Bicycle! - 2nd Edition by Sam Tracy Sam (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

There is nothing sacrosanct about bike repair. Its pursuit only requires the will to learn. At their finest hours bikes exist on a level above mere machines, and there's no reason why the joy should end when the ride is over.

Bicycle! written by a long-time bicycle mechanic, covers everything you need to know to feed and care for your ride. This book cuts through the obtuse techno-speak and delivers maintenance clarity with a touch of humor and radicalism, while categorically denying mechanistry's supposed dreariness. Bicycle! is about encouraging society to learn for themselves how to make their bikes work, not because they have to, but because they want to.

With detailed descriptions of all maintenance tasks and repair situations, clearly illustrated with photographs and drawings, this guide will serve the need for a serious rider's manual. Professional bicycle workers--messengers, mechanics, pedi-cab drivers--as well as bicycle commuters have been waiting for this book. This second edition includes an abundance of helpful photos, an expanded index, and an updated resources section. Moreover, it benefits from insights gained through five years' worth of additional mechanic experience including low-cost and no-cost repair solutions the author developed while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania.

Some of the Topics Covered:

• Essential Tools
• Bike Components (Maintaining, Adjusting, Repairing)
• On-the-Road Repairs
• Build Your Own (Scavenging)
• Locks / Thief Deterrents
• Rust, the Elemental Bike Nemesis
• And much, much more!

Review Quotes

Bicycle is geared toward people who are seriously into their bikes. Owning it is like having a bike mechanic to chat with while you undertake repairs yourself. --Kelly Nelson, Carbusters

Bicycle! is geared toward people who are seriously into their bikes. Owning it is like having a bike mechanic to chat with while you undertake repairs yourself. --Kelly Nelson, Car Busters

For anyone interested in taking on the maintenance aspect of their bicycle, this is recommended. --Kurt Morris, Razorcake

From seasoned bike builders to novice bike riders, everyone will find something of value in this manifesto. -- Library Journal

Sam isn't scared to tell you to use a hammer and duct tape when called for -- this isn't the manual for those with plastic bikes and torque wrenches, this is more geared towards keeping your bike working in the real world. --Urbanvelo.org

This book is free from step-by-step fixes and instead speaks to the mechanically blind among us who believe a bicycle runs on a combination of hope, alchemy and fairy dust. --Cycling Active Magazine

About the Author

Sam Tracy is the author of How to Rock and Roll and Roadside Bicycle Repair.