Bicycle Blue Book Review

The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair 4th edition is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to performing bicycle repairs. Written by Calvin Jones, Park Tool’s Director of Education and one of the world’s leading authorities on bike mechanics, this guide offers thorough explanations, high-quality photos, and detailed descriptions of hundreds of maintenance and repair tasks.

The website claims to be “The cycling industry’s definitive valuation authority.” The name is clearly an allusion to the Kelley Blue Book, a reputable value guide for used cars.

However, opinions of how useful the bicycle blue book is vary widely. In general, it seems to provide useful estimates for the value of a bicycle based on various criteria including make, model and year and condition.

Its comprehensive database makes it a useful tool for identifying and evaluating a wide range of models. In addition, the website is transparent about how it generates its valuations, giving users confidence in its accuracy. However, it does seem to struggle in some areas, for example, failing to take into account the significant regional variations in used bicycle prices or the impact of upgrades and customizations.

Originally, the site was meant to serve as an intermediary for buying and selling used bikes. The idea was that customers would bring their used bikes to a local shop and trade them in for credit towards the purchase of a new bike, saving the expense of listing their bikes online and paying fees to sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. In return, Bicycle Blue Book would take care of reconditioning and listing the bike for sale on its platform, taking a small commission.