Best Cycling Books of ALL TIME

nweststeyn

Another vote for The Rider by Tim Krabbe. Just fantastic.

john_wr

My World on Wheels: The Posthumous Autobiography of Russell Mockridge

I started cycling seriously in 1962 and remember picking this book in the local library at that time. A truly inspirational book to a 16 year old, but sadly only available now as a very expensive used copy.

Plus a vote for The Rider

John.

Ben6899

Another vote here for "Wide Eyed and Legless" by Jeff Connor.

I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but once "Riis" warmed up, it was quite interesting. I think he night be a narcissist...

dabber

I really enjoyed Hunger by Sean Kelly... he doesn't talk much about the drugs situation which, perhaps, is a bit of a cop out but other than that he came across as he does on TV... very down to earth, no pretentions and tough as nails.

mrb123

We were young and carefree - Laurent Fignon
The Secret Race - Tyler Hamilton
Hunger - Sean Kelly

Haven't read The Rider so it sounds like that should definitely be one for the Christmas list.

lakesluddite

The Secret Race - Tyler Hamilton. Very revealing and a damning indictment of the times.
Racing in the Dark - D Millar. Very honest warts n all biog.
Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi - William Fotheringham. Comprehensive biog of a national hero

secretsam

Aforementioned tomes by Wegelius and Millar excellent. "Half Man, Half Bike" and "The Death of Marco Pantani" good also. "We were young and carefree" actually made me cry.

The sun will stop shining before I'll read anything by that t055er Armstrong.

But no-one's mentioned "Richard's Bicycle Book" by Richard Ballantine, which opened up cycling to me as a youngster. Really good book and written with some genuine humour.

roypsb

Racing through the the dark
French Revolutions
The Secret Race

Maurice Thepity

Another vote for The Hour by Michael Hutchinson from me.
The Race Against Time by Edward Pickering
Wide-eyed and Legless by Jeff Connor

Anonymous

Secret race was good but not up there

It depends what your into.

Does anyone know any uk bookshops where I can get a copy of Krabbe's book?

I also want to read Fotheringham's stuff, mostly on Coppi

Bobbinogs

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19752237#p19752237]coriordan[/url] wrote:

...
Does anyone know any uk bookshops where I can get a copy of Krabbe's book?

I see Amazon has it but not in Kindle format which is disappointing as I quite fancied it.

Anonymous

I don't shop at Amazon. Hence uk bookshops

rick_chasey

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19752237#p19752237]coriordan[/url] wrote:

Secret race was good but not up there

It depends what your into.

Does anyone know any uk bookshops where I can get a copy of Krabbe's book?

I also want to read Fotheringham's stuff, mostly on Coppi

My copy was in Waterstones (but then it was in Cambridge; better choice than most).

Anonymous

Online says awaiting publication!!

mrb123

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19752284#p19752284]coriordan[/url] wrote:

Online says awaiting publication!!

Try The Book Depository online bookshop.

Anonymous

Good shout. Bought. Thanks

burnthesheep

Not worth a new thread, so I'll just ask here........anybody read "Life's Too Short to go so Fu&**& Slow" ?

Popped up in an advertisement on a forum I use. I travel for work a little and read in airports/hotel/plane. Looking for another bike book.

mr_goo

The Death of Marco Pantani

crispybug2

burnthesheep wrote:

Not worth a new thread, so I'll just ask here........anybody read "Life's Too Short to go so Fu&**& Slow" ?

Popped up in an advertisement on a forum I use. I travel for work a little and read in airports/hotel/plane. Looking for another bike book.

Just finished '3 Weeks, 8 Seconds' about the 1989 Tour de France battle between Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon, not too bad at all.

Noticed that it's available at The Works for £5, which is pretty good value for money!

dabber

Just finished Reckless by Alasdair Fotheringham... all about Luis Ocaña. Particularly interesting if you're wanting to understand more of the rivalry between him and Eddy Merckx. Although it gets a bit repetitive at the end I found it a good read.

I'm currently about a third of the way through Born to ride... about Stephen Roche, I'm enjoying it so far.

Ben6899

I'll add it to this thread, again. The Rider - Tim Krabbé.

Read it.

cooldad

Fat Tire Flyer: Repack and the Birth of Mountain Biking - Charlie Kelly.

But I might be in the wrong section.

crumbschief

Mr Goo wrote:

The Death of Marco Pantani

Oh that is another on the list that i have yet to start,Put me back on the bike is there too as well but i just have not got there yet.

burnthesheep

Just got about half way through "Gironimo". Pretty good. Takes a little getting used to his wording as I'm an American.

I keep thinking, gosh darn, glutton for doing something unique. I couldn't put up with all that. If I were retired, a pensioner, with infinite time I guess.

narbs

Just finished Higher Calling by Max Leonard. Beautifully constructed, researched to a detailed but not obsessional level. As a piece of writing it really is very good. Just bought his #bunkerresearch book too which adds Camille Mcmillan's images to Leonard's words.

Read Jeremy Whittle's Ventoux earlier this year. First half is a lovely journey around an area I know well but learnt more about. Second half is a long, irrelevant dig at Sky.

narbs

Oh, Krabbé's The Rider obvs. Also Matt Seaton's The Escape Artist which made me cry.

pottssteve

NapoleonD wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19744444#p19744444]Rick Chasey[/url] wrote:

The rider, Tim Krabbé

This one.

Got to be this. Nothing else comes close for me.

robert88

Ditto for French Revolutions and the Coyle/Hamilton The Secret Race.
Also Wm Fotheringham's Put Me Back on My Bike: In Search of Tom Simpson and Touring Bikes: A Practical Guide by Tony Oliver