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Home > Park Tool BBB-2 The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair - 2nd Edition
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Park Tool BBB-2 The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair - 2nd Edition
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By Calvin Jones
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 (61 Reviews)
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Our Price: $24.95 Eligible for FREE SHIPPING on orders over $25.00. Details
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Publisher:
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Park Tool
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Edition:
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2nd
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Sports
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A visit to your local mechanic costs you time and money, especially when you could learn to pull that bottom bracket yourself. But even the most seasoned home mechanic will find the Park Tool book useful when there's a $5k jewel dangling from the stand. Compiled and updated yearly by the number-one bike-tool company in the world, the Big Blue Book contains step-by-step instructions for repairing everything from road to bmx bikes, whether you're doing simple maintenance or a complete overhaul. Lots of photos allow your 6-year-old daughter to walk you through the most complicated of repairs, and as a result you'll spend less money on six-packs for your local mechanic.
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Customer Reviews:
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 The "must-have" reference for bicycle repair gets better..., September 14, 2008
By JargonTalk (Bucks County, PA USA)
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This new Park Tool Big Blue Book of Repair - 2nd Edition (also known as BBB-2 to differentiate it from the first edition) is a superb improvement over the original edition, Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, which was considered by many to be THE "must-have" reference for bicycle repair by many enthusiasts, cyclists and bike shop owners.
This is a good, solid repair manual for almost any bike, be it the single-speed classic cruiser, mountain bike, BMX or road bike. At 246 pages, this new edition has hundreds of photos that will prove to be quite helpful when doing bike maintenance. Like the previous edition, it was written by Calvin Jones, whose years of experience as the Park Tool Director of Education shows.
There is a definite emphasis on tool selection (don't forget that it comes from Park Tool), but such topics as general bike upkeep, emergency repairs, on-the-road fixes and even bike cleaning tips are well covered. There's a thorough table of contents that will appeal to novice, experienced enthusiast and shop mechanic alike.
The various sections cover a wide range of topics. For example, the chapter on pedals covers everything from removal and installation to bearing service to servicing Shimano pedals. There are plenty of helpful photos in each chapter to help illustrate the repair topics. The four appendices in the back of this edition cover such topics as a tool list, glossary, the recommended torque for bike components and a bike map.
The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair is used as the official student textbook in a unique program for learning bicycle maintenance and repair known as the Park Tool School. Check with your local bicycle dealer to see if one of these hands-on programs is coming to your area. If so, getting this new edition will give you a jump on the curriculum covered.
Another excellent manual worth considering is The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes, a more basic, well-written reference that is also excellent for teaching youngsters how to perform their own bike repairs.
Even if you just want to get BBB-2 as your sole bike repair manual, it's a great 5-star reference. Highly recommended.
90 of 91 people found the above review helpful.
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The "must-have" reference for bicycle repair gets better..., September 14, 2008
By JargonTalk (Bucks County, PA USA)
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This new Park Tool Big Blue Book of Repair - 2nd Edition (also known as BBB-2 to differentiate it from the first edition) is a superb improvement over the original edition, Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, which was considered by many to be THE "must-have" reference for bicycle repair by many enthusiasts, cyclists and bike shop owners.
This is a good, solid repair manual for almost any bike, be it the single-speed classic cruiser, mountain bike, BMX or road bike. At 246 pages, this new edition has hundreds of photos that will prove to be quite helpful when doing bike maintenance. Like the previous edition, it was written by Calvin Jones, whose years of experience as the Park Tool Director of Education shows.
There is a definite emphasis on tool selection (don't forget that it comes from Park Tool), but such topics as general bike upkeep, emergency repairs, on-the-road fixes and even bike cleaning tips are well covered. There's a thorough table of contents that will appeal to novice, experienced enthusiast and shop mechanic alike.
The various sections cover a wide range of topics. For example, the chapter on pedals covers everything from removal and installation to bearing service to servicing Shimano pedals. There are plenty of helpful photos in each chapter to help illustrate the repair topics. The four appendices in the back of this edition cover such topics as a tool list, glossary, the recommended torque for bike components and a bike map.
The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair is used as the official student textbook in a unique program for learning bicycle maintenance and repair known as the Park Tool School. Check with your local bicycle dealer to see if one of these hands-on programs is coming to your area. If so, getting this new edition will give you a jump on the curriculum covered.
Another excellent manual worth considering is The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes, a more basic, well-written reference that is also excellent for teaching youngsters how to perform their own bike repairs.
Even if you just want to get BBB-2 as your sole bike repair manual, it's a great 5-star reference. Highly recommended.
87 of 88 people found the above review helpful.
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comprehensive repair guide, April 25, 2009
By adjective (place)
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Regular maintenance is a must for anybody who regularly rides a bicycle. There are two ways to maintain your bike; either pay somebody else to do it, or do it yourself. Having spent a great deal of money over the years paying bike shops to do tune ups and replace components, and having also had these very same professionals (at multiple shops) completely botch relatively simple operations, I have come to prefer the latter. To this end, a good bicycle repair manual is mandatory.
