Downs - The bicycling guide to complete bicycle maintenance & repair : for road & mountain bikes

Dedicated with deepest gratitude to my grandmother, Marjorie Howsen,
who never stops encouraging me to chase something grander.
And to the memory of Jerry Downs, whose generosity will be his timeless legacy.

Anatomy of a Road Bike

Anatomy of a Mountain Bike

Anatomy of a Triathlon/Time Trial Bike

Anatomy of a Hardtail Mountain Bike

T he 6th edition of The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair could never have been possible without the help of dozens of people and organizations. This book has been a collaborative effort between the author and many talented and knowledgeable mechanics and product designers, as well as photographers, artists, and editors.

There is hardly time or space to personally thank everyone who has been involved, but here are the key people who've gone to great lengths to ensure that this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource of bicycle maintenance available.

Thank you to all the companies that loaned their time, knowledge, and products.

Finally, thanks to some of the people who've been influential and supportive, both in making this book and throughout my years as a writer and professional bicycle mechanic.

The author and the publisher wish to thank former Bicycling magazine Technical Editor Jim Langley for his extensive contributions to this book, and also the following bicycle technicians and editors who have worked on it over the years: John Barnett, Hal Jeffrey Davis, Geoff Drake, Eric Hjertberg, Richard Jow, Larry McClung, John Olsen, and Jim Redcay.

T he first time I ever installed a new bicycle chain (or wrapped fresh handlebar tape or changed my brake pads or tightened a loose headset... ), author and pro mechanic Todd Downs was by my side, helping me every step of the way to be sure I got it right. At least that's how I felt, with my dog-eared, greasesmudged copy of the 5th edition of The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair perched next to me on my workbench.

A bicycle is a beautifully simple machine, its basic design unchanged for more than a century. And yet it's comprised of hundreds of piecesand every year new models emerge, with the latest parts and technology that require new tools and techniques to maintain and fix. To those of us with zero mechanical inclination, any bicycle, new or old, can seem intimidating.

But I've learned over the years that the more familiar you become with your bike, the more fun the sport of cycling can be. You'll have a better-tuned, higherfunctioning machine. You'll save timenot to mention moneyby not having your bike sitting in the repair shop on a sunny day when you'd rather be out pedaling. And for many people, maintaining a bicycle can become a secondary pastime: The first successful derailleur adjustment or trued wheel or properly set suspension can bring a level of satisfaction not unlike completing your first century ride on the road or cleanly riding a rock garden on the trail.

No matter what your skill level or what kind of bike you havefrom the latest carbon fiber dream machine to an old clunker gathering dust in the garagethis revised and expanded 6th edition of The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair has you covered. Todd, a race mechanic for Team U.S.A. and Mavic, has added a great deal of new information, but not at the expense of the old. This is a complete guide, after all. Within the pages of this book, Todd will introduce you to all the parts of your bike, show you which components perform what functions, and explain how they all come together to make your bicycle work. You'll learn what tools and supplies are essential and which, though perhaps less necessary, can improve the speed, accuracy, and ease of repair. And Todd explains the basic as well as the tried-and-true pro techniques to keep everything in working order by cleaning, inspecting, lubricating, and adjusting.

The craft of bicycle mechanics, though well developed and documented for more than a century, is still largely passed on from master to apprentice through guidance and shared experience, much the same way as other traditional crafts are taught. In that spirit, you will benefit not just from Todd's knowledge but also from the experience of the many professional mechanics who have helped shape this book in all of its previous editions. You couldn't hope to have better guides.