map."
Andrews then takes a quick detour to your basement and offers an inventory of tools you’ll need for your home bike shop. These range from household tools like screwdrivers and pliers to more specialized equipment like spoke wrenches and a truing stand. Andrews also gives a list of on-trail tools that will prevent you from having to wing it in the woods, though his inclusion of zip-ties on this list allows for some creativity.
The body of this guide, however, is comprised of instructions for the major areas of the bike, dedicating entire chapters to gears, brakes, contact points, wheels, suspension and steering and, finally, the frame. Not all repairs are simple so these chapters bring you step by step through each of them, from troubleshooting to fixing the problem. With a color photograph to compliment each of Andrews’ steps, Mountain Bike Maintenance makes the most intimidating repair accessible to all.
Installing a new front derailleur, for example, is a process that you may rather leave to the local bike shop. Even then, as Andrews writes, "for many mechanics, the front derailleur is their biggest headache." But with the nine-step process outlined by Andrews, it doesn’t have to be.
From angling the derailleur to adjusting it, this section clearly demonstrates one of the toughest repairs and covers all possible curve balls in the process. Andrews takes into consideration the awkward setup of full-suspension frames and tells the reader how to handle it. He discusses the difference between a top and bottom-pull front derailleur and gives troubleshooting tips for future maintenance of this device both on and off the trail.
The beauty of all outdoor sports is the self-reliance involved. But as the outdoor industry works to make these experiences more enjoyable, new technology often leaves us relying on experts even more. Having Mountain Bike Maintenance will make you a more independent rider, a "free bird" as Fisher puts it. It will get you as far as you want to go, but more importantly, it will get you back home at the end of the day.
Then I read Guy Andrews’ Mountain Bike Maintenance (Falcon Guides, $19.95). Right in a chapter he calls "The Basics," Andrews warns, "don’t race deer- they’re fast and unpredictable."
Despite ruining my Jane Goodall experience, the down-to-earth advice in Andrews’ new guide is as entertaining as his repair instruction is practical. His is not the poorly translated language of owners’ manuals. It is a fun to read, sometimes blunt, but always knowing voice that you can trust.
Take, for instance, his down-home flat tire remedy: "Stuffing your tires with twigs and trail debris is an okay idea if home isn’t too far away and you’re on smooth terrain. And you have a sense of humor."
The sport of mountain biking, however, can be just as fast and unpredictable as the deer Andrews describes. Therefore, mountain bikers routinely face complicated repairs, sometimes in remote places, so they need to be even more self-reliant than road riders.
"This is how it is and how it’s always been," writes Gary Fisher in the book’s foreword. "It’s about self-sufficiency, your own power and your machine."
This machine has come a long way since Fisher introduced the "Klunker" to the world of cycling, but Andrews covers all the mutations that have taken place since the 1970's. With his assume-nothing language, Andrews reaches all readers, without excluding those with prior knowledge, and starts with the basic anatomy of the modern mountain bike by using a highly visual "Bike Map."
Andrews then takes a quick detour to your basement and offers an inventory of tools you’ll need for your home bike shop. These range from household tools like screwdrivers and pliers to more specialized equipment like spoke wrenches and a truing stand. Andrews also gives a list of on-trail tools that will prevent you from having to wing it in the woods, though his inclusion of zip-ties on this list allows for some creativity.
The body of this guide, however, is comprised of instructions for the major areas of the bike, dedicating entire chapters to gears, brakes, contact points, wheels, suspension and steering and, finally, the frame. Not all repairs are simple so these chapters bring you step by step through each of them, from troubleshooting to fixing the problem. With a color photograph to compliment each of Andrews’ steps, Mountain Bike Maintenance makes the most intimidating repair accessible to all.
Installing a new front derailleur, for example, is a process that you may rather leave to the local bike shop. Even then, as Andrews writes, "for many mechanics, the front derailleur is their biggest headache." But with the nine-step process outlined by Andrews, it doesn’t have to be.
From angling the derailleur to adjusting it, this section clearly demonstrates one of the toughest repairs and covers all possible curve balls in the process. Andrews takes into consideration the awkward setup of full-suspension frames and tells the reader how to handle it. He discusses the difference between a top and bottom-pull front derailleur and gives troubleshooting tips for future maintenance of this device both on and off the trail.
The beauty of all outdoor sports is the self-reliance involved. But as the outdoor industry works to make these experiences more enjoyable, new technology often leaves us relying on experts even more. Having Mountain Bike Maintenance will make you a more independent rider, a "free bird" as Fisher puts it. It will get you as far as you want to go, but more importantly, it will get you back home at the end of the day.
posted by Scott | 8:05 PM
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