Based on the positive recommendations of several discussion boards and previous reviewers, I bought this particular manual. It offers a thorough set of instructions by a preeminent mechanic covering virtually every repair and maintenance operation you can expect to perform on your bicycle. Each major component of the bicycle has a chapter devoted to it. Illustrations are copious and in color, with clear notations throughout. It is actually a real treat to thumb through the chapters and soak up the knowledge contained therein, and though I am no expert, my impression is that the author has effectively transmitted his massive expertise into the written medium.
46 of 46 people found the above review helpful.
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Possibly the most useful tool you can buy., February 27, 2009
By Rudy B. (Maryland)
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I have a few other bike repair manuals including fine editions from Zinn and Langley. I find the Park Repair Book superior in that it offers more logical steps and better illustrations. Seems to work for me. One improvement would be a larger format with a spiral binding that would lay flat... maybe the 3rd edition. That said, if you need one bike repair book, get this one.
FWIW... On several occasions in the past I have contacted Park Tool and found their service to be exceptional. Their tools cost a little more but are well designed and built to last.
40 of 40 people found the above review helpful.
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 Useful Book on Bicycle Repair, July 5, 2009
By perrymasonary (Miami, Florida)
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This updated version of Park Tools bicycle repair book is an improvement over the prior edtion. The book with photos provides an excellent over view of the many components on a bicycle--such as the various types of brakes a bicycle can be equipped with. While a bicycle owner with a basic coaster brake bicycle will be disappointed since this type of bicycle is not covered (no info on basic bottom bracket and crank servicing such as on old Schwinns or Bendix coaster brake servicing), the book covers more modern bicycle components. The photos are good, as are the descriptions.
While not every bicycle owner may desire to repair their own bicycle, this is a useful book to inform any bicycle owner. Besides it certainly is nice to learn about your bicycle should you need to make an emergency repair. Even eventually learing to service your own bicycle can save $$$ when you see how easy it is to service some components.
Of course with modern bicycle features special tools are sometimes required and not every cyclist desires to purchase such tools. To that extent this book does identify the Park tools necessary and it is somewhat of a sales tool for Park--that is why I gave the book 4 stars not 5.
Still with this book, I have read other bicycle repair books (Glenn's New Complete Bicycle Manual, Haynes Bicycle Book Revised, Cuthbertson's All-In-One Bike Repair Manual) to compare notes and confirm information about the repair I am undertaking or having a bicycle shop repair. The other books available, used or new, are better, if not equal to this book.
21 of 23 people found the above review helpful.
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Just What I Needed, May 4, 2010
By Amy (Seattle)
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I'm training for two, back-to-back centuries and found that with the amount of weekly riding I'm doing I needed to learn how to maintain my bike myself. When the book first arrived the maintenance process seemed so daunting, but once I started following the instructions and actually worked on the bike, I found that The Big Blue Book of Repair holds your hand through the entire process and makes it easy.
The book has detailed instructions that verbally walk you through the process step-by-step. It even repeats the process for other component groups. The supporting pictures are excellent and help to clarify, rather than confuse (as I've found in other tutorials). The Big Blue Book of Repair made the whole experience go from scary to fun.
It was extremely satisfying to hop on my bike knowing I had successfully made the adjustments it needed. Now I want to order a solid tool set and repair stand to pair with this book. I can't believe I'm actually excited to maintain my bikes.
15 of 15 people found the above review helpful.
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Pretty good book on bicycle repair, November 26, 2009
By G. Powell (Seattle, WA USA)
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I've been repairing my own bicycles for years, but I recently upgraded my bike. The new bike came with the latest brakes chain, sprocket, derailers and well I figured I should upgrade my knowledge of repairing to match. To that effect, this book is great. As in for a person who is handy with tools, knows something about bicycle repair already, this book is just what you need. It's concise, clear photos, and diagrams will get your bike in top shape. However, if you have never done any repair work, I wouldn't start with this book. It is good that with the photos and instructions you can tell pretty well what is the level of skill needed to do the repair, but if this had been my first book it would have been not quite enough information. I rate it akin to those cookbooks which do tell you everything you need to know but do it in a language that experienced chefs understand, and thus beginners are lost.
For a beginner I'd recommend Anybody's Bike Book: A Comprehensive Manual of Bike Repairs and the Park Blue book. Or Glenn's Complete Bicycle Manual and this book.
For a well versed bicycle mechanic go for it. It's as good as Park Tools are, which is excellent.
11 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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 Great for professionals. Average joe? Notsomuch, May 31, 2011
By Fish (Virginia, USA)
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I've done minor adjustments and repairs on my bike for years, and got this book to "up my game" and avoid some trips to the shop. After using it for 6 months or so, I've found this book is only marginally useful. There aren't enough illustrations and photographs, and the text is often confusing, especially if you aren't a bike mechanic and aren't familiar with the lingo. In general the videos on the Park Tools website are much easier to follow and understand than this book. They should have included them on a DVD.
