A book providing technical information entirely focused on the road racing bicycle and its components.

1. The Road Racing Bicycle
Author
Nigel Whittaker
An illustrated book on the modern road racing bicycle
370 pages and over 650 photographs and illustrations
Available in print and as a flipbook / eBook on DVD
Join us on facebook @ http:/www.facebook.com/TheRoadRacingBicyle

2. This book is not just another service manual …..
Nor is this book just another a coffee table or display book ……
What this book is and what this book is not ……
This book is a technical book providing a cleaver combination of both the above, providing
key information, facts, a little history and a well set out bike assembly guide which can also
be used for upgrading, replacement of components, frames and or forks.
This book also provides a complete self help guide to finding out what size of frame you
should be riding, what your positioning on the bicycle should be and what tools are required
when working on the different parts of ones road racing bicycle

3. Overview
• An introduction to the road racing bicycle, providing an overview of the
different types of road racing events the bicycle was originally created for.
• Terminology used when describing the different parts and what they
consist of.
• An brief history of mainstream groupset manufacturers of the past and a
closer look at the “big” 3 major groupset manufacturers of today and how
their shift lever sets have evolved over the years since their inception.
• A technical overview of the remaining components, including handlebars,
stems, saddles and pedals.
• On overview of various different types of wheels and how they perform.
• An indepth look at the different types of “tyre’s” available for road racing
bicycles which includes their construction and how they are mounted to
the bicycles rims. The different “tyres” discussed includes the standard
clincher tyre, tubular clinchers, tubulars and tubeless tyres
A technical book which provides both interesting reading and high technical content.
Included in this book is,

4. • An indepth look at the different types of “tyre’s” available for road racing
bicycles which includes their construction and how they are mounted to
the bicycles rims. The different “tyres” discussed includes the standard
clincher tyre, tubular clinchers, tubulars and tubeless tyres
• Provides gear ratio’s charts for those looking at increasing performance,
upgrading and or replacing cassettes and chainsets.
• Offers a brief look at the different types of pants and tops used for road
cycling
• Provides information on typical road cycling shoe construction and some
of the different fastening systems
• A brief look at the different types of hydration containers and their carriers
typically used by road cyclists.
• Rider reference sheet – included to enable the reader to log his or her
current positioning on their bikes, including cassette ratios and chainring
sizes. Important for those travelling, or when bikes are stripped down for
full servicing as well as for those DIY enthusiasts when upgrading and or
replacing parts like saddles, stems, bars, pedals, cranksets / chainsets etc
Overview – continued 1

5. Overview – continued 2
– Coloured face page which separate each of the steps, these face pages includes, tooling
requirements, special notes and warnings
– A well scripted guide describing the necessary actions to be taken in each step.
– High level of illustration to visually assist in each action.
– Separately blocked and or coloured text where special attention and or warnings need
to be adhered to.
– Each step includes building with various different components, for example bottom
brackets include both threaded and press fit bottom brackets, mechanical shift levers
include Campagnolo Shimano and SRAM.
– Separate steps for the installation of Campagnolo’s EPS and Shimano’s Di2
electromechanical / electronic gear shift systems
– Individually numbered actions for fine tuning the different mechanical gearing systems.
– A guide to bleeding the different hydraulic brake systems, including SRAM’s HydroR rim
brake callipers
• Tooling – a listing of tools required to work on a modern road racing bicycle,
includes tool reference numbers as well as pictures of many of the different tool
s to visually associate these with each of the tasks within each step of the bicycle
assembly guide.
• Wheel building – a guide to building wheels using straight and three (3) cross
lacing of spokes.
• A complete step by step guide to assembling a modern road racing bicycle which
includes

6. Front & Back covers – Print edition
Print Edition ISBN 09780955383205 / eBook Edition eISBN 09780955383212

7. Table of Contents
A full and
comprehensive
“Table of Contents”
is set out and
positioned at the
front of the book.

8. Reference Index
A quick “Reference
Index” has been
included at the rear
of the book to
support and
compliment the
“Table of Contents”,
providing quick and
easy access to
specific points of
interest.

