Cycling books

Harry B

I've just finished Lance Armstrong's book "It's Not About the Bike" and really enjoyed it, despite it being a bit cheesy in places.

Any other recommendations of good cycling related paperbacks to read on the train?

Doobz

chasing lance is pretty good and so is 23 days in July.

DavidBelcher

Personal recommendations (I've worked my way through a good few cycling books whilst on trains over the last few years!) would include "Bikie" by Charlie Woods and Matt Seaton's "The Escape Artist".

David

ChrisLS

...The Beautiful Machine, by Graeme Fife
...Every Second Counts, by Lance Armstrong, both a good read...

shockedsoshocked

I'm currently reading "From Lance to Landis", and enjoying it very much.

campagchris

Ive just bought Phil Anderson cycling legend and its very good up to now.
Tales from the toolbox is also good by Scott Parr (a mechanic with the motorola team)

heavymental

Doobz wrote:

chasing lance is pretty good and so is 23 days in July.

For the record. I thought 23 Days in July was shte. Infact, I've not finished it because it was that bad. I Enjoyed Matt Rendells book on Pantani and the Richard Moore book on Robert Millar was good too. Although the Pantani book is quite heavy so maybe only really good if you're interested in him particularly. The Hour by Michael Hutchinson is good and so is the Tom Simpson bio by Alistair Fotheringham.

DavidBelcher

Heavymental wrote:

The Hour by Michael Hutchinson is good and so is the Tom Simpson bio by Alistair Fotheringham.

Thought it was William Fotheringham who did the Simpson book (also very good read)? Another vote for Hutch's book from me - he's got a good writing style and a knack for adding a little humour here and there without overdoing it.

David

matthewbradford

Riding Through the Storm - Geoff Thomas is a good read
French Revolutions - Tim Moore, Excellent

Just got Tour Climbs, can't remember who the author is but it give details of every mountain climb featured in the TDF

CHRISNOIR

matthewbradford wrote:

French Revolutions - Tim Moore, Excellent

What he said. Although it may be best to not read it on a train; your 'lolz' will generate many strange looks from your fellow passengers.

'The Flying Scotsman' by Graeme Obree is a great read, albeit a bit bleak.

Nuggs

I finished The Beautiful Machine by Greame Fife yesterday and really enjoyed it.

Mr Amazon just delivered Tim Krabbe's The Rider and Matt Seaton's The Escape Artist, so I'm looking forward to the train home!

sicrow

Tour De Force by Dan Coyle makes a good read

shazzz

CHRISNOIR wrote:

matthewbradford wrote:

French Revolutions - Tim Moore, Excellent

What he said. Although it may be best to not read it on a train; your 'lolz' will generate many strange looks from your fellow passengers.

'The Flying Scotsman' by Graeme Obree is a great read, albeit a bit bleak.

+1.

His other books are also truly 'lol' funny.

knight2k

I too enjoyed Chasing Lance.

From a Touring perspective I've read a couple of Josie Dew's books and found them a great read. A perfect balance of information, humour and honesty.

robmanic1

Plugged it before and I'll plug it again "Discovery Road", brill book about 2 geezers giving up their everyday lives to go in an epic bike ride across Australia, Africa and South America, it's an amazing book and currently on it's 4th read!

heavymental

DavidBelcher wrote:

Heavymental wrote:

The Hour by Michael Hutchinson is good and so is the Tom Simpson bio by Alistair Fotheringham.

Thought it was William Fotheringham who did the Simpson book (also very good read)?

Yep, my bad.

The Escape Artist always gets a lot of mentions on these threads. I must check it out.

PostieJohn

Another shout for The Robert Millar book as well as Hutch's The Hour, which I really enjoyed.

expresso love

French Revolutions by Tim Moore - must be the funniest book ever written about cycling and Le TdF
It's Not About the BIke by Lance - it's about life, cancer, losing & winning.

I read all the time, all kinds of books, and these 2 are in my top 10 on any subject.

Escape Artist by Matt Seaton - about one man's love of road cycling and surviving the death of his wife.

The Rider by Tim Krabbe - novel which draws the reader into the mind of a roadie during a fictional French race.

A Bike Ride by Ann Mustoe - middle aged non-cycling school mistress packs up her job and cycles round the world. An example to anyone who feels the urge to escape from their personal rat race.

These are the cycling books I read and re-read, especially when the weather is too foul to get out on my bike.

Salsiccia

DavidBelcher wrote:

Heavymental wrote:

The Hour by Michael Hutchinson is good and so is the Tom Simpson bio by Alistair Fotheringham.

Thought it was William Fotheringham who did the Simpson book (also very good read)? Another vote for Hutch's book from me - he's got a good writing style and a knack for adding a little humour here and there without overdoing it.

David

Another one for William Fotheringham's writing. One of my other favourites of his is 'Roule Britannia', superbly written with some great stories.

Nuggs

I just finished The Rider - a great read and highly recommended. Even though I'm not a competitive cyclist, I could identify with so much of what the narrator was thinking - fantastic!

GEPC

I second the recomendation for Discovery Road and you should also try Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage.

lloyd_bower

Another recommendation for Discovery Road here too, a few other touring books to recommend are

'A Long Ride Home for a Pie' a Kiwi cycling back from London to NZ
'It's not about the Tapas' lighthearted read by Polly Evans

dondare

"Round The World On A Wheel" by John Foster Fraser. Written over 100 years ago.

One of the best I've ever read.

dennisn

Best cycling book??
The Art of Wheel Building - Gerd Schraner
Very worthwhile. You can actually learn something that is useful.

Dennis Noward

robmanic1

dennisn wrote:

Best cycling book??
The Art of Wheel Building - Gerd Schraner
Very worthwhile. You can actually learn something that is useful.

Dennis Noward

Don't tell us how it ends Dennis!

oldnewbikercp

Push yourself just a little bit harder (cant remember the author)

Two wheels Matt Seaton

French Revolutions Tim Moore

One More Kilometer and we are in the showers .(sorry cant remember again)

A couple of books by Alister humphreys telling of his round the world bike trip

robmanic1

oldnewbikercp wrote:

A couple of books by Alister humphreys telling of his round the world bike trip

Moods of future joys

Thunder and sunshine

Just started reading the first one, great read so far, really makes you think of riding off into the sunset.

FixUpLookSharp

I'm reading Blazing Saddles, Matt Rendell's history of the Tour de France, and it's really good.

Also, I agree with whoever recommended The Rider, by Tim Krabbe. It's excellent.

Tonymufc

DavidBelcher wrote:

Personal recommendations (I've worked my way through a good few cycling books whilst on trains over the last few years!) would include "Bikie" by Charlie Woods and Matt Seaton's "The Escape Artist".

David

I will second that one,"The Escape Artist" its a fantastic read and quite emotional too, towards the end. Also the last one I read was the death of Marco Pantani. A bit drawn out but very good non the less. Someone else mentioned the geoff thomas book riding through the storm, another cracking read.

campagchris

busy reading "we might as well win" and enjoying it more than I thought.
a couple of old books I have and recommend are "the 75th anniverary cycle race Tour de France" by Robin Magowan and "the great bike race" by Geoffrey Nicholson

Johnny G

oldnewbikercp wrote:

Push yourself just a little bit harder (cant remember the author)

My namesake Johnny Green. I'm just rereading it. One for rock 'n' rollers - he was the road manager of The Clash and there's no techie stuff but he really brings the atmosphere of the race to life.

I particulary enjoyed his nickname for Tricky Dicky Virenque - "The Weasel Faced Rent Boy"!