Cycle book club - book reviews requested

The Chingford Skinhead

When I’m not in the saddle I do enjoy a good book. I’ve picked up a few cycling related ones recently and wandered what you lot read and if you’d like to give a few reviews. Those of us who are too tired to cycle due to Turkey 0verdose or like LiT are recovering from injury need to know!!!

My current collection includes:

Crap Cycle Lanes – Warrington Cycle Campaign / Eye Books. This is a small and would-be hugely amusing book if it weren’t true! It ought to be on the reading list / desk of every town planner, engineer and council leader. While there are lots of examples of very good cycle facilities across GB this book draws our attention to some of the very worse. It demonstrates that those spending money on cycling schemes or implementing plans have absolutely no idea what they are doing. A great book to buy – but you’ll find many more examples on the Warrington Cycle Campaign website

Heroes Villains and Velodromes by Richard Moore. My first real cycle-sport book. I enjoyed it immensely as it charts the rise of British cycling from nowhere to world leaders. It demonstrates the possibilities when you get a couple of people with a vision into positions of power and let them make a difference.

There’s lots in the book for Hoy fans – and he comes across as a fantastic person and anyone who calls him “part time” should look at his dedication to training and competing, truly awe inspiring – as the crew of Red Dwarf would say of Ace Rimmer – What a Guy.

The only disappointment for me was that the cover and blurb in the book hinted a lot at the 2008 Olympics (lots of reference to secret squirrel technology etc) yet in reality the book was originally published ahead of the Olympics and so the section appears as a postscript and is little more than a diary entry of dates and who won what. I’d have liked to have known what was different about the bikes, what technologies were used and how much of it was kidology. Still, an excellent book.

I’ve got a couple of Chris Sidwell books (from the library) on technique and training. Very readable.

I’ve also got a couple of AA or Nick Cotton (no, not Nasty Nick Cotton from Eastenders – But Maaar) route planners.

On my Must Get list is Cycle Craft by John Franklyn which everyone refers to as the bible.

So, what have you lot read that you would recommend, or warn us to steer clear of?

The Chingford Skinhead

Those of you who haven't come across the Warrington Cycle Campaign facility of the month before may find this link helpful...http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/

Wooliferkins

Breaking the Chain by Willy Voet.

The Chingford Skinhead

Wooliferkins wrote:

Breaking the Chain by Willy Voet.

Ah yes, drugs. Never far behind in any cycling story, sadly. The Heroes V&V book makes a lot of the determination of the British cycling team to show that you could both compete and win without the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Wooliferkins

I'm looking forward to Mark Beaumonts forthcoming book on his round the world jaunt. No date as yet though.

mikeitup

"The Flying Scotsman" by Graeme Obree is very good.

Didn't like the film much though.

Currently reading "Moods Of Future Joys" by Alistair Humphreys who cycled round the world. He started the same week as the 11th September 2001 incidents. and "The Full English" by Mike Carden who in the full throws of mid-life crisis decided to cycle 700+ miles across the UK.

Also enjoyed the book called "Cycling Back to Happyness" by Bernie Friend about his adventures along the North Sea cycle route.

iain_j

Not got the Crap Cycle Lanes book but I've seen the website. And I see plenty more crap ones every time I go for a ride.

I'm 2/3-way through Heroes Villains & Velodromes - it makes the Beijing success even more spectacular when you see where the team was 10 years ago, using "state of the art for the 1960's" bikes and no funding or support. Chapeau, Team GB

Then there's Long Ride For A Pie by Tim Mulliner - New Zealander living in London gets homesick (he misses the pies back home) so decides to cycle home, through Iran, Pakistan, the 2000-mile Taklamakan Desert in China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, the Australian Outback.... if this book doesn't make you want to travel, nothing will.

French Revolutions by Tim Moore ... 35 year old self-confessed loafer decides to have a go at riding the route of the 2000 Tour de France. Hilarious

The Death of Marco Pantani isn't light reading but it's compelling and tragic, and a real eye-opener when it comes to drug-taking and drug-testing.

The Flying Scotsman by Graeme Obree - again it's not light reading but it's incredibly moving. Wouldn't bother with the film though.

On a lighter note The Hour by Michael Hutchinson. The Hour Record - how far round a cycle track can someone ride in an hour? Sounds easy. Until you consider the UCI's arcane rules and regulations which (a) aren't exactly clear and (b) can be changed on a whim with no prior warning. Hutchinson is a very witty writer and he pulls no punches when it comes to speaking his mind.

OK that's it for now, happy reading :P

iain_j

mikeitup wrote:

Also enjoyed the book called "Cycling Back to Happyness" by Bernie Friend about his adventures along the North Sea cycle route.