10 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Detailed, helpful repair book, November 16, 2009
By Bielle (USA)
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I received this book during a Park Tools introduction to bicycle maintenance class at my local REI. I have found it to be quite the useful tool when trying to determine how to go about fixing my bike or performing maintenance tasks. The color pictures are detailed enough to be helpful, and the explanation of each picture also helps you figure out what you are looking at. This book definitely sets itself apart from the other bike maintenance books available with its detailed level of instruction, the coverage afforded to each of the different types of derailleurs, brakes, shift levers etc., as well as the excellent pictures. The only negative, and obviously it is not too negative as I gave the book 5 stars, is that since the book is from Park Tools it will of course only suggest using the Park version of a tool or stand even if something cheaper or better may exist. This is definitely something I would recommend to anyone setting up their home workshop or who needs some detailed instructions on bicycle maintenance from the most basic of flat repairs to rebuilding the headset.
9 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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Best book I've found for maintaning your bike., June 26, 2009
By David L. Andrews (Kearny, NJ)
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I've found this book to have all the illustrations I need to properly maintain my bike. The book most frequently recommended on this site, The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes(Expanded and Revised 5th Edition) I've found to be great on theory but horrible for practical applications.
This book, the Big Blue Book, on the other hand has tons of practical applications. I feel its the perfect book for people who want to spend more time fixing their bikes and less time discussing what angle a fork or seatpost should be at.
One picture that stands out is taking apart the rear hub, how many different types of fittings you can expect to find. It's very straight forward and something a beginner mechanic definitely needs, and a good reference for anyone of any skill.
9 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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BBB-2... a significant improvement over the original edition., September 14, 2008
By JargonTalk (Bucks County, PA USA)
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This new Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair 2nd Edition (also known as BBB-2 to differentiate it from the first edition) is a superb improvement over the original edition, Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, which was considered by many to be THE "must-have" reference for bicycle repair by many enthusiasts, cyclists and bike shop owners. This is a good, solid repair manual for almost any bike, be it the single-speed classic cruiser, mountain bike, BMX or road bike. At 246 pages, this new edition has hundreds of photos that will prove to be quite helpful when doing bike maintenance. Like the previous edition, it was written by Calvin Jones, whose years of experience as the Park Tool Director of Education shows.
There is a definite emphasis on tool selection (don't forget that it comes from Park Tool), but such topics as general bike upkeep, emergency repairs, on-the-road fixes and even bike cleaning tips are well covered. There's a thorough table of contents that will appeal to novice, experienced enthusiast and shop mechanic alike.
The various sections cover a wide range of topics. For example, the chapter on pedals covers everything from removal and installation to bearing service to servicing Shimano pedals. There are plenty of helpful photos in each chapter to help illustrate the repair topics. The four appendices in the back of this edition cover such topics as a tool list, glossary, the recommended torque for bike components and a bike map.
The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair is used as the official student textbook in a unique program for learning bicycle maintenance and repair known as the Park Tool School. Check with your local bicycle dealer to see if one of these hands-on programs is coming to your area. If so, getting this new edition will give you a jump on the curriculum covered.
Another excellent manual worth considering is The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes, a more basic, well-written reference that is also excellent for teaching youngsters how to perform their own bike repairs.
Even if you just want to get BBB-2 as your sole bike repair manual, it's a great 5-star reference. Highly recommended.
9 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Bare-bones information you can get for free., September 22, 2010
By Samuel Levi (MI)
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I was really hoping this book would provide in depth information on installing that really hard tire, or the nuances of rigging fenders, as well as multiple, creative ways to tackle various mechanical problems. It does not. It serves up very conventional information on procedures that most cyclists already know, could figure out on their own, or could find with a quick internet search. It is convenient to have all this in one bench-side digest. It'll probably come in handy if I ever have to deal with disc brakes or install a threadless headset (two things I avoid, personally), but all in all I'd say it's not worth the money. Wish there was a better option out there.
9 of 15 people found the above review helpful.
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Generic and Uninspired Repair Manual, December 4, 2010
By Leevo
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Average repair manual. Generic. If you have a bike, and want to maintain it this book is satisfactory. It will allow a guy or girl to do 95% of all bike repairs on current model bikes. Then again, referring to manufacturers' instructions for specific components may be more useful, especially for cutting edge products. Who knows better about their products than the manufacturer right?
Actually, this book has an alterior motive as an advertising platform for Park Tool tools. I guess this is fair enough.
This book could be somewhat condensed. Less prose more info. And get rid of all those next to useless colour photos! Sure they look pretty but are somewhat devoid of any meaning. I don't need to see a 2-d photo with a guy's hand and fingers all over the place! A technical manual requires nothing less than black, line drawn, large diagrams of each and every component, carefully labelled.
Some sections are just plain confusing. For example the section on tire and tube sizing. Too many threads and no proper explanation on anything, along with an incomplete table on tire sizes. Don't see the point in this.
The author is subjective and leaves topics incomplete. For example, some repairs such as facing a head tube or internal gear hub service he says are best left to the professional. I disagree. I want to service my own internal gear hub and willing to tackle it. A top notch repair manual would cover all topics in detail.
Finally: what you really want to know this book virtually doesn't cover. This being the advantages and disadvantages of various systems compared to each other. I.e. rim brakes vs disc brakes. Derailleur gear system vs internal gear hub. How can a person, with limited experience, on a budget, obtain a bike for a specific application and then repair it successfully without this fundamental knowledge?
9 of 19 people found the above review helpful.
