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Cycling books

LichtblickLichtblick Posts: 1,434
edited July 2018 in Pro race
I have these books, and have read all of them more than once:

NOT in order:

Rough Ride - Paul Kimmage
Racing through the dark - David Millar
Tour de Force - Daniel Coyle
French Revolutions - Tim Moore
Discovery Road - Andy Brown
The Rider - Tim Krabbé
Bad Blood - Jeremy Whittle
How I won the yellow jumper - Ned Boulting
Riding High - Paul Howard
Round Ireland in low gear - Eric Newby
The Official TdF Centennial 1903 - 2003

Can anyone recommend any other good Procycling books? Please don't bother with the LA autobiography though.

Thanks.
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Posts

  • VesterbergVesterberg Posts: 330
    How to Lighten Up - P.o.Face
    The Pious persons guide to Tourettes by Mr Sweary-pants.
  • graeme_s-2graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    The Hour - Michael Hutchinson
  • Stone GliderStone Glider Posts: 1,227
    We Were Young and Carefree - Laurent Fignon

    A Dog in a Hat - Joe Parkin

    If you are tolerant of 'British' humour, (not that posted above :oops: )

    The Hour - Michael Hutchinson
    The older I get the faster I was
  • Frank the tankFrank the tank Posts: 6,553
    Graeme_S wrote:
    The Hour - Michael Hutchinson

    +1 for this
    also, Fallen Angel (Fausto Coppi) Put me back on my bike (Tom Simpson) both penned by Will Fotheringham.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,592
    I enjoyed the Eddie Merckx book by Daniel Friebe,

    The Death of Marco Pantani by Matt Rendell is also good, but - obviously- it's not the brightest story.

    I have Slaying the Badger on the kindle but I ve not read it yet.

    Cav and Wiggo's books are also a good read. Give you a good insight into their characters
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • thomthomthomthom Posts: 3,574
    Vesterberg wrote:
    How to Lighten Up - P.o.Face
    The Pious persons guide to Tourettes by Mr Sweary-pants.

    Haha!
  • Gazzetta67Gazzetta67 Posts: 1,890
    In Search of Robert Millar

    The Flying Scotsman

    Wide Eyed and Legless
  • dangerousdave.dangerousdave. Posts: 57
    how i won the yellow jumper by Ned Boulting was a light hearted read which i enjoyed.

    Stage of light and dark - bjarne riis would probably give 7 out of 10, good on the whole with a couple of tedious bits
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,232
    Quite lilked Fotheringham's biog of Merckx. About to read Road to Valour - a biog of Bartali, who aided the Italian resistance in WW2.
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

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  • Ron StuartRon Stuart Posts: 1,242
    http://www.cycling-books.com/In_Pursuit ... Hewson.htm
  • Courage MonsieurCourage Monsieur Posts: 534
    Matt Seaton's book, while not pro race, is a good read.

    Slaying the Badger is good, according to me mate.

    I recently finished Millar's book. One of the better cycling books, I thought.
  • foreheadforehead Posts: 180
    French Revolutions - Tim Moore. Well worth a read, a good light hearted tome.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Revoluti ... 535&sr=8-1
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  • aztecboyaztecboy Posts: 384
    "Racing Through The Dark" by David Millar
    One of the best I have ever read, including all of the above
    aztecboy
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,592
    If you have a kindlywindly, How Cav won the Green Jumper is also a nice add on to "yellow jumper"

    I'm tempted to put 50 Shadeds of Grey on it to find out what all the fuss is about. No one will know what I'm reading after all!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,642 Lives Here
    ddraver wrote:
    If you have a kindlywindly, How Cav won the Green Jumper is also a nice add on to "yellow jumper"

    I'm tempted to put 50 Shadeds of Grey on it to find out what all the fuss is about. No one will know what I'm reading after all!

    Badly written, unrealistic, porn.
    _
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,592
    Is there any other type of porn? ;)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Ron StuartRon Stuart Posts: 1,242
    aztecboy wrote:
    "Racing Through The Dark" by David Millar
    One of the best I have ever read, including all of the above

    +1

    but do try Tony Hewson's 'In pursuit of Stardom' especially as Wiggo has just won the Tour. No Sky bus then just a converted ambulance for the three to share!!
  • oneof1982oneof1982 Posts: 703
    Books not on your original list but really worth it in my view:

    We Were Young and Carefreee, Lauren Fignon. ("Ah, I remember you: you're the guy who lost the Tour De France by eight seconds!" "No Monsieur, I'm the guy who won it twice" Cut above the usual autobiography)
    A Race for Madmen,The extraordinary history of the TdF. Chris Sidwells. (Worth reading with the 1903 2003 Official History at hand to cross reference.)
    Le Tour, A history of the TdF, Geoffrey Wheatcroft. Establishment English journalist's take on the whole thing.
  • dsoutardsoutar Posts: 1,746
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    If you have a kindlywindly, How Cav won the Green Jumper is also a nice add on to "yellow jumper"

    I'm tempted to put 50 Shadeds of Grey on it to find out what all the fuss is about. No one will know what I'm reading after all!

