Books: What you recommend as a good cycling read, either fiction or nonfiction?

[User169]

Olympic Gangster - The Legend of José Beyaert - Cycling Champion, Fortune Hunter and Outlaw by Matt Rendell

From one review:

"His Olympic significance is his victory for France, aged 23, in the cycling road race in Windsor Great Park at the 1948 Games, but by the time he died at the age of 79 he had racked up an almost incredible tally of adventures. Always restless, always pugnacious - his first love had been boxing, and he was a keen barroom brawler throughout his life - he chafed at the servile life of a professional cyclist in Europe, and when offered the chance to cash in on his Olympic fame by opening a velodrome in Colombia he leapt at the chance.

Falling in love with the country and its people, he stayed, winning the inaugural Tour of Colombia in 1952, and over the next 50 years worked variously as national coach, bar owner, factory manager, treasure hunter, emerald miner, logger in the rainforest, drug runner (he was involved with the cocaine smugglers known as The French Connection) and, he hinted, at least once as a paid assassin."

 

[roadrash]

That's jolly kind! PM incoming...

it was passed to me via cyclechat so only right to keep it going

 

[stephec]

French Revolutions - funny book.

The Escape Artist - excellent reminiscing of an amateur racer.

I've read too many to remember them all, if anything else springs to mind I'll post again.

Pro cyclist's biographies aren't too bad, until you've read a few of them, then they all sound the same.

 

[stephec]

Olympic Gangster - The Legend of José Beyaert - Cycling Champion, Fortune Hunter and Outlaw by Matt Rendell

From one review:

"His Olympic significance is his victory for France, aged 23, in the cycling road race in Windsor Great Park at the 1948 Games, but by the time he died at the age of 79 he had racked up an almost incredible tally of adventures. Always restless, always pugnacious - his first love had been boxing, and he was a keen barroom brawler throughout his life - he chafed at the servile life of a professional cyclist in Europe, and when offered the chance to cash in on his Olympic fame by opening a velodrome in Colombia he leapt at the chance.

Falling in love with the country and its people, he stayed, winning the inaugural Tour of Colombia in 1952, and over the next 50 years worked variously as national coach, bar owner, factory manager, treasure hunter, emerald miner, logger in the rainforest, drug runner (he was involved with the cocaine smugglers known as The French Connection) and, he hinted, at least once as a paid assassin."

I wanted to like this book, and I did read it all the way to the end, but sometimes Rendell's books seem a bit slow and dull to me.

It was the same with the Pantani book, the first two thirds were good, but the last bit seemed to turn into a medical dictionary.

 

[Saluki]

David Walsh 7 deadly sins is shaping up nicely. Or it was until Hubster blooming packed it! I will finish it when we unpack

 

[Ice2911]

David Walsh 7 deadly sins is shaping up nicely. Or it was until Hubster blooming packed it! I will finish it when we unpack

I ve just read that, interesting when you link it to some of the cyclists autobiographies- Tyler Hamilton, David Miller etc. Also just read one man and his bike Mike Carter. Enjoyed this lots especially as I'm getting ready to do LEJOG. Also read mid life cyclists, reassuringly predictable but ok as an easy holiday day read.

 

[Stinboy]

I'm a big fan of Charly Wegelius. So much so my missus thinks that there's a bit of one way bromance going on

Last year I bought a Liquigas kit cheap off the ebay. I never wear it on the bike because I don't want to get it dirty.

I've trawled youtube for video clips, either racing or directeur sportifing.

I even had a dream about him the other night - he was telling me off about the length of my socks. Worrying but all true.

Have a read of 'Domestique' and see if he has the same effect on you

 

[roadrash]

^^^^^ ive read that^^^^^^^but still consider myself sane , however mrs roadrash doesn't, but that's nowt new

 

[ColinJ]

The Rider - by Tim Krabbé

Quite simply, IMO, it's the best book about cycling there is.

I reread my copy every few years, once I have left it long enough for the details to fade from my memory!

There are not many novels that I have chosen to read that many times.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Not a book but USADA 's reasoned decision on Lance Armstrong. I read every page of it, was fascinating.

Tyler Hamiltons book was riveting as it covered most of the LA stuff as well

 

[tommaguzzi]

I have just finished and really enjoyed " One man and his bike " by mike carter.
He rode all around the coast of Britain mostly camping and he odd b&b, he descrbes the journey and the folk he met in a humourous light hearted style which is easy to pick up and put down so can be read over many weeks as a time killer.
I have already passed it on though.

 

[Oldbloke]

Mid Life Cyclists...Chris McHutchison and Neil Blundell.

Highly entertaining, on Kindle £1.99

 

[Bollo]

I was the same with the Pantani book, the first two thirds were good, but the last bit seemed to turn into a medical dictionary.

I also thought about the Pantani book as a recommendation, but it is very hard work. I felt as though I'd done a module of a pharmacology degree after reading it.

 

[classic33]

Against the Wind, Yasuyuki Ozeki: Pedalling for a Pint from Japan to Ireland
A bit further than your usual trip to the pub I'll admit. But you might as well do it right.

'Cycling for Profit' Bikes At Work

 

[snorri]

I'll always be grateful to Josie Dew for writing 'The Wind in my Wheels', the book that inspired me to get on a ferry to cycle round Iceland.