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If you bike in flipflops don't buy this book, June 28, 2010
By J. Nimocks (Merritt Island, FL United States)
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If you routinely bicycle in flipflops,if you don't know the difference between schrader and presta valves and you've used a flat bladed screwdriver on a bike tire, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK. If however, you consider real Saturday night fun fine tuning your derailleurs for the Sunday ride and you usually have a row of small evenly spaced grease spots on your arm or leg, then you will slap your forehead and exclaim, "They have a tool for that?", when you BUY THIS BOOK. You will discover important techniques for bike maintenance and equally importantly, you will discover tools that make the job much easier and achieve better results. To keep this review short and sweet, I won't repeat the above comments except to say this may well be the most important and useful bicycle maintenance "tool" you ever buy.
8 of 12 people found the above review helpful.
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 Definately not a "must have" for beginning mechanics, October 18, 2011
By J. C. Lampe
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For those with some mechanical experience and/or aptitude, I can see this being a very useful reference tool for working on bicycles. With only about one illustration for every 10 or more steps in any given procedure, this book is pretty worthless for the beginner. I thought it was going to be an illustrated guide to bicycle mechanics rather than a very text-dense series of steps with an ocassional illustration thrown in. If you already have some experience in working on bikes, go ahead and buy this book. If you are a beginner hoping to learn these skills, don't waste your money.
8 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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Step-by-step instructions for bike maintenance that tell you which tool to use, July 27, 2010
By Angela M. Hey (Portola Valley, CA USA)
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I've used the 1974 2nd edition of the classic book - The Complete Book of Bicycling (4th Edition) to repair my bikes, but technology has changed. So I picked up the Big Blue Book in the bike shop. I've repaired my own bikes for over 40 years, mainly by trial and error. So when I was greasing the ball bearings in my back wheel and missed putting one of them back I thought it was time to see how to do it properly. The Big Blue Book had the answer - use a magnetized needle (I'm going to magnetize our meat skewer) to move the ball bearings back into place - I had actually used a magnetized screwdriver - the trouble being that the screwdriver would pull out an adjacent ball bearing when I was trying to push another one in. So this book had an immediate solution.
It's full of useful hints like the ball bearing trick, all beautifully illustrated with colored drawings. Detailed steps tell you how to carry out maintenance tasks, and when to take your bike to a shop for more difficult jobs.
Since the book is sponsored by Park Tool, and I already had a few of their tools, it tells you which of their tools to use. Now some of the tools are really specialized for bikes - like the third hand tool to grip a cable. Other tools you may not need to buy if you have a good quiver of hex wrenches.
The book starts by telling you how to get started in bike repair, get a good bike stand and organize hang up your tools on pegboard. It then gives a maintenance schedule for your bike - I'm a little surprised it recommends checking for chain stretch every 100 miles - some must pedal their bikes much harder than I do! It goes on to describe basics like how to mend a flat tire, but then gets into wheel and hub maintenance. Crankset removal is quite tricky unless you have the right tools and it is here where the book shines as it tells you exactly what you need to install or maintain cranks. The book continues with maintenance procedures for gears, brakes, handlebars and headsets.
I like the way the book uses tables to describe the tools required for parts from different manufacturers. At the end of the book is a table with the names of Park Tools that are available by generic tool category. There's also a comprehensive glossary of biking terms. If you have a torque wrench there's a table that explains how much torque is required for certain bike fixtures.
Whether you are just starting to maintain a bike or are an old pro who needs some up-to-date advice, this is a most useful book.
7 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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not the best for MTB, March 13, 2012
By Gideon Glass (Mountain View, CA USA)
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I bought this book and also "Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance" at the same time, figuring that a combination of the two would cover my needs, having gotten into MTB with not much prior bike maintenance knowledge.
The Park tool "BBB-2" book is pretty obviously hastily put together. There are typos on almost every page. The level of detail is lacking. You *may* be able to perform a service job using just the information in this book, or maybe it will just point you in the right direction. It is far from the encyclopedic tome that Park Tool and the many useless 5 star reviews give it. (Some of the reviews read look like paid PR, I assume from the publisher.)
In any case, a side by side comparison -- and actually using the books to do things more complicated than changing tires -- makes it clear that the Zinn book is just vastly superior. The level of detail is approximately double. He takes the time to explain subtle issues. It's obvious that Zinn put in a lot more effort into his book. Just get that instead and you'll be all set.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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The Best Bicycle Repair Manual, March 18, 2010
By Paul Phillips (La Crosse, WI United States)
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In the early 1970s, I taught myself bicycle repair. I went on from there to have a modest bicycle repair shop for 12 years. I wish that this book had been available then. It has complete easy to follow instructions for most types of repair and maintenance. Over the years I've read most of the bicycle repair manuals on the market. This is by far the best. My only criticism is that it doesn't cover repairs for the cheaper bikes (of which there are many out there). These bikes have one piece cranks, coaster brakes and nutted hubs. For these repairs, the best repair manual is still Anybody's Bike Book. It's out of print but available on used book sites such as Amazon and ABE.
5 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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marginally useful is right, January 26, 2012
By le un (états-unis)
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I bought this book thinking it would help with all of the basics, and it is too stupid to be of any use.
