Best books on cycling?

KnightOfTheLongTights

So I'm looking forward to reading the Millar book that's just come out to good reviews, and Slaying the Badger. Pedalare! Pedalare! also on the list.

It got me to thinking there might be classic cycling books out there that I've missed...

Your definitive books on the sport please, whether biogs, autobiogs, history, whatever ...

dg74

The Death of Marco Pantani is good so far.

"Bad Blood" by Jeremy Whittle
"We were young and carefree" by Laurent Fignon

There are many more

Comfort_Break

+1 for both Bad Blood & the Pantani book.

I'd add:

Fallen Angel (re Fausto Coppi) - William Fotheringham

The Escape Artist - Matt Seaton

shinyhelmut

In Search of Robert Millar - Richard Moore

+ all the above

josame

Wide Eyed and Legless is excellent

about a 1987 brit tour team

shinyhelmut

A Significant Other - Matt Rendell

ms_tree

There have been other threads on this BTW.
I've just finished Brian Robinson: Pioneer which was strange but quite interesting. An insight into times past. BriSmithy mentioned that there is one coming out on Shay Elliott so as he was mentioned in this a lot being a team-mate of Robinson I think I will put a reserve in for that.
I've also enjoyed
Tomorrow we ride by Jean Bobet
Sex, lies and handlebar tape
and have on the pile one on Indurain
(all borrowed from the library, of course).

BikingBernie

In Pursuit of Stardom: Les Nomades du Velo Anglais

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pursuit-Stardom ... 979&sr=8-1

Richrd2205

This is a sort-of annual thread which I really like since it helps me catch up on stuff that I might have missed!
My additions:
-One more kilometre and we're in the showers- Tim Hilton
A simply amazing ramble through cycling history that really shouldn't work, but does, incredibly well. I've just re-read it & it's as good as it was.
-The sweat of the gods- Benjo Masso
A sort of sociological history of bike racing, which is a bit dated now, but the older history in there is really good.

The other stuff I really like is mentioned above.
& thanks for the link, Bernie, that looks really good. (& you should read the Tim Hilton book, it'll appeal to you, I think).

Mark Bom

I found the Pantani book interesting at first, but thought there was too much about the drugs.

Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage I thought was a great read about the life of a domestique on the pro tour. Also covers the issue of doping.

KnightOfTheLongTights

thanks all, a few there I've read, a few not.

'When we were young and carefree' is such a great title for a book, so bittersweet. Plus Fignon has always been a source of fascination to me.

What do people think of Graeme Fife's history of the Tour? It seems to get mixed reviews on Amazon ...

josame

What do people think of Graeme Fife's history of the Tour? It seems to get mixed reviews on Amazon ...[/quote]

It is good...also gives a perspective of fife climbing some of the big cols and he has good inside knowledge of some riders

afx237vi

"A Dog in a Hat" by Joe Parkin is a good, fun read.

Bronzie

Usually gets a mention in these threads for good reason, and an essential piece of cycling fiction.,....."The Rider" by Tim Krabbe

rick_chasey

Blazing Saddles: The Cruel and Unusual History of the Tour
by Matt Rendell

Not my #1 but very enjoyable.

paulcuthbert

It's Not About The Bike - Lance Armstrong
Against The Wind - Yasuyuki Ozeki
The Flying Scotsman - Graeme Obree

greasedscotsman

josame wrote:

Wide Eyed and Legless is excellent

about a 1987 brit tour team

Didn't realise this was out again, I can remember getting it from the library years ago. Love the cover, how I feel after alot of my bike rides at the moment. Looks like a trip to Amazon this lunchtime!

shinyhelmut

paulcuthbert wrote:

The Flying Scotsman - Graeme Obree

Definitely. And then download and listen to the VC Don Logan podcast interview with the man himself;

http://vcdl.libsyn.com/episode-9-obree

KnightOfTheLongTights

thanks for all these fellers - as many I haven't read as have

Maybe I should have made it 'favourite 3 cycling books' - would have been interesting to see which ones came up most in people's choices ...

Probably if I search back in this forum that vey thing will be there as someone has mentioned.

dave milne

josame wrote:

What do people think of Graeme Fife's history of the Tour? It seems to get mixed reviews on Amazon ...

