*{Increase in Zinnfulness calculated by weight.}

With the number of copies sold between the, now, seven editions of Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance {“For all Mountain & Hybrid Bicycles“} and the, currently, six editions of Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance {“For all Road, Gravel, & Cyclocross Bicycles”}, I simply cannot be the only person in the whole bicycle industry who can trace my start back to flipping through the pages of one of Lennard Zinn’s books*?

The first time I adjusted my own cantilever brakes. The first time I bled a pair of Magura hydraulic rim brakes. The first time I attempted to service a RockShox Judy XC fork. The first time I trued my own front wheel using two zip ties and my bike upside down**. When I bought a crank puller and a bottom bracket tool and swapped out my first roasted BB-UN53 without screwing up my frame or crankset. For that last one, I’m not sure I’ve ever been more stressed working on a bicycle since, but the triumph was unforgettable.

*{Declaration of historical bias in favour of this excellent resource. For further information on MEATengines product reviews please see the PPP Policy.}

**{The mechanic who ‘completed’ the job for me kindly reported that I did a great job making it straight and it was even decently round. The fact it was dished a few millimeters to one side wasn’t ideal, though.}

I know that there’s infinite how-to-you-do material on the internet these days. Zinn even points to its value, for example with specific service info for the endless permutations of fork dampers on the market. But I think of any edition of The Art, in addition to delivering information on how to perform many tasks, as being a key to unlocking the value in so much of the service information out in the world. Whether it’s a video teardown, an article some old grompa has put together, or just a quick bit of DIY advice from the mechanic at your local.

To that end, for many a customer I’ve helped working in shops, the CA$37 price of admission would cover itself just in the glossary. You shouldn’t have to be a bicycle mechanic to hire a bicycle mechanic, but with how specific our machines are from issues with fit to broken sh*t speaking the same language can go a long way in wrenching out the best experience on the trail.

Here I’ll make no attempt to summarize some 530 pages {yes, including the index}, except to say that for folks who pedal, The Art⁷ has value on day one, or day whatever this is over three decades later. It’s magic is in being both an interesting read and a helpful manual.

There are two themes I’ll mention, the ‘P’s in this pod, as all mechanical tasks should be approached with Patience, and, Chapter 2, the basic stuff is boss. Always do a pre-ride inspection; save your experience with a few seconds of Prevention.

Do remember that like any ‘what to carry,’ Zinn’s lists are suggestions. For example, here at MEATmag I’d suggest checking your air pressure {tires & suspension} before every ride. But, where I always ride with a tire pump to ward away & fix flats, a shock pump is unlikely to be needed on any ride where I’m not bracketing suspension settings. Like wise, ‘rain jackets’ are for weather, and ‘Emotional Support Jackets’ {ESJs} and for holding it together. The former has bulk, the latter lives in my pack all year round.

Quick shout out to Wolf Tooth Components fantastic Pack Plier tool for making it into The Art⁷. Also, I don’t own a bike with a robot drivetrain, but I do always carry a fully charged battery in case one of my friends has a dead derailleur on the trail. Is it because I’m kind? Is it because I think it’s hilarious? Sure.

A significant portion of The Art is dedicated to more advanced service, but for those who haven’t had a chance to be handy yet it also contains important basics that stretch way beyond the bicycle. For example, page-30 sports the first lesson I taught Claire about tools, when she was learning to stand and hadn’t yet discovered language: “Remember that wrenches must be fully engaged before tightening or loosening.” It is pretty shocking how many expensive repairs roll through shop doors every year that could have been prevented with just that bit of know-how.

I also know folks who’ve flipped through The Art and come away with the best part being some of the selected quotes. Some directly bicycle related and others more philosophically aligned. For example, Einstein’s “everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”

What’s old with the 7th edition? From threaded headsets to almost forgotten bottom bracket standards, even when history doesn’t repeat itself, once one embarks on the path to bicycle enlightenment there’s no telling what will roll past their work bench. Thus, while The Art⁷ has been updated with the latest in disc brake bleeding and electronic drivetrains, it also still contains a proper technique for setting up cantilever brakes.

I love the old diagrams. Sometimes I do wonder, for example, if there are a single pair of Onza’s elastomeric clip-in pedals being used anywhere in the world today. I’d tell a couple tales of friends bound to their bikes on snowy rides, but far worse was me and a pair of Speedplay Frogs that ended up submerged in an ice dammed creek crossing.

Actually, flipping through a final time before setting down to write these notes, I couldn’t help but wonder as recreational groad {gravel-road} riders chase a more upright and technically capable riding position if Shimano Dual Control mountain shifting won’t make a comeback. I quite enjoyed it run rear with a fixed front brake lever. Anywho, I also enjoy the nostalgic reminders.

Each section of the book rolls from basics, like burping air from brakes in between full bleeds to full on repairs. In the braking example, full bleeds and caliper rebuilds are covered.

Whether it’s trying to replace a single broken spoke the night before a ride, attempting a more involved true, building a first wheel, or, for someone like me who only builds up a few hoops a year, a brain jogger, Chapter 15 on wheel building is excellent.

Suspension is probably the trickiest section. As with the section on bike fit, there is advice on set up that will help most folks dial in their bike but there’s only so deep one can go without addressing each and every specific fork and shock system. It’s a testament to how suspension options have exploded in uniqueness and complexity and variety that the carryover fork information {an old Judy for example} is specific and more modern suspension information is more general.

Do you need the current edition? No. If your bikes are all a few years old there’s nothing that won’t be covered in The Art⁶. It even saves a bunch of weight! We are cyclists after all. Further to that, folks who have an older edition, or who can pick one up for the price of a copy can certainly rely on the information there, supplemented by the internet.

Folks with aspirations to work in wrenching, or to help friends out with the latest bike repairs, or to learn about the latest and greatest, will certainly be best served by the most up-to-date edition. Evolved as it is over many years, grafted straight to the bones of past editions, I think the value per dollar is fantastic.

With the way bicycle tech is going, will there ever be an 8^th edition? I should hope so. There’s still no information on gluing-and-wiring push-on grips and someday folks are going to arrive back at the comfort of all rubber squish at any thickness, even in the wet-wet-wet. I mean, I’m sure there will be a pile of new bottom bracket tools , 14-speeds, and who knows what else coming down the trail too.

I wish that every local bike shop kept a couple of copies of The Art in stock. Sometimes you’ll find it on the shelf of your local book store, or your local library. I’ve known enough folks that have bought a copy after flipping through it that I can say assuredly that physically holding the tome makes folks want one at home. That said, it’s readily available online, all over, including straight from Zinn.Bike.

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If you’re interested in supporting the MEATengines community there are multiple ways to help out. You can submit an About a Single Speed or Bicycle Valentines piece, or fire me an e-mail if there’s some other ATB or mountain bicycling topic you’re passionate to write about. I’m interested. You can engage with a comment below, join the crew at r/MEATengines, or, if you have a couple spare bucks {ha!}, you can always buy me a coffee. Thank you.