When I shop for a book of bicycle repair, it is because I would like the knowledge which will help to anticipate future problems with my bicycle and to diagnose present problems. I am interested in what to do. This book fails because: the organization is sloppy, detail is missing, warnings are buried under explanations, undefined terms obscure the directions, the pictures fail to illustrate, etc.
It tells you things like "the smooth ride of the bicycle is due in large part to the air in the tires" pg 12 and "the wheels must be removed to replace the tube and tire", pg 12.
Does this help you?
Does this tell you what to do? Does this give you knowledge which you can use?
Yes, sure it does. It tells us that if your ride is not smooth, it is largely the fault of the air in the tires. Who bought a book on bicycle repair that cannot identify the need to remove the wheels to replace the tubes and tires?
It fails because it is confusing. It indirectly tells you that there is a tube and a tire-and it directly tells you that the thing with the air in it is called a tire, which is incorrect, it is called a tube. This is an example of a lack of precision on the part of the author that makes the text confusing. I know he knows that tubes are not tires and that the tube holds the air, but why do I have to make the extra effort to figure out what he is saying?
The book fails because it assumes a certain familiarity with bicycles, and mechanical knowledge, then discusses tools and parts as though the reader is unfamiliar with bicycles and has no mechanical knowledge; pictures are only offered to clearly illustrate the most common parts of the bicycle, while a single photograph of a person's finger and thumb holding a wire serves to illustrate some obscure step in an unusual repair procedure. In some parts it is fluffy, full of words and sentences that could be deleted; while in other areas it is miserly with details of repair. Elsewhere, it is confusingly dense with jargon.
"Front derailleur clamps typically leave a mark on the frame, which is useful as a reference when..." pg 116. Here the author is not saying anything useful. "Typically" is of no use, he does not specify where on the frame the marks are to be found or what these marks look like or just how a person is supposed to 'refer' to them. The author manages to add to the confusion by avoiding using verbs.
There is a discussion on air compressors-page 8, what they do and if they are useful.
There are random phrases like, "...the world's largest manufacturer of bicycle specialty tools", back cover. You can continue dissecting passages and see how they inform you but on subjects you couldn't care less to know. Is anyone ever going to ask you which company is the largest manufacturer of bicycle specialty tools? Do you care? Well, it is on the back cover for you. You will notice that it makes to claim of quality.
This book is only marginally useful. You will find when you see it, that although it is full of words and pictures, is fails to illustrate and it fails to instruct. You will read sentences, one right after the other, and all of them will pass you by, leaving your understanding just as it was before you began reading. As a book, it tries to be an encyclopedia of bicycle parts, a catalog of Park Tool tools, a collection of opinions and observations by a bicycle mechanic, and, sandwiched between all of that, a book of repair procedures, and tips and tricks of fixing bicycles for people that can not figure things out on their own.
But if you have insomnia, this thing is awesome.
5 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Best Bike Repair Book, April 28, 2011
By James
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Why pay the bike store $70 for a "tune-up" when you can do it yourself for a lot less money?
If you're interested in doing your own maintenance or repair, this is the book you want. Excellent for beginners and a nice reference for riders who have been doing their own maintenance for a while. Covers all the basic components plus some of the more exotic items found on modern bicycles. The text explanations are good and the pictures are sufficient to get an idea of what's going on. I ride a mountain bike and I've been doing my own maintenance for 40+ years, and this book is still a good reference.
So, how does a $20 book replace an entire bike shop full of tools and a bike mechanic's years of experience and training? The bike shop has to be able to handle any type of problem for any bicycle. You only need to be able to work on your specific bicycle(s). Also, you're probably not doing frame repairs, setting up custom bikes from components, turning bottom brackets or installing front suspension forks. Take the tough stuff to the bike shop, do the simple stuff at home.
As mentioned, this is a book for beginners, but if you have no idea what an open-end wrench is or you've never held anything but a hammer or a screwdriver, you may need a little hand-holding to get started. There's only so much a book or a video can do.
Note that this isn't a book on selecting, installing and setting-up new components. If you're thinking of switching over to say an SRAM 2 X 10 set-up or replacing your Judy Race with a Reba RL, then you'll need more information than contained in this book. If you're just replacing something simple, say a rear derailleur with a similar item, then the maintenance instructions in this book are fine.
You will need tools. The multi-tool things the bike shop sells will work for simple trail adjustments but can be difficult to use for bigger work at home. They're also somewhat clumsy for beginners. For any work other than simple derailleur, brake, seat-post, and headset adjustment, (like the typical spring tune-up), you'll also need bicycle-specific tools like thinner open-end wrenches. The mechanics tools you find at Sears or Home Depot may be too large or awkward for some bicycle components.
Finally, there are lots of web sites filled with bicycle maintenance videos. (I personally like the ones from Park Tool.) These are a good supplement but they don't replace the book, as the book provides additional material that doesn't fit well into a video. Also, note that many repair videos don't necessarily do things the "right" way. The book covers the correct way to do various adjustments and repairs, which may be a longer or more complicated procedure than necessary for just a simple adjustment. The various web-site videos tend to show the way some repairs and adjustments are commonly done (90% of the time), but they may leave out details for those other rare times when you really do need to perform the adjustment the "right" way.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Fundamentally good information, desperately in need of proofreading, June 15, 2009
By M. Fred (Polk City, FL)
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Billed as the ultimate bike repair book, it's unquestionably right up there, but it looks like it was rushed to press. In all fairness, though, I'm a compulsive proofreader, and very picky. Ignore the errors where you can, spend some time figuring out the ones you can't ignore, and you'll be glad you bought the book.