It is good...also gives a perspective of fife climbing some of the big cols and he has good inside knowledge of some riders[/quote]

It is full of really good historical content but then descends into a year by year review of each of the recent tours where he seems to say that everyone is pretty shit.

It is worth buying but you might find yourself getting a bit irritatated with the author's attitude

Monty Dog

French Revolutions by Tim Moore if you want a light-hearted laugh

KnightOfTheLongTights

for those who didn't read the guardian on saturday, a double review of the Millar book and Slaying the Badger:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/ju ... lar-review

Monty Zoncolan

Rick Chasey wrote:

Blazing Saddles: The Cruel and Unusual History of the Tour
by Matt Rendell

Not my #1 but very enjoyable.

This is a great 'bedside book' - I often dip into it for 10 mins or so before going to sleep.

DeadCalm

Finished the David Millar book last night. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just started Slaying the Badger and it seems pretty good so far.

rick_chasey

Monty Zoncolan wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Blazing Saddles: The Cruel and Unusual History of the Tour
by Matt Rendell

Not my #1 but very enjoyable.

This is a great 'bedside book' - I often dip into it for 10 mins or so before going to sleep.

Exactly.

cajun_cyclist

DeadCalm wrote:

Finished the David Millar book last night. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just started Slaying the Badger and it seems pretty good so far.

Annual? These are more like Tri-Annual threads, nothing wrong with that.

Purposefully, I want to read some of the more obscure books out there. Most mentioned are mainstream but this 2nd book mentioned here, I haven't heard about, it sounds interesting.

I also have the Samuel Abt book "Racing in the era of Indurain", I mention this because someone said they had a book on him but did not mention the title, the book is okay but not fantastic.

Some of the histories of the Tour though really capture the excitement of the Tour which is like nothing. Even if the riders disappoint, it's just a spectacle that one gets into.

racingcondor

afx237vi wrote:

"A Dog in a Hat" by Joe Parkin is a good, fun read.

+1 Not sure that fun is quite the word I'd use but I found it hard to put down. Well written and honest about how crazy the sport can (used to) be.

cajun_cyclist

I see browsing amazon, Joe Parkin it looks like has a new book "Come and Gone". Just a note, He's the one who authored "Dog in the hat", that book which is kind of exciting over cycling in Belgium in the professional ranks.

"Come and Gone" looks brand new: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joe-Parkin/e/B0 ... 1874739412 Parkin did become editor of a magazine "Paved", I bought the first issue, I'd rate it better than average but not great but I have not seen any 2nd issues.

"Full cycle" by Van Denson I've wanted to read for awhile, like I said, there are too many obscure books to always go popular. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Full-Cycle-Vinc ... pd_sim_b_4 <---- Still this is only around 160 pages, that is why a full Tour history is usually a good book to read, whomever the author is is because there are a lot of pages, I've said it before, I like a book at least to be over 200 pages or you can finish it just like that, probably a real good story still.

Les Nomades du Velo Anglais as BB mentioned, I've got to move that to the top of my list but so often, it depends on what is available, what is in the library, etc. But that sounds good.

rick_chasey

For the Dutchies, Wilfred de Jong, De man en zijn fiets was a book i really enjoyed.

It's standard Dutch: a collection of miscellaneous stories to do with road cycling in one form or other with a 'deep' front cover.




Edit: He only really writes the first story and I believe he edits the rest (with a proper editor presumably).

His story about his experience of climbing the Ventoux on his (*insert old age*) birthday is one of the best descriptions of climbing mountains - pretty much the only piece of text that actually made me feel those same sensations I had when I was climbing mountains.


Edit Edit: I also have met him > had a chat with him at the Tour in Rotterdam. He's a big sports presenter on Dutch TV (Holland Sport I believe) and loves cycling.

tim000

Monty Dog wrote:

French Revolutions by Tim Moore if you want a light-hearted laugh

+1 . read it 3or 4 times. usually just before the tour to get in the mood.

cajun_cyclist

The last thread like this, only about 4 months ago, listed French Revolutions too of which I've read, Definitely read it all in a few days and some of it still stays with me.