Cycling Books

jockster_disley
jockster_disley Posts: 25
edited August 2012 in The cake stop
Just read 'The Rider' by Tim Krabbe. Absolutely excellent and is best enjoyed IMHO read in one go.

Any other must read cycling fiction/non-fiction that anyone can recommend.

Many thanks for any suggestions, Simon

Comments

  • RDW
    RDW Posts: 1,900
    Currently enjoying 'A Race for Madmen' - some of the early history of the Tour is stranger than fiction:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Madmen-His ... 0007433247

    'It's All About the Bike' was also an excellent read:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-All-About-B ... 0141043792

    '100 Greatest Cycling Climbs' and its sequel are worth checking out:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Greatest-Cy ... 0711231206
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-100-Gre ... 0711232652
  • Secteur
    Secteur Posts: 1,971
    Millions of threads on this.

    I recently read The Rider and found it profoundly boring. Which is the opposite of what everyone on here says...

    Anyway, my personal favourites - Slaying the Badger, Racing through the Dark, Bad Blood, Sky's The Limit.
  • crescent
    crescent Posts: 1,201
    RDW wrote:
    'It's All About the Bike' was also an excellent read:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-All-About-B ... 0141043792

    The above is an excellent read, inspired me to build my own bike. I didn't travel round the world to do it mind you, just bought it all online. That probably wouldn't make a great book though.

    "In search of Robert Millar" is by far the best cycling book I have read though. Read it about three times so far.

    Cheers
    Bianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"
  • tigerben
    tigerben Posts: 233
    Am currently enjoying David Millar's book - "Racing through the dark" - just got to the bit where his resolve is about to wobble...
  • jockster_disley
    jockster_disley Posts: 25
    Thanks for all the suggestions and keep them coming. I have ordered

    "Slaying the Badger: LeMond, Hinault and the Greatest Ever Tour de France"
    "Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike"
    "Racing Through the Dark: The Fall and Rise of David Millar"

    Cheers, Si
  • jrduquemin
    jrduquemin Posts: 791
    Just finished reading 'We were young and carefree' by Laurent Fignon. Another good book in my eyes, also read Cav's biography as well...
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  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    I've read a fair few but a different perspective on thr tour, Ned Boulting''s "How I won the yellow jumper".
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • Ginjafro
    Ginjafro Posts: 572
    Just finished "Eddy Merckx: The Cannibal" Excellent read, felt (as it should) very old school as if it was a cycling version of Steve McQueen's Grand Prix. Also just finished "Bradley Wiggins: In Pursuit of Glory". Another good read with a seemingly honest personal and frank insight into his own weakness post Athens when he went on a huge alcoholic bender for a few months...sobering! I intend to pick up a copy of "Reg Harris: The Rise & Fall of Britain's Greatest Cyclist" soon.
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  • natrix
    natrix Posts: 1,111
    Frank the tank wrote:
    I've read a fair few but a different perspective on thr tour, Ned Boulting''s "How I won the yellow jumper".

    I'm reading Neds book at the moment and can recomend it :D
    ~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~
  • mingmong
    mingmong Posts: 542
    Shout for Millar's book - Great insight into the doping world.

    Just started Ned's book - Quite a chuckle.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,094
    jrduquemin wrote:
    Just finished reading 'We were young and carefree' by Laurent Fignon. Another good book in my eyes, also read Cav's biography as well...

    I think this is the most enjoyable cycling book I've read. I read it straight after David Millar's excellent book and the two really go well together as their careers overlapped a little bit. Probably a good idea to read them the other way around to follow the story from Fignons era all the way to the present day.

    Fignons writing style is something else. Its a very enjoyable read.
  • PaulS77
    PaulS77 Posts: 48
    William Fotheringham's books on Fausto Coppi and Tom Simpson are both excellent.

    Has anyone read both Half Man Half Bike and The Cannibal, both on Eddie Merckx? If so which would you recommend? I'm erring towards Foptheringham's effort but both have good reviews.
  • tardyars
    tardyars Posts: 126
    "Wide eyed and legless" - by Jeff ConnorThe story of ANC Halfords participation in the 1987 TDF-well worth reading and comparing to the success of current british cycling teams in todays events- bloomin staggering- how on earth did Tony Capper get way with that?!! (hmm, not that well really!)
  • evil_breakfast
    evil_breakfast Posts: 473
    tardyars wrote:
    "Wide eyed and legless" - by Jeff ConnorThe story of ANC Halfords participation in the 1987 TDF-well worth reading and comparing to the success of current british cycling teams in todays events- bloomin staggering- how on earth did Tony Capper get way with that?!! (hmm, not that well really!)

    Recently finished Field of Fire, which is basically the same tome, but with added "what are they doing now" segment(s)
    Although it's inclusion to provide context of cycling being viewed as a minority sport (at the time), the opening section where Connor gives an historical overview of sport tabloid 'journalism' could have been edited down a bit.
    You're the light wiping out my batteries; You're the cream in my airport coffee's.

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