    Badly written, unrealistic, porn.

    I saw a woman's review of it and the conclusion of it was "It's not worth a censored "
  • TommyB61TommyB61 Posts: 103
    The Full Cycle - Vin Denson

    Well worth a read.
  • MrTMrT Posts: 260
    Yes to Fignon, Fotheringham on Merckx, Slaying the Badger and Pedelare Pedelare a really good insight into Italian cycling pre and post war.
  • neil_sheehan2000neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
    My two favourite cycling books are 'The Rider' by Tim Krabbe, and 'Bicycle Design' by Mike Burrows.

    Neither are exactly pro-race, but 'The Rider' is the only novel I'm aware of about road cycling, and features plenty of cameos from pro riders of the past; and 'Bicycle Design' is just fascinating- written by the man who was essentially (but not actually) responsible for the Lotus bike, amongst other things.
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  • ms_treems_tree Posts: 1,405
    I liked 'Tomorrow we ride' by Jean Bobet. He also wrote one on Octave Lapize but I found that tough going but that could have been the translator's fault. The one Fotheringham wrote 'Roule Britannia' is interesting. Don't bother with Rendell's book on the history of Salsa, tho'. For something that is about dancing therefore to me light-hearted is SOOOOO dry and boring.
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • DeadCalmDeadCalm Posts: 4,028
    MrT wrote:
    Yes to Fignon, Fotheringham on Merckx, Slaying the Badger and Pedelare Pedelare a really good insight into Italian cycling pre and post war.

    Slaying the Badger is apparently being made into a documentary.

    http://willpughdop.tumblr.com/post/47070846146/slaying-the-badger-an-espn-feature-documentary
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  • mike6mike6 Posts: 1,199
    Merckx: Half Man Half Bike, by William Fotheringham. Finished it yesterday. What an insight into the record, the mind, and the racing method of the greatest cyclist of all time.
    I have learned quite a lot about Merckx since I got into cycling, but the way he raced and the sheer volume of races he rode, and won, is amazing when described in detail.
    A racing animal.
  • confused@BR[email protected] Posts: 295
    Read 'The Rider' by Tom Krabbe on the flight to Australia, it's a long flight and a good read. Read Jean Bobet's book about his brother, 'Tomorrow We Ride' in Australia, a good distraction from squabbling grandchildren. An insight into a world very different from even the days of Merckx or Robert Millar.

    Both books are highly recommended but 'The Rider' is quite a slim volume, very skilfully written.
    'fool'
  • iainf72iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    [email protected] wrote:
    Read 'The Rider' by Tom Krabbe on the flight to Australia, it's a long flight and a good read.

    Funnily, I also first read the Rider on a flight. From London to Edinburgh. I read quite quickly.

    There are some other fictional cycling stories : The Yellow Jersey and its follow up by Hurne, and The Race by Shields. Neither are spectacular
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • ms_treems_tree Posts: 1,405
    I discovered The Yellow Jersey by chance a couple of years ago. It's quite old '70s or 80s I seem to remember. I also got out the sequel but gave it up after a bit. I was more intrigued that the writer originally came from the same town as me.
    Also recently tried Wiggins my life plus 7 deadly sins of LA. Probably not in the mood for either as started both then 'flicked' through to the end and took them back to library! Still I got them some issues so they won't be chucked out ...yet!
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • Paul 8vPaul 8v Posts: 5,458
    The Tyler Hamilton book is a good read, need something a bit less focussed on doping after that and Millar's books in a row though!
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  • AbdoujaparovAbdoujaparov Posts: 642
    mike6 wrote:
    Merckx: Half Man Half Bike, by William Fotheringham. Finished it yesterday. What an insight into the record, the mind, and the racing method of the greatest cyclist of all time.
    I have learned quite a lot about Merckx since I got into cycling, but the way he raced and the sheer volume of races he rode, and won, is amazing when described in detail.
    A racing animal.

    Halfway through this atm. He was pretty good.
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