Book Review The Professional Guide to Wheelbuilding by Roger Musson

This book is an absolute must for any cyclist considering repairing, maintaining or building their own wheels. It is available only online in downloadable PDF format, which keeps the cost of purchase very low. I bought mine for US$12.50 - a steal of a deal! I printed off all the pages and loaded them into plastic page protectors then into a binder that I keep in my workshop. The page protectors prevent my greasy paws from staining the printed word. Nevertheless, one can easily replace any damaged or dirty pages by printing from the downloaded copy. You did save a copy in at safe place, didn't you? I copied my PDF copy to a CD, which even if my hard drive fails, will give me a perpetual edition. I can also add any future updates to the CD as they become available. Apparently the author plans to email all purchasers of the book with update information of new editions in addition to the upgrade information on the book's website link.
Unlike other books on similar topics, this book is written in plain English and very easy to understand even for a novice embarking on their first wheelbuilding project. Technical jargon is kept to a minimum and over 70 detailed razor-sharp CAD diagrams and full-colour photos help make the job of wheelbuilding enjoyable. The author cites many years of experience and at present works at the famous wheelbuilding shop of "Wheelpro" in the UK where he sponsors professional racing teams and builds wheels for racers that demand bulletproof wheelsets. Following the author's guidelines and knowledge, a cyclist can build wheels that will last a long time without suffering broken spokes nor the need for constant re-truing.
The book covers many types of wheels that can be built and even includes a section on building wheels for tubeless tires.
A whole chapter on bike tools explains the function of essential tools and describes methods on many that can be built in a home workshop by following the clear diagrams and plans.
I've read other books on wheels and wheelbuilding and have found that this is my favourite for clear, concise instructions and reference.
One of the guides that I used previously is worth mentioning and it is available online at the late Sheldon Brown's website, where resides a very easy to follow  procedure for building one's own wheels - it's free too! Notwithstanding, this book is well worth the small cost for the extra wealth of information that it provides.

I also own Gerd Schraner's book on wheelbuilding which I found quite useful. However, I did find that the layout and charts are somewhat hard to follow in places. In my opinion, not really a book for a novice interested in building a wheel or two.

Consequently, I much prefer the above book by Roger Musson - a "keeper" for sure! Truly a book for experienced and novice wheelbuilders.

Book Review - Bike Touring by Raymond Bridge

This is the second edition (2009) of Bike Touring - The Sierra Club Guide to Travel on Two Wheels by Raymond Bridge - ISBN: 978-1-57805-142-7, listed at US$18.95.
First edition was published in 1979.
I was recently contacted by a Sierra Club Publicist and asked if I would review this book. I was sent a copy and after a quick glance, I have much reading to do as the book is about 450 pages of information. Should be an interesting read - more later...

After picking away at the book for the last few weeks, in amongst some bike touring of my own, I finally finished the text.
First and foremost, I have to say that the book is as up-to-date as possible and the information contained within is virtually all relevant to the business of bicycle touring, travel and camping in today's era.
All of the equipment mentioned and reviewed is readily available, at least to the North American market.
This is definitely a book that can be useful to both novice and experienced bike tourers, for not only is there information on touring methods and equipment, but also bicycle design and basic maintenance are covered. Although I felt for the novice cyclist, some of the chapters may be a little too in depth and perhaps rambling. But most readers, I surmise, would use the book more as a reference volume regarding specific items or aspects of touring bikes, equipment and travelling on (self-propelled) two wheels. Reading a book such as this from cover to cover may be “too much information” for some.
I could pick apart one or two points discussed in some of the chapters, but generally the author has relayed a helpful general consensus on some matters that may be as individualistic as is bicycle touring.
Topics discussed in the book are a good starting point for anyone considering any form of bicycle touring, and the various methods of touring are explained admirably. I actually have recommended the book to some cyclists contemplating bicycle touring already and would not hesitate to do so again.
All in all, this edition is an excellent update to what was an out-of-date manuscript.