Cycling Books

madden2011

I'm sure this has been done to death but I need some new cycling books for going on holiday and after some recommendations (preferably iPad compatible). Heres a list that I've read to make things a bit easier

Charley - Domestique
David Millar's Book
Cavendish - Boy Racer
Wiggo's book
Nicholas Roche's book
A couple on Lance
Team Sky book
The Secret Race
Ned Boulting - How I wore the Yellow Jumper

Anyone got any others I could purchase before my holidays?

Thanks

sloppyschleckonds

I'd only bother with Neds from that list
A dog in a hat
The Rider

Rogmondiev6

I've just brought the full cycle by vin denson for my holiday he's a family friend n was a great cyclist in the 60s. It's a great read.

crescent

Ned Boulting's book is a good read - my holiday book of choice this year. David Millar's is also good.
As for the rest, I've only flicked through a few of them but none of them made me want to read much further than that. Pharmstrong's books are OK - if you like fiction.

Currently reading Paul Kimmage's "Rough Ride" which is OK as well.

meursault

Schobiedoo

Laurent Fignon - We were young and carefree. I'm half way through and it's interesting.

Guanajuato

Currently reading Ned Boulting's other book 'On the Road Bike' and the Cycling Anthology Volume 2. Volume 1 was also a good read.

daviesee

I would have recommended most supplied already but one missing so far is The Search For Robert Millar which I found to be entertaining.

secretsam

Nothing by Lance "the lance" Myarm'sstrongthankstolotsofdrugs, 'cos he's a mahoosive drug-taking lying cheat who will rot in hell and isn't fit to tighten Mercx's toestraps

"It's all about the bike" by that Penn fella

The Fignon and Millar books are excellent

The one by that Irish fella who was a pro but became a journo

Sean Kelly's biog by Eamonn Irish-chappy

Oh - and off topic, "Tor!", the History of German football, is utterly excellent and (surprisingly) very funny in places

secretsam

Oh - and delving back into my memory banks - "Cycling the Himalayas" (I think) by Bettina Selby (I think) - a remarkable story of a woman cycling alone across, er, the Himalayas on her own back in the 80s - I read this as a teenager and remember thinking that she was one very brave lady!

DavidBelcher

Rogmondiev6 wrote:

I've just brought the full cycle by vin denson for my holiday he's a family friend n was a great cyclist in the 60s. It's a great read.

Borrowed it from my local library a while back - Vin's reputation as a real character with a wealth of reminscences about the racing scene back then translates very well to the printed page. +1 for the recommendation. Oh, and I never realised before reading The Full Cycle that he was a member of my old club (Clifton) during the time he lived in York!

Of the other books already mentioned, I'll back up the recommendations for those by Ned Boulting, Tyler Hamilton and David Millar. On the nostalgia front, Bikie by Charlie Woods is excellent, whilst from the world of travel writing Tim Moore's French Revolutions is hilarious. Michael Hutchinson's The Hour, about his doomed track record attempt, also comes with a large dose of bone-dry humour, in the same vein as Hutch's CW column.

David

richard_farrant

I enjoyed Merckx: Half man, Half bike

mrfpb

I've only read "Bicycle Diaries" by David Byrne and "The Bicycle Book" by Bella Bathurst. Byrnes book is more travel writing and only 20% about cycling. Bathurst's book is topical chapters on different aspects of cycling eg one on the TdF, one on "The serious men and the feral cyclists" (Roadies v. Commuters). It's a good holiday book, you can dip and read whichever chapter takes your fancy at the time.

mudsucker

One man and his bike - Mike Carter. Very good read.

mrfpb

SecretSam wrote:

Nothing by Lance "the lance" Myarm'sstrongthankstolotsofdrugs, 'cos he's a mahoosive drug-taking lying cheat who will rot in hell and isn't fit to tighten Mercx's toestraps

A librarian got into trouble earlier this year for putting up a notice in the Biography section to say that Lance's books had been moved to the Fiction section.

richard_farrant

mrfpb wrote:

I've only read "Bicycle Diaries" by David Byrne and "The Bicycle Book" by Bella Bathurst. Byrnes book is more travel writing and only 20% about cycling. Bathurst's book is topical chapters on different aspects of cycling eg one on the TdF, one on "The serious men and the feral cyclists" (Roadies v. Commuters). It's a good holiday book, you can dip and read whichever chapter takes your fancy at the time.