I really want to read that one, I've seen it in the shop but at the moment I've got a stack of 5 other books waiting to be read (and probably more after Christmas)

greg66_tri_v2.0

Put Me Back On My Bike - which is about Tom Simpson and more widely about drugs in the sport. No one's mentioned the Armstrong books yet. I thought they were pretty good. And as a counterpoint, LA Confidential by David Walsh. Haven't read it and have no desire to. Hearing Walsh at the launch claim that the freedom of speech laws in the UK and US were so inadequate that he had had to publish in France told me as much as I cared to know. What he meant was that libel laws in France are far more forgiving of someone who wants to make claims that he can't prove (aka innuendo, rumour ...).

iain_j

Greg66 wrote:

No one's mentioned the Armstrong books yet.

I've read a few of those by him or about him. The first one was brilliant, but the rest, they kept my interest enough to finish reading it but beyond that I didn't think they were that good.

On the same vein as his first one, Riding Through The Storm by Geoff Thomas - his battle with leukaemia (sp?) and his subsequent return to fitness, riding the route of the Tour de France for his charity. I've not read it, but I've bought it for my dad for his birthday next month, and I want him to hurry up reading it so I can nick it back

NGale

Have read both of the Lance Armstrong books and I would say they are a must read regardless of what you think of him as a sportsman or person.

I would certinally recommend them.

biondino

French Revolutions by Tim Moore. A dude who, frankly, reminds me of us lot in terms of fitness etc, decides to ride the full TdF course on his own. It's funny and moving and a brilliantly easy read.

Jen J

City Cycling by Richard Ballantine. Probably too basic for people here, but I read it when I first got my bike, and it gave me a lot of confidence about riding in traffic etc.

Just bought John Franklin's Cyclecraft on Jash's recommendation, but haven't read it yet.

Have vaguely glanced at my copy of the Haynes Bike Book,

Haven't yet read Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, or The Cyclist's Training Manual, or Elite Performance Cycling. One day...

itboffin

The bible damn that Catholic brainwashing :x

NGale

have to admit I am not overly into cycling related readying (accept for some of the magazines), currently making my way through the entire series of James Bond books during my work shifts (need to do something between calls)

cjcp

Tour de Force by Daniel Coyle was a great read. Not easy to put down.

I was a fan of LA's first book. The second book was, well, a bit like what The Return of the Jedi is to the first three Star Wars films: a nice story, but a bit weak.

Have the same attitude as G66 to David Walsh's book.
[/b]

cjcp

The good lady bought me Bradley Wiggins's In Pursuit of Glory . Will let you know what it's like.

The Chingford Skinhead

cjcp wrote:

The good lady bought me Bradley Wiggins's In Pursuit of Glory . Will let you know what it's like.

Could be interesting. Clearly a great athlete but he comes across as a bit of a prat occassionally - his spot on sports personality of the year being a good example sadly.

Rich-Ti

I don't usually lurk in these parts, but I've just finished reading The Beautiful Machine by Grame Fife and you should know about it - it's a great read.

tardington

I've been reading the Book of Cycling's Greatest Misadventures
http://www.thebikebook.com/

It is great! Bits are funny, bits are sad and bits are just plain manky. The picture section made me afraid to get on my bike again. I recommend!

ETA read the free story on the website!

woodford2barbican

Has anyone mentioned The Rider by Tim Krabbe?

http://www.amazon.com/Rider-Tim-Krabbe/dp/1582342903

One of the best books of any genre I have ever read.

(I used the word genre!)

Specialized Needs

tardie wrote:

I've been reading the Book of Cycling's Greatest Misadventures
http://www.thebikebook.com/

It is great! Bits are funny, bits are sad and bits are just plain manky. The picture section made me afraid to get on my bike again. I recommend!

ETA read the free story on the website!

Excellent (and many thanks for doing that) - looks like I might get that one out of the library

Makes me wonder whether someone should compile a compendium of the best standalone posts in the SCR thread (triumphs and disasters) for publication - some of the posts are literature in their own right, IMNSHO.

Jeremy Parker

A classic is John Forester's "Effective Cycling". Massachusetts Institute of Technology press, 6th ed. 1993.

Every American cyclist ought to own a copy, and it's worthwhile reading for Brit's too.

It's as important for discussing traffic cycling as John Franklin's "Cyclecraft", but it's a general purpose cycling book, discussing racing, touring, maintenance etc., as well as riding in among other traffic

The author is famous for saying what he thinks. Back in the 1970s bike boom he got chucked off the State Bicycling Committee for calling one of the traffic engineer witnesses a liar.

