Hello, which one of these 2 books would you recommend for a new-to-biking person? Both are highly reviewed but I’d like to pick only one… Thanks
by klomz
Hello, which one of these 2 books would you recommend for a new-to-biking person? Both are highly reviewed but I’d like to pick only one… Thanks
by klomz
13 Comments
Following.
Zinn just for the title.
Pick the more recent one as it more likely covers more modern technology too.
If your bike/s builds are more modern, I’d go for the Zinn book as it was last published/updated in 2024. The Park Tool book was last updated in 2019. I have the Park Tool book and it’s fine for me as my herd is all analog and built in the 2010s.
I only own the big blue one and I don’t find it to be very beginner friendly. It is doable but at the start I was googling quite a bit to understand what is written there. Can’t talke about the other one.
I don’t think you can go wrong between those two. Slight differences in my opinion are that Zinn is slightly more technical when I’ve read his stuff, and Calvin’s videos are more hands on practical, but I’m sure that book is great. If you’re into older bikes too then Sheldon Brown’s website is also great.
I have the Zinn book. I’m sure it’s a fine book, but when I have something to fix, I watch a YouTube video on the subject (tip of the hat to Calvin Jones at Park Tools). I remember that I have the book long afterwards.
Most new bikers just need to know how to change a tube/tire, adjust a seat, and swap out grips if needed. In time, they should learn to adjust brakes and derailleurs if they want to save a little money. The vast majority of casual bikers never move beyond that, present company excluded of course.
Either is fine, but I’ll be honest I think reading Sheldon Brown’s website and watching Park’s YouTube videos will serve you just as well.
I’ll give my vote with Zinn.
I have respect for both authors. I have a Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance that has been very useful to me over the years. Likewise, I have found Calvin’s Park Tools youtube videos to great references on how to do a repair right.
However, if I need a reference these days, I usually use youtube and skew towards channels that are a little more trustworthy like Park Tools or GCN. **If push came to shove, I would recommend Zinn.** He has the home mechanic in mind and is much more likely to have a simple way to do things than the Park Tools book. I assume the Park Tools book would stress the proper/bike shop way to do things, based on its published by a tool company and their youtube content.
youtube is free and it covers all of the contents in those books
Neither. Buy an old beater and use youtube.
Unless you are only working on older bikes these will most likely be dated compared with what YouTube has. Even a lot of YouTube content isn’t as updated as I’d like.
Tim Krabbé – The Rider. The story recounts a race. The book recounts the thoughts that flow through our brains while we ride, skipping from subject to subject with the thinnest thread of connection.