I enjoyed Bathursts book too

random man

mudsucker wrote:

One man and his bike - Mike Carter. Very good read.

This and Tyler Hamilton's book are my favourite cycling books for very different reasons.

Around The World By Bike Parts 1 & 2 by Alastair Humphreys are excellent reads if you enjoy travelogues and feats of endurance.

crispybug2

This one has long been a favourite of mine..

Frank the tank

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

I'd only bother with Neds from that list
A dog in a hat
The Rider

The secret race is "must read" material out of that list and I've read most of them.

Seven deadly sins by David Walsh is compelling stuff also.

The hour by Michael Hutchinson is a good read and raises a smile.

mmacavity

Allan Peiper : A Peiper's Tale

Freddy Maertens : Fall From Grace

http://www.podiumcafe.com/2010/8/4/1604 ... lan-peiper

http://www.podiumcafe.com/2010/8/25/164 ... y-maertens

seanoconn

Another for 'In search of Robert Millar'

BelgianBeerGeek

The Fausto Coppi book is good.

Try also "Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape", the Jacques Anquetil book. Now there was a bloke who led an interesting life.

mmacavity

Bradley Wiggins : My Time

keef66

mmacavity wrote:

Bradley Wiggins : My Time

I know Brad's just won the ToB and hats off to him for that, but I have to say I'm finding this a bit tedious. It was OK for passing the 3 hours waiting in A&E waiting for an X-ray on a finger I knew was only bent, not broken, but I'm having trouble finishing it.

Found Fotheringham's books on Merckx and Coppi much better written and engaging

t4tomo

Both "Millar" books are very good as is life and death of Pantani

Tyler Hamiltons secret race and Walsh's seven deadly sins are great if you want some deatils behind the extent of Armstrongs lyingand cheating.

Cav and Brads autobios are interesting ish but not great.

just about to start on Fotheringhams Merckx book

mmacavity

http://cycling-books.com/

http://cycling-books.com/Half_Man_Half_ ... ingham.htm

PostieJohn

I must be the only person who doesn't rate French Revolutions, for me it tries sooooo hard, and fails.
Esp when compared with The Hour, which I thought was a brilliant and funny read.

As a rule I loves my cycling books, I do.

Domestique - Excellent read
Merckx, Billy Fothers - No stone unturned.
Dave Millar - first chapter into Barca was thrilling.
In search of Robert Millar - loved it.
Sex Lies and Handlebar tape - insightful.
I like Ned's stuff.

To name but a few.

I still can't believe I haven't read the ANC book.

Loretta Damage

Both of Ned Boulting's books are very good, made me laugh out loud more than a few times. I'm reading "The Rules" at the moment, finding it quite hard going which is surprising as I enjoy the author's column in Cyclist and the website amused me. Read David Millar's offering in a day, couldn't put it down. Both Cycling Anthologies are a good read.

kaacp

'Slaying the Badger' by Richard Moore is the best I've read recently and I'd highly recommend it. It is a great treatment of the Le Mond-Hinault rivalry.

I was disappointed by Fignon's book, I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.

random man

Kaacp wrote:

'Slaying the Badger' by Richard Moore is the best I've read recently and I'd highly recommend it. It is a great treatment of the Le Mond-Hinault rivalry.

I was disappointed by Fignon's book, I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.

I agree with both statements - I thought Fignon portrayed himself as quite unlikeable. I felt that the problem with the book was that it was an autobiography, if Bill Fotheringham had written it I reckon Fignon would have come out of it better.

jc4lab

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Bike-Ride ... ck+sanders
Well worth a penny.The illustrated version is better