4 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Good refeence, good primer, July 15, 2010
By Steve Spyker (Knightstown, IN)
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This book is not encyclopedic in scope, no single volume could be, but it does seem to be a good reference for routine repairs of modern bikes. This much I expected. What I didn't expect is how concise it is in explaining the basics and how packed it is with useful background information. I especially appreciate that the author often explains the 'why' as well as the 'how'. I've been an amateur bike mechanic for over 40 years, but I started learning new things and useful techniques from the first few pages. I intend to read it through, cover to cover, but will use it mostly as a reference. The Appendices alone are probably worth the price of the book.
4 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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OK, But No More Than That, September 20, 2010
By M. Brown (St Louis, MO)
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Satisfactory, but no more than that. Assumes buyer is a reading learner, but the subject does not lend itself to that very well. It's one thing to read a technical explanation of how to do something, and quite another to see it done. This book is strong on the former but makes very little provision for the latter. Not a bad book; just not especially helpful.
3 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Not bad for the Value but there are better Books., September 21, 2010
By Ben
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Love there tools but found there visual elements in the book lacking. Would like to see a bigger book with more detailed pictures or better yet maybe even a DVD that comes with video tutorials on home repair.
3 of 14 people found the above review helpful.
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Must-have title for any cyclist, March 8, 2010
By Joe Brennan (Buffalo, NY)
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I bought this book after my bike mechanic recommended it. It has clear instructions, and photos to show you how to do many kinds of repairs to your bike. I have other bike maintenance/repair books and like this one the best.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Excellent book., February 2, 2010
By Peter J. Williams (Wauregan, CT United States)
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I am an avid bicyclist and bike mechanic.
Leave it to Park to create an excellent bike repair manual.
For the most part, it is up to date.
The pictures and illustrations are excellent. Most of the
writing is easy to understand. It has some good technical
references as well. Buy this before your next repair!
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Big Blue Does it Again -- No, Not IBM.... ;), September 14, 2009
By JWW (Ottawa, Canada)
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This is the consummate bike repair guide for people keen on doing their own work. It covers basic tune ups right up through wheel truing, and other such complex repair tasks. The pictures are clear and the text incredibly easy to read. C. Calvyn Jones is the expert on bike repair and yet he never presents information in a manner that can't be easily understood.
A must-have for any home bike-mechanic.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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 Your paying for the name., June 18, 2011
By anonymous (New York City)
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What about front fork maintenance? Nothing. How to take apart the front fork; Go to U tube?
The book gives a breakdown of Park Tools you should purchase for a particular job which is nice if the book were more complete.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Good for repairs, not so good for maintenance, November 13, 2010
By Hans Fugal (Santa Clara, CA)
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I got this book so I could do my own periodic maintenance. If my bike really breaks, I'll take it in. I was hoping for lots of details and advice on how to keep your bike in good shape.
The guide is detailed, the pictures are great, and I feel like it will be valuable when I need to fix something. But the extent of its advice on maintenance is a single page table with the parts that should be maintained at X mile intervals. Then I guess it's up to you to read essentially the whole manual and decide from that context what actually needs to be done.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Park Tool Bicycle Repair Manual, May 30, 2011
By jeepboy
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The manual is pretty good but not what I expected it only covers newer bicycles. The explanations and procedures are to vague geared more for veteran repair techs.I have been a professional mechanic for more than 35 years working on new cars,trucks and motorcycles using the vehicle manufactures service manuals they are much easier to use with better step by step procedures.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Must have even for the non-mechanic!, May 4, 2011
By Kurt Kristensen
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This is a great resource even if you do not intend to pick up a wrench. The practical cleaning advice alone is worth the purchase price! I recently got this book and have already cleaned and tuned both my bike and my daughter's. I was even able to figure out how (for the first time!) to properly adjust both my front and rear derailleurs so that shifting is smooth and consistent. Next up is rebuilding two bikes for my sons. The text is readable and easy to follow along. I find that the best way to utilize this book is to read the text, then go to the Park Tools website to review the procedure beforehand on a video, then perform the service with the book open next to me. In just a few weeks this book has saved me about $150! Get it.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Must Have!, March 24, 2011
By PL408
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You can have all the tools in the world but if you dont know what to do with them what good are they
This book will make the difference from being stuck in the woods and getting out
I am not the type of person to review a product but I am so stoked about this book I decided to do it
anyways BUY IT ALREADY! it will be one of the best investments you made
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great over-all "fix it" - "understand it" guide, September 19, 2010
By Shibumi627 (San Diego, California)
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I bought this book to give me a better understanding of how bikes are put together and how they are meant to work. There are so many types of bikes out there. Road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers etc. This book gives many photo's, tools , terms and names so you can gain a really sound understanding of how to fix the bike, how to maintain the bike and to understand how the different parts work together. It turned out to be a great investment.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Still the "Bible"..., May 2, 2010
By Charles Glendening (Pittsburgh, PA USA)
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The second edition of the BBB is a slick, well-illustrated and bound volume which builds on the success of the first edition. I have found it to be thorough and up-to-date on recent bike technology. It certainly is a bit of an advertisement for Park Tools, but frankly the 'advertising' has subsidized the price of this book, and we all can benefit from that...
