Cycling books that are worth a read recomendations

Crankmeister
Crankmeister Posts: 274
edited January 2010 in The bottom bracket
so far ive read.

Lance Armstrong....... Its about the bike........ not a bad

jeremy whittle...........Bad Blood..........its an ace read

add to the list
«1

Comments

  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France
    I like bikes...

    Twitter
    Flickr
  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    Michael Hutchinson - The hour
  • all show no go
    all show no go Posts: 542
    Team On The Run (The Inside Story Of The Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team) - John Deering

    Dog In A Hat - Joe Parkin

    Bikie - Charlie Woods

    Rough Ride - Paul Kimmage

    Zinn & The Art Of Road Bike Maintenance (2009 Edition) - Lennard Zinn
    Let's close our eyes and see what happens
  • markyboy2005
    markyboy2005 Posts: 465
    Pantani - (not sure thats the title) but a great read and an interesting tale.
  • notanotherhill
    notanotherhill Posts: 137
    In Search of Robert Millar, super read, Tomorrow we ride, about the Bobet brothers
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    The death of Marco Pantani- Matt Rendell

    The Rider- Tim Krabbe

    In Search of Robert Millar- Richard Moore

    French Revolutions- Tim Moore
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    +1 for Tomorrow We Ride... I loved that book too! Beautiful.

    And if you're of a more academic bent The Sweat of the Gods by Benjo Masso is a study of how the development of media technology has affected the workings of the professional sport, but very readable with it.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Slapshot
    Slapshot Posts: 211
    Two ways to do it, read all the fanboy stuff, Armstrong's books, anything by John Wilcockson, you can get them for 99p in most Charity Shops these days then read, Rough Ride - Kimmage, bad Blood - Whittle, LA Confidential - Walsh/Ballestre, The death of Marco Pantani- Rendall, Lance to Landis - Walsh.....and make your own mind up!!

    Then read some of the REALLY good stuff In Search Of Robert Miller - Richard Moore, (best of the lot really), Fallen Angel, the Passion of Fausto Coppi - Fotheringham, Sex lies and handlebar Tape - Paul Howard, Put me Back On My Bike - Fotheringham.

    There are some superb books out there if you avoid anything that has Armstrong on the cover.
    http://justcycling.myfastforum.org
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    Has anyone read Hinaults book as I was wondering if its worth tracking down. Last time I looked on amazon there were some 2nd hand copies for around £30!
  • forward_loop
    forward_loop Posts: 314
    Matt Seaton: life by the saddle

    This was a great read last year and touches on cycling in a way that we can all relate to -as well as a lot of other turmoils in life that could face many.

    I also found Mark Cavendishs' bio pretty compelling and an "easy read"
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Just started reading 'tomorrow we ride' by jean Bobet and am loving it.
    French revolutions was one of the first cycling books I ever read, it's very very funny. At least to me.

    I was reading Olympic Gangster, but gave up about 2/3 through as it was too boring.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Tour de Force, Daniel Coyle.
    Excellent book, in Lance's camp but not exclusively about Lance, really well written and a bit satirical. Very good.

    Push yourself just a little bit more, Johnny Green.
    Johnny Green was The Clash's manager, but is also a massive cycling fan and followed the 2004 tour with his son and a mate under the guise of being press. Reads a bit like beat poetry, very enigmatic and honest. Takes a bit of getting into but injects cycling with rock.
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    +1 to pretty much all above.

    Heroes Villains & Velodromes, and Wiggo's autobiog, are also good reads.
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    As always, The Rider - Tim Krabbe
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • jc4lab
    jc4lab Posts: 554
    The Great bike ride- Around the world in 80 days by Nick Sanders..if you can find a copy.on Amazon/Ebay..
    jc
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    I also recommend Long Ride For A Pie, by Tim Mulliner.
  • bam49
    bam49 Posts: 159
    One More Kilometre And Were In The Showers - by Tim Hilton, a cracking read about history of cycling ( professional & amateur), in Europe & UK... I really enjoyed this book.

    In Search of Robert Millar - very good read with some great pictures as well..
    French Revolutions - v funny in parts..
    I thought the Death of Marco Pantani book was one of the worst things I have read - gave up 2/3rds way through it...
  • Damien_KW
    Damien_KW Posts: 47
    One of my favourite books recently is 'Need for the Bike' by Paul Fournel. You can hear him reading extracts at the end of some of the recent Bike Show podcasts: thebikeshow.net (They also did a cycling books round-up recently, so worth downloading that episode too)

    Someone mentioned Matt Seaton, and apparently his first book is the best, 'The Escape Artist'.

    Both these books are great perspectives on being an 'ordinary cyclist', and how a love of cycling can shape your life.

