What cycling books do you have?

[mustang1]

One man and his bike.
Africa solo.
Be brave, be strong, journey across the divide.
Bike touring survival guide.
Blazing saddles.
Brompton bike.
Cycles of life.
Cycles and two young gents .
Cyclist training Bible.
Dividing the great (my favourite).
Park tool blue book.
Some other maintenance books.
Every inch of the way.
Free country.
It's all about the bike.
Just ride.
Metal cowboy .
Obsessive compulsive cycling disorder.
All about the road bike .
This other really good book but can't recall name and can't find it.
One man and his bike.
Racing through the dark .
Road to involution .
Roads not built for cars .
Saddle sore .
Three bent links .
We were young and carefree.
The yellow jersey .
Cycle of lies .
Cycling the earth.
My time .
The rider.
Sean Yates .
Wide eyed and legless.

Edit: oh yeah forgot I have a few Lance armaArmst books too.

 

[steveindenmark]

Barring Mechanicals. It is in my safety deposit box at the bank, gaining value as I type.

I have lots of cycling books. Non related professional cycle racing.

 

[MrPorridge]

I must confess to spending much more time reading about cycling than actually cycling, which probably makes me something of an imposter here.

Have read a lot of racing-y ones, many mentioned above.

For general background, I like Rob Penn's "All About the Bike" and Bella Bathurst's "The Bicycle Book".

Tim Moore's books are always funny and generally informative (not just the bike ones) so it's worth checking out "French Revolutions", "The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold" and, my favourite, "Gironimo! Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy".

One I recently read and really liked was Emily Chappell's "What Goes Around: A London Cycle Courier's Story". Really well written and a thoughtful insight into a world I knew little about.

 

[DCBassman]

I just picked up Sex, Lies, and Handlebar Tape, a biography of Jaques Anquetil. He was plainly a one-off, looking forward to it!

 

[Polite]

Quite a few books but the only one I value is the smallest: The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton.

What's this book about, I heard it mentioned the other night? And how do you rate it?

 

[Globalti]

It's a true story about growing obsession with road racing. It contains some fascinating stuff on the "lore" of road cycling, for example the best explanation I've read for leg shaving (aesthetics). It has a shocking and tragic twist in the tale. A very good little book.

 

[classic33]

"Against the Wind" - Yasuyuki Ozeki
From Japan to Dublin for a pint of Guinness. There's dedition for you.


From what got him thinking about doing it to doing it. Along with the ups & downs of the actual ride itself.

 

[mudsticks]

Devoured all the Dervla Murphy long distance ride books as a youngster.

I think she may have put a few ideas in my head.

"Against the Wind" - Yasuyuki Ozeki
From Japan to Dublin for a pint of Guinness. There's dedition for you.



From what got him thinking about doing it to doing it. Along with the ups & downs of the actual ride itself.

I'd do it for a decent pint of IPA

Must look that one up - ta !

 

[pawl]

Personal Best.Beryl Burton A remarkable cyclist All she of which achieved without aero frames power meters gels and all paraphernalia of modern cycle racing.

 

[EltonFrog]

 

[classic33]

View attachment 455726

You ever notice the positioning of the lasse's right foot on the pedal?

 

[EltonFrog]

You ever notice the positioning of the lasse's right foot on the pedal?

No, looks weird.

 

[Justinitus]

I just picked up Sex, Lies, and Handlebar Tape, a biography of Jaques Anquetil. He was plainly a one-off, looking forward to it!

What a fab title!

 

[Justinitus]

View attachment 455726

Wow, this takes me back! We were all given a copy of this after doing our cycling proficiency at school.... many a dark winter ago now

 

[Justinitus]

Not serious cycling but a fictional book I absolutely loved as a kid. About this young boy who lusted after this particular racing bike and who’s parents promised him they’d buy him a bike for his birthday. Birthday disappointment came when he was given an old tank of a bike, so the boy worked at little jobs to earn enough to buy the bike he dreamt of. Which he promptly crashed and then learned to fix it up.

Exactly my own story too as a young boy, I was dreaming of this racing bike I saw at a shop in Reading - all shiny blue with yellow handlebar tape and saddle. Couldn’t stop thinking about it. Had the brochure under my pillow.. Birthday came and I got an old bronze coloured 1960’s Raleigh that weighed a ton and was so unfashionable my mates all laughed at me. But it was all my Mum could afford (and my Grandad had polished it up the best he could) so I proudly rode it, got a second paper round and started doing gardening work at £1.75 an hour and before long I had a shiny new Peugeot Premiere parked in the school bike sheds. Which I promptly crashed and learned how to fix it up.

With all my jobs and the insurance payout on the (now stolen) Premiere, I replaced it with a brand new 1986 Peugeot Triathlon Tristar. Cost me £399.99 which was a heck of a lot at the time!

And all my laughing school chums were green with envy!

So when I saw this old book lingering in a charity shop last year I had to have it. I’ve read it 3 times since.