The book has a section on the attitude of the British upper classes to cycling - important now, perhaps, with Boris Johnson and Dave Camaron. In that he calls Dulwich College a "third rate, but pretentious, English public school"

The traffic advice is all for a right driving country, of course, but it's not difficult to apply that to driving on the left.

Jeremy Parker

The Chingford Skinhead

Thanks for the recommendations folks. I shall be making good use of Amazon or Waterstones in the near future

I picked up Cyclecraft today before coming back home from Reading. I'm enjoying it so far and trying very hard to do as I'm told and read it thoroughly rather than jumping to new stuff assuming that I know what I'm doing on the "easier" bits

jonginge

Only just seen this thread but can second some of the recommendations above:
The Hour by Dr Hutch
The Beautiful Machine by Graeme Fife
It's not about the bike by LA

Regardless of how you feel about the man the LA book is inspiring. I lent it to my mum when she was going through her chemo.

I've been meaning to get The Rider for ages...just got some book tokens.... :idea:

symo

I also recommend the following.

It's not about the Bike by LA
V&V
Haynes Bike Manual.

Also just finished God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens. Which was very good.

innocenti

Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage is a good read from the perspective of a profesional in the 80's. I have also just completed Bad Blood by Jeremy Whittle about his falling in love with and gradual disenchantment with cycling. Of course you don't have to buy all these books if you have a library card.

The Chingford Skinhead

iain_j wrote:

...
French Revolutions by Tim Moore ... 35 year old self-confessed loafer decides to have a go at riding the route of the 2000 Tour de France. Hilarious

biondino wrote:

French Revolutions by Tim Moore. A dude who, frankly, reminds me of us lot in terms of fitness etc, decides to ride the full TdF course on his own. It's funny and moving and a brilliantly easy read.

On Friday I was given a copy of French Revolutions by the mate I'm planning to cycle from London to Paris with in June. Although I've got two other books on the go I decided to have a quick read on the train home (back on the bike Monday - honest guv) and I can't put it down. A fab read. Great humour, lots of "me too" moments and because it assumes a basic understanding of the French language it's educational as I'm having to read it alongside my daughter's old French-English dictionary :oops:

il_principe

The Chingford Skinhead wrote:

iain_j wrote:

...
French Revolutions by Tim Moore ... 35 year old self-confessed loafer decides to have a go at riding the route of the 2000 Tour de France. Hilarious

biondino wrote:

French Revolutions by Tim Moore. A dude who, frankly, reminds me of us lot in terms of fitness etc, decides to ride the full TdF course on his own. It's funny and moving and a brilliantly easy read.

On Friday I was given a copy of French Revolutions by the mate I'm planning to cycle from London to Paris with in June. Although I've got two other books on the go I decided to have a quick read on the train home (back on the bike Monday - honest guv) and I can't put it down. A fab read. Great humour, lots of "me too" moments and because it assumes a basic understanding of the French language it's educational as I'm having to read it alongside my daughter's old French-English dictionary :oops:

+2 Great read.

Working through Fife's at the moment, not really enjoying the narrative style though and it seems to lack cohesion. Still I'm off on holiday tues so will plough through it.

TheHatter

jashburnham wrote:

The Chingford Skinhead wrote:

iain_j wrote:

...
French Revolutions by Tim Moore ... 35 year old self-confessed loafer decides to have a go at riding the route of the 2000 Tour de France. Hilarious

biondino wrote:

French Revolutions by Tim Moore. A dude who, frankly, reminds me of us lot in terms of fitness etc, decides to ride the full TdF course on his own. It's funny and moving and a brilliantly easy read.

On Friday I was given a copy of French Revolutions by the mate I'm planning to cycle from London to Paris with in June. Although I've got two other books on the go I decided to have a quick read on the train home (back on the bike Monday - honest guv) and I can't put it down. A fab read. Great humour, lots of "me too" moments and because it assumes a basic understanding of the French language it's educational as I'm having to read it alongside my daughter's old French-English dictionary :oops:

+2 Great read.

Working through Fife's at the moment, not really enjoying the narrative style though and it seems to lack cohesion. Still I'm off on holiday tues so will plough through it.

+3 for French Revolutions - The reason for his failure on Ventoux is hilarious.

Would also recomend Rough Ride - whilst the book is famous for breaking the silence on drugs dont let that put you off if that is not your interest as its only about 5% . The rest is just a great account of being a domestique in the 80's.

londonlivvy

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton - absolutely gripping book about a bloke who struggles to juggle work, bike, g/f and life in general. I loved it and every time I lend it to someone I never get it back!!