    Also another thumbs up for 'The Rider' by Tim Krabbé. Fantastic read.
    IN THE SADDLE
    "Locals are watching from pavement cafés. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me." Tim Krabbé, The Rider
  • oscarbudgie
    oscarbudgie Posts: 850
    Still to get round to The Rider (I know I really must), but +1 for Rough Ride / French Revolutions / Fallen Angel / Pantani / Put me Back / Bad Blood etc. Got a bit bored by Heroes Villains and Velodromes (guess I'm just not a trackie). I've yet to read a good biog of Merckx - the one I've got is that big one by Rik Vanwalleghem (?) - really nice pics but just too sycophantic. As are most of the LA ones. Anyone read the Mark Cavendish one?
    Cannondale Supersix / CAAD9 / Boardman 9.0 / Benotto 3000
  • Crankmeister
    Crankmeister Posts: 274
    i bought the pantini book today i shall let you know if its up to much?
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    Bought Heroes,Villans& Velodromes,purely as it was on offer at a cheap bookshop,tied in with buying a road atlas,which is what i actually went in for!
    I'm not a trackie,so wasn't expecting much,but found it a VERY good,informative read.
    Among the slightly unusual reads is the one mentioned before,by Johnny Green 'push yourself just a little bit more' which I enjoyed
    I've got,& enjoyed most of the publications,from 'wide eyed & Legless' ( the story of the ANC team doing the TDF in the latish 80s) through to Wiggo's autobiography (which is so good I suspect it was ghost written).
    The only one I couldn't get/enjoy,was the one about Pantani.
    so many cols,so little time!
  • oscarbudgie
    oscarbudgie Posts: 850
    nick hanson wrote:
    Bought Heroes,Villans& Velodromes,purely as it was on offer at a cheap bookshop,tied in with buying a road atlas,which is what i actually went in for!
    I'm not a trackie,so wasn't expecting much,but found it a VERY good,informative read.
    Among the slightly unusual reads is the one mentioned before,by Johnny Green 'push yourself just a little bit more' which I enjoyed
    I've got,& enjoyed most of the publications,from 'wide eyed & Legless' ( the story of the ANC team doing the TDF in the latish 80s) through to Wiggo's autobiography (which is so good I suspect it was ghost written).
    The only one I couldn't get/enjoy,was the one about Pantani.

    I enjoyed Wide Eyed & Legless too - quite comical in parts and a bit of an insight into some of the 80s figures still around today like Malcolm Elliott and Shane Sutton.
    Cannondale Supersix / CAAD9 / Boardman 9.0 / Benotto 3000
  • SYLVIANRUNNING
    SYLVIANRUNNING Posts: 52
    Flying Scotsman - Graeme Obree. A man who had a real tough time on and off his bike.
  • sampras38
    sampras38 Posts: 1,917
    redddraggon wrote:
    From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France

    This ^, although in some ways I wish I hadn't read it.

    Good read.
  • da goose
    da goose Posts: 284
    The escape artist Matt Seaton at least its not about doping which makes a pleasing change plus mine is up for grabs on e bay....
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 3D1&_rdc=1
  • Ash_
    Ash_ Posts: 385
    'A Dog in a Hat' by Joe Parkin is a must read, I'd say.

    Why? Because it tells a story that you won't find in other books, about a guy with talent and ambition that tried to become a pro rider the hard way. That Parkin never won a race in his pro career actually makes it a better book; it goes to show what a tough sport cycling is. Here was a guy who was a team mate of Lemond, riding for a decent European team and living out of his suitcase in a rented room above a cafe.

    There's plenty of books about cycling stars, there's plenty of books about drugs, this book gives a different, and I think better, perspective on the life of a pro cyclist.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    da goose wrote:
    The escape artist Matt Seaton at least its not about doping which makes a pleasing change plus mine is up for grabs on e bay....
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 3D1&_rdc=1

    I read tha twhole book in a day (a very dull day spent in Hull) and I just couldn't get on with it from "Communism, that was a lark wasn't it?" to "and then I just packed in cycling" I just found Seaton eminantly dislikeable. Must have had something though, cos I stuck with it to the bitter end.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • ballspondroad
    ballspondroad Posts: 181
    I'm reading 'Roule Britannia' by William Fotheringham, the story of the British at the TdF - puts Sky into an historical perspective. Dipped into the Cavendish autobiography and it's a fast paced, interesting read and very well ghosted.
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    APIII wrote:
    I was reading Olympic Gangster, but gave up about 2/3 through as it was too boring.


    I was just about to order that one, may wait until I can pick it up second hand now.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Term1te wrote:
    APIII wrote:
    I was reading Olympic Gangster, but gave up about 2/3 through as it was too boring.


    I was just about to order that one, may wait until I can pick it up second hand now.

    Someone else may enjoy it, but his cycling career was covered in the first 1/4 of the book, the rest was about his subsequent life as a columbian emerald dealer and other shenanigans, none of which I found particularly entertaining.

Categories