Since I collected a well-used beater bike a few weeks back (viva Freecycle!), I have had to become more familiar with bike workings than I have in a while. To ease my bafflement, I was told to get Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance.
I found it at my local library and after skimming through it, I have to admit, it’s both complete and accessible. I think this and Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance should be part of the purchase of any bike, but I’m sure bike shops could count on losing hundreds of dollars in repair work if they did that. You gotta love any author who remains “convinced that anyone with an opposable thumb can perform any repair on a bike.”
I’ll be adding them to the bookshelf as funds allow. In the meantime, I’ll put the copy I have into practice.