How tos »
How to fix your mountain bike
Normally, I wouldn’t use such generic terms when titling an entry on this site but, in this case, I think using such general terms is warranted. I visit the Park Tool website once in a while to check out this or that tool, and to see if it’s what I’m looking for when making a quick repair on one of my bikes.
Until yesterday, thanks to the somewhat clunky interface on the site, I completely missed the fact that the Park Tools website has an awesome section devoted to almost every aspect of bike repair. When you visit, check out the drop down menu named ‘Select a region’ and you’ll be able to access what you’re looking for. Odd wording, I know. And while the site doesn’t cover everything (hydraulic brake servicing and fork repair are notably absent), it’s a good starting point if you’re stuck and can’t bring your bike into your local shop.
If you’re looking to harness some of this new found information and start doing most of your own wrenching, I’d recommend picking up a decent manual that you can reference while you’re away from your computer. There are two books that I can safely recommend being worthy purchases: the first is the Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bike Repair; the second and, in my opinion, better guide is Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance.
After you’ve read up on the latest and greatest in bike repair, if you don’t have a huge number of tools already, I’d recommend purchasing a set of tools like the Park BK-2 Roll Up Workshop.