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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The Only Book You Need If You Really Care About Your Bike!, April 8, 2010
By D. Brian Youens (Murrieta, CA USA)
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The is the second copy I have purchased; I can't say enough about the book and Park Tools in general. So far, most of the tools are still being made in the USA, which I love! The book has many illustrations to guide your repairs. You can't go wrong with this repair guide.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Brain Fart Helper, May 30, 2011
By cal429258
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I got the park tool book to help me out when I have the occassional brain fart. I am a mechanic in a bike store but still have used the book a few times. I like the book because its to the point with out a lot of fluff.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Bike repair, October 12, 2009
By skykeith (Atlanta)
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A well illustrated and technical book that will get you through any repair. I highly recommend it.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Good book with beautiful color pictures, December 19, 2011
By drclark@frontiernet.net (Mohnton, PA)
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This book is a great resource for the latest up to date information on bike maintenance. It is lacking in assembling a bike with new components from scratch but if the bike is already together it is terrific for repairs and maintenance. The pictures are clear and plentiful so it is easy to understand what the text is describing.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book, and a great way to get it, October 12, 2011
By jr (Evergreen, Colombia)
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Park really is the encyclopedia of bike repair. They have a great online site and tips, but sometimes it's great to have paper available when doing wrenching. Great book, and with Amazon a great way to get it.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great resource for cyclists, August 3, 2011
By never stop moving! (Colorado)
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I am very mechanically inclined, and in the past have tweaked my bike on a regular basis so there was no need for a book on how to do it. I am older now and don't have the time to ride every day, more like every week so there are times when a book that has easy to understand instructions and tons of pictures is helpful. This book was inexpensive, thorough and easy to understand. I am able to go right to the part of my bike that needs adjustment and get it adjusted quickly and easilly.
By the way, Park Tool has a GREAT website with some of this same information online.....
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Great read a must for all of your bike repair needs, July 8, 2011
By ALmarty
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This book is a fantastic read, very helpful and easy to follow. I have used it for a couple of repair jobs and found that the steps listed are exactly what is needed for a quick repair.
Easy to follow and very helpful.
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Great Book for a new rider!, July 8, 2011
By tvk
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This book is PACKED with information - Its great for the new rider and owner of an upper end bike as it gives you insight into tools and processes to the extent you can decide to tackle them yourself or take it back to the shop for a tune up. I especially liked the section on flat repair as I had no clue and wanted more piece of mind when I take a long ride from home. I suggest getting this book - you wont regret it!
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A Decent Beginner Reference, June 8, 2011
By phillyhouse (Moosup, CT)
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This book is okay, but I actually learn more detailed specifics by downloading the product manuals and installation instructions from the product websites. This book does a good job of giving general advice to novice bike DIY-ers. Note - if you are planning to take the Park Tool School, I believe this book is included in the price at most shops that offer the course....
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Great Book!, January 12, 2011
By J. Dye (Chicago, IL)
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The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair is great. If you are looking for a reference manual or a how-to for anything about cycling repair, just get it. There are longer reviews out there, but basically it rocks. I was able to disassemble my road bike in less than an hour with the information in the book (and correct tools, which the book tells you what you need).
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Must have bicycle repair book, September 12, 2009
By W. Turechek (Sunshine State)
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Without a doubt this is the best book that I have seen on bicycle repair. It covers all aspects of repair that the average owner can do at home and then some. It is a must have book at a can have price.
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Good book, September 7, 2009
By Device Junkie (Columbia MO USA)
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This is as good as they say. helpful pics., easy to read and understand text,useful! always have in my e.d.c. pack!
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Very good: well produced, well written, February 11, 2009
By Hal C. Elrod (Houston, TX USA)
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Just to echo the other comments, BBB-2 is a very good repair manual for the intermediate home bicycle enthusiast. It is the best produced of any bike manual I've seen, with excellent, clear photos and layout. It does emphasize Park tools in every possible context, but it is understood that Park tools are pretty much the best.
At 245 pages, it covers every topic relevant to a home repair. You won't learn how to build a wheel, but you will learn how to true a wheel.
The only downside is that the book is so nice, I'd hate to get grease on it.
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Big Blue Book of Repair, February 14, 2010
By Michael G. Duncan (Astoria, Oregon)
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Great book with lots of good info.I've just skimmed it so far, but it looks like a winner.
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Awesome stand for a good price, August 17, 2009
By C. Mutel
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This is fantastic - it can hold my tandem or xtracycle without problems, and is possible to carry across the ocean. What more do you need?
0 of 13 people found the above review helpful.
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My every day repair Book, September 27, 2011
By Jc Jaffray
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It is very interesting book.
