There are suprisingly few comprehensive and accurate guides to cycle maintenance online. These are the best two we have found so far - email us if you think you've found any better. Both of these are quite detailed, and require a certain amount of background knowledge in order to find the information you need. We'll be putting up real beginners' guides as soon as we can, but you can always come and talk to us in the shop.

Harris Cyclery, www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/hub.html is a huge site run by the extremely eccentric Sheldon Brown. You may find what you're looking for (there's loads of good advice in there) or you may give up and just read the 'cycle humour' section (which is what we usually end up doing).

Park Tool Repair FAQ, www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml Park Tool are the most widely used manufacturer of professional bike tools, and they also run lots of courses for professional mechanics. This excellent site has a very methodical approach, with clear diagrams and photos. Its main drawback for the novice mechanic is the fact that it's so comprehensive, and you may find you lose concentration before you get to the part on your own particular style of brake/gear/whatever.