The Chainbreaker Bike Book: A Rough Guide to Bicycle Maintenance
by Ethan Clark, Shelly Lynn Jackson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ethan Clark, Shelly Lynn JacksonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-11-21
ISBN: 0977055736
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Microcosm Publishing
Book Reviews of The Chainbreaker Bike Book: A Rough Guide to Bicycle Maintenance
Book Review: A great book about bikes.
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, there's a couple things one needs to know about this book right away... It's not the best repair manual out there, but it is a fantastic book about bikes and a very fun read. Other reviewers may dock points because it's not a comprehensive guide to bicycle mechanics, I chose not to, because I read the description before I bought it and didn't have those expectations ;)
SO, what is this book, and why is it awesome?
This book will be best for people who love bikes, but are not snobby jerks and don't need a comprehensive course in all aspects of bike repair. For someone with no knowledge whatsoever about bicycle repair, the first part of the book is actually a nice primer on bike components and mechanics. Not a guide to repairing your bike, per se (though there are many good tips), but a guide to learning what parts are called and how everything works together. Intermediate and advanced mechanics will not get a ton out of the first half, but should check out the book anyway 'cause it's a fun read and a great testament to bike and DIY culture.
This book is not for performance cyclists, and the authors' attitude toward rich cycle-chic riders is not that welcoming. Please don't act all suprised when it arrives. As a punk kid who rides every day on a variety of Frankenstein junk bikes, I appreciate this; I don't care about reducing weight by a few grams with carbon fiber parts, I care about overhauling the bottom bracket on my 1977 Schwinn beater. Some of us can't afford that yuppie crap, or just ride too hard for flimsy, feather-light racing rims and frames that bend from launching off a curb.
People offended by the idea of women fixing things (or voting, or working, and so on) will be offended. Personally, I don't care. To expect objectivity from an author is moronic, especially when the book advertises itself as a punk/DIY/zine-based manual. Furthermore, the "feminist" idea that women can make excellent mechanics and have traditionally been disallowed the joy of fixing stuff is not really feminist and is a stupid thing to find challenging or offensive. It's just true.
The latter half of the book (the 'zine part) is awesome. Zine culture has been transformed in recent years by the 'net, some will say it's lost something important... But, like old bikes, old zines are still great things to have around. They look cool, they are informative, they remind us constantly that we should be less prudish, elitist, and stuck-up.
There's a story about riding around drunk and kicking off car mirrors... so what? If you didn't do equally stupid and destructive things when you were young, then I can't help you.
Summary of The Chainbreaker Bike Book: A Rough Guide to Bicycle Maintenance
Here's a hand-illustrated and accesible introduction to the world of bike repair. Through working at both Plan B Bike Project and French Quarter Bicycles in New Orleans, our co-authors have gathered a wealth of experience to share with would-be mechanics. The first half of this book is a complete repair manual to get you started on choosing, fixing, and riding your bike. The second half reprints all four issues of Chainbreaker zine, whose originals were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.Graphic Novels Books
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