We are in Bicycle business and use park tool technology and tools and wanted to read first hand from the master of bicycle repaires.
comment made by
Charles. Jaffray
our address is:
info@Letourbicycle.com , letourbicycle@gmail.com
Artofwheel.com , wheel2go.com
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Waste of money, September 24, 2011
By Sharada Prasad CS (Berkeley, CA)
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I am not impressed by the book at all. I bought this as well as the book - The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair: For Road & Mountain Bikes by Todd Downs.
Todd Downs book has more information, costs less, covers more topics and is clean in many ways.
Don't waste your money just because it is a book with name "Park Tool".
I am a bike repair amateur and this book is almost useless compared to The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair: For Road & Mountain Bikes.
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I love this book!!! it will help a ton!!!, September 7, 2011
By compact
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I've gotten 3 bicycle books so far, one is small and from the 90's, so not very helpful... and another is from 1980, so it's interesting to read but not much use for a modern bike. BUT, I got this amazing Park Tool Big Blue Book, and it is so incredibly detailed, with pictures and everything!!!! more details on each individual piece than I thought!!! I mean I could build a bike from scratch with this book if I wanted!!!! :D
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Park Tool BBB-2 The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair - 2nd Edition, September 4, 2011
By Barbi Conner (Fort Worth, TX, US)
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An easy read & understanding that even female cyclists can interrupt. Very helpful for my small repairs that I can do here @ home.
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Should have gotten this one first, August 31, 2011
By TomV (Aspen, CO)
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This is what a repair manual should be, I first bought the Zinn book and was really disappointed and thought I was just thick-headed but I realize after browsing the Park Took book that the Zinn book is poorly organised and written.
The park book is so well written that you can sit down and just start reading as if it were a novel, which I recommend so that you have a general understanding of how the book is laid out. The writing is very understandable and the pics are way better than illustrations.
Highly recommend this over the Zinn manual.
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Very useful, February 24, 2012
By CD (Japan)
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It covers a lot of the things you'll want to know how to do. Enough pictures to help you follow what they are describing. Over the years between this book and learning through trial and error, I think I've become pretty good at doing what need to be done on my bike (as well as doing lots of things that don't need to be done). Highly recommended.
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Very Basic, February 7, 2012
By adrian1821
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I don't like to write bad reviews. And this is one of few in my 46 years. Park Tool makes the highest quality tools available. Made in the USA, to me that says it all. I have many of them and just recently, bought the AK-37 kit. I couldn't be happier with their tools. However, this manual leaves a little to be desired. It is very vague. I am still going by my 1990 edition of Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair. I also have Greg Lemond's book, but it goes back to friction gears, etc. If you are new to bicycle repair, this could be of value. There are numerous pictures and some things are explained well, BUT....and that's a big but. My bikes (3) are from the mid-'90s, I'm building a new bike (2012). The Park Tools are the best to be had, so I was surprised by this book. I assumed the other bad reviews were by very critical people, but now I agree with them. If you don't actually work on your bike and just want to know how everything works, this book is excellent. But if you're actually holding the caliper and the torque wrench, I think I would look elsewhere. Again, the tools from Park Tool are the highest quality available, that is why I'm so cross writing this review, but like you I read the reviews.
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My every day repair Book, September 27, 2011
By J. Jaffray
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It is very interesting book.
We are in Bicycle business and use park tool technology and tools and wanted to read first hand from the master of bicycle repaires.
comment made by
Charles. Jaffray
our address is:
info@Letourbicycle.com , letourbicycle@gmail.com
Artofwheel.com , wheel2go.com
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Illustrations could be better, April 15, 2012
By Seldom (Philadelphia, PA)
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The text of this manual is clear and comprehensive, but the illustrations are a limited number of photographs and no drawings. The best use can be obtained by downloading manufacturers' exploded parts drawings (for me Shimano) and combining them with the tutorials on the Park Tool website. Then use the book in the shop as you do your repairs.
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It is a must have book, March 28, 2012
By David (NEVADA CITY, CA, United States)
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I have read many bike repair manuals, they all have certain advantages. For example Tom Downs has the best illustrations and pictures. The Park book has information that no other bike repair book has, and some of the information is very important to know. It is not a fluffy chatty book. It is a repair book used by a lot of people doing repairs on bikes for a living. I know a bit about repair, but now I know more.
Is this a good beginners book?
The pictures are adequate but certainly not excellent. Some pictures I had to study to figure out what they were showing, certainly there is not a picture for each step. If pictures are important than this book might not thrill you.
However the procedures on how to do something was flawless and the tools needed was exceptional. Of course they used Park Tools. Since this is all I use I was happy with knowing which tools to get. Their was a picture when you needed one, not big or exceptionally clear, Of course if you no little about repair the more pictures the better.
However after getting more and more savvy with bike repair, you will need to read this book. The procedures on repairs go several steps beyond what everyone else has written. I am understanding bikes better now..
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An excellent resource, March 18, 2012
By nerdburg
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I got tired of paying to get my bike tuned up and just decided to buy my own tools and teach myself how get the job done. The book has been an excellent help, usually with step by step directions. I even managed to assemble an entire bike, mostly with help from this book. The Park Tool website was useful too. If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy this book again.
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Great Information!, March 11, 2012
By DstuB
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Great book for the beginner, or seasoned cyclist. It is good general information that will help with most of the issues at hand.
Park is a great tool company, so the book is written with years of experience.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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