9. Photographs and illustrations
This book includes both
colour and greyscale
Photographs and
Illustrations.
Greyscale often provides
more clarity and depth,
especially in technical
illustrations and or
photographs

10. Acquisition of knowledge
From the onset this
book sets out to provide
the reader with clarity
on the different parts of
the road racing bicycle,
enabling the reader to
utilise this knowledge
throughout the remaining
pages of the book.

11. Frameset construction and materials
Includes an overview of
frame construction from
the early days of “lugged”
frames to today’s use of
composite materials.
Understanding the
difference in fork’s
steerer tube sizes.
Also offering advice on
frame materials and what
can be expected
performance wise.

12. Background information
Providing both historic and
background information
on past as well as current
groupset and groupset
component Manufacturers,
including both mechanical and
electromechanical / electronic
controlled gear shifting systems.

13. Mechanical shifting systems
Providing historic information
on Campagnolo, Shimano and
SRAM shift levers leading up
through the years, from inception
of their different shift leversets
through to their current offerings.
Providing an operational overview on
SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo’s shift
levers with clear illustrations enabling
the reader to quickly grasp how the
different shift levers operate both
their front and rear derailleur in
changing the bicycle’s gears.

14. Creating awareness of the different components
Provides a greater understanding
of the different components
fitted to modern road racing
bicycles which will assist the
reader in understanding which
components may or may not be
fitted to their own road racing
bicycle.
Provides technical information
including difference in sizes and
types of installation

15. Tyres & Tubes
Provides an overview of the
Different types of “tyres”
Available including clincher,
tubular clinchers, tubulars
And tubeless tyres.
Includes information on
Tyre construction, compounds,
Tread patterns and weights
And how these affect a riders
Performance.
Tubes – sizing, construction
and valve types.

16. Cables and their fittings
Provides an overview of
the different cables
including the differences
in the cables “heads”
and the different cable
housings.
Explains how the
difference in the cable
fittings and to what
purpose they serve.

17. Tools
A listing of tools required for any
bike assembly, repair and or
servicing has been included.
Along with the tool listing are a
short description, a tool reference
number and corresponding picture
of the tools.
The tools required for each phase
of the build are listed on the face
page of each step as illustrated
here. Within specific steps pictures
of the tools have been included to
visually assist. Tool reference
numbers have also been included
within the build sequences where
necessary.

18. Assembling a road racing bicycle
A step by step guide has
been included to assist a
DIY enthusiast in
assembling a complete
bike from scratch using any
one of the three main
stream mechanical
groupsets and a variety of
components, including
mechanical and or
hydraulic braking systems.
Provides a sequence of
actions within each step,
including how to set-up
and fine tune the different
mechanical gearing
systems.

19. Assembling a road racing bicycle - continued
Includes a the installation of
electromechanical / electronic
shifting systems produced by
Campagnolo and Shimano, namely
the EPS and Di2 systems.
A sequence of actions explains
exactly how to wire, connect and
set-up both the front and rear
derailleur's.
To illustrate both internal routing
and external routing installations
and example of each has been
provided.
Illustrations have been used to
provide clear visual recognition of
each sequenced action.

20. Frame sizing and rider set-up
An alternative to having to pay for one
of the many computerised systems to
produce similar results, a tried and
tested procedure formerly used by
many Tour de France contenders and at
least one 3 time winner in establishing
the correct frame size and positioning
on the bike has been included. As with
results generated by any computerised
system the final fine tuning to a riders
positioning can only be achieved when
riding the bike on the road.
To circumvent some lengthily processes
quick frame size reference charts for
compact frames using rider’s heights and
inseam measurements have been included.
Establishing the correct frame size
is a priority as both comfort and
performance can only be achieved
once using the correct size of frame