Any good cycling books (biography, cycling history)

ridgeway_swiss

Just finished reading the biography of Gino Bartali "Road to Valour" which is a simply amazing read as it covers a difficult period in our history and how one man simply rode through it and the Nazis ! If you've not read it and enjoy a good biography then it's well worth it.

I'm sure there's plenty of biographies on pretty much all "great" riders but which ones read well and tell an interesting story ?

Can anyone recommend any others ?

Thanks

ugo.santalucia

"the hour" Michael Hutchinson

ridgeway_swiss

ugo.santalucia wrote:

"the hour" Michael Hutchinson

Thanks, i'll add it to the list.

shirley_basso

The Rider - Tim Krabbe (edit: this is fiction but absolutely excellent)

Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy

Fallen Angel : Fausto Coppi by William Fotherington

redvision

The secret race by Tyler Hamilton.

Ok, so it's about a dark era in cycling history but it's a great read, and provides an open and honest insight in to the life of a pro tour rider at that time.

You may see things in a different light as a result, I certainly did.

davebradswmb

I've not read "The Hour" so I don't know how much might be repeated in my recommendation Michael Hutchinson's "Faster", but I can found it an excellent read which includes an insight into the workings of British Cycling under Dave Brailsford.

I also enjoyed "Roule Britannia" by William Fotheringham

giropaul

The Beast, The Emperor and The Milkman - Harry Pearson.

The book tracks the intertwined history of Belgian racing and riders with the impact of the times they lived in. Ever wonder why the E3 race is so called - it’s in here!

timothyw

Etape by Richard Moore is probably my favourite cycling book, is formatted as a collection of short stories about particular tours/stages, so easy to dip in and out of - Richard Moore's work in general is excellent - Slaying the Badger also an excellent read.

Laurent Fignon's autobiography 'We were young and carefree' also worth a read.

Would echo 'The Secret Race', excellent read, got me started reading bike books.

ugo.santalucia

Ridgeway Swiss wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

"the hour" Michael Hutchinson

Thanks, i'll add it to the list.

The difference is that it's not your usual biography and Hutch can actually write. It's really good

ridgeway_swiss

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Ridgeway Swiss wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

"the hour" Michael Hutchinson

Thanks, i'll add it to the list.

The difference is that it's not your usual biography and Hutch can actually write. It's really good

Just ordered it this morning, thanks

Ben6899

Wide Eyed and Legless

ridgeway_swiss

Ben6899 wrote:

Wide Eyed and Legless

That looks like a good read, the inside story on Roches' TDF, my childhood era.

kingstongraham

redvision wrote:

The secret race by Tyler Hamilton.

Ok, so it's about a dark era in cycling history but it's a great read, and provides an open and honest insight in to the life of a pro tour rider at that time.

You may see things in a different light as a result, I certainly did.

Also, The Death of Marco Pantani.

meursault

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5674324-tomorrow-we-ride



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96820.Put_Me_Back_on_My_Bike?from_search=true



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11435656-slaying-the-badger?from_search=true



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/657466.The_Rider?from_search=true





https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1055023.The_Death_of_Marco_Pantani




https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13154436-merckx



Are all worth reading

Midlands Grimpeur

I would add my vote to 'The Death of Marco Pantani' as well, very well researched and pretty comprehensively detailed account of his life and career.

pamplemoose

I enjoyed both of David Millar's books. My current cycling read is 'Training and Racing with a Power Meter' (which I'd recommend if that's your thing!)

laurentian

+1 for The Rider and The Secret Race.

One of the best I have read is "Domestique" by Charly Wegelius

graeme_s-2

I'll echo everything Ugo's said about The Hour. I've even leant it to a couple of people who weren't cycling fans who thoroughly enjoyed it.

tomisitt

I can thoroughly recommend this, recently published It's an excellent read about an amazing (and long-forgotten) bike race across the battlefields of the Western Front in 1919, and the author's attempt to follow the race route.



BTW, the stuff in Road to Valour about Bartali and the Nazis appears to be complete fiction. An interesting look at the myth here:

https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-a ... estigation

mr_mojo

I read Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh. About Lance Armstrong and his doping but I thought an excellent book. I read and enjoyed The Secret Race too and liked it.

ridgeway_swiss

Wow tons of reading here !!!

I wonder if we read more than we ride

Thanks for all the ideas.

lakesluddite

Chris Boardman's autobiography 'Triumphs and Turbulence' is good - much better than I thought it would be.
I'd also recommend anything by William Fotheringham - many of which have already been recommended, also his brother Alasdair has written a few good ones - he tends to focus on Spanish subjects such as Luis Ocana and Indurain.
Ned Boulting's books are always a good read, mostly about the TdF and his exploits covering the race.
David Millar two biographical books are really good, as have been recommended above.
If you want something cycling related but not about pro-racing, then Tim Moore's 'French Revolutions', ''Gironimo' and 'The Cyclist who went out in the Cold' are really good as well.

Ben6899

There's also "Ventoux" - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16000713-ventoux

And Bjarne Riis' autobiography is a bit of an insight into Narcissistic Personality Disorder...

borisface

Unfortunately, most cycling books are not very well written sports biographies which are little more than a list of a riders achievements, impressive though they may be. IMO exceptions are Jean Bobet's tomorrow we ride, Juliana Buhring's The Road I Ride, Herbie Sykes' The Race Against the Stasi about an east German cycling champ who defected after a race, John Foot's Pedalare, Pedalare is a solid history of Italian cycling, and Laurent Fignon's When We Were Young and Carefree is wonderfully poignant.

Not so much cycling history or biogs of the greats but Alaistair Humphries books Moods of Future Joys, and Tom Allen's Janapar are fantastic. Tom Kevill Davies' A Hungry Cyclist is worth a look, especially if you're a foodie.

big_harv

Victoria Pendleton, Between the Lines. Some raw stuff in here, most now know better than to call her er...flaky.

dabber

Some good suggestions.....
I haven't read through the whole thread so someone may have already mentioned it but...

Three Weeks, Eight Seconds: The Epic Tour de France of 1989 by Nige Tassell... all about Lemond and Fignon battle in 1989

This one really worked for me and I liked the format.

philbar72

we were young and carefree - Fignons book. he was a complicated chap that one. bloody good bike rider though.

aclivity

Shirley Basso wrote:

Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy

This. 100% this.

I read this about 40 years ago, it is still where my mind goes whenever people talk about a cycling book.

Also - the one about Tom Simpson that I found in a second hand shop... Not sure what it was called though?

meursault

Think I'll get The Sykes on the Stasi one, right up my street. Though prefer defecting the other way...

crescent

Very specific to a schoolboy hero of mine but "In search of Robert Millar" by Richard Moore is excellent.
I also enjoyed both of David Millar's books.
Ned Boulting's "How I won the yellow jumper" is good but I found his later offerings less enjoyable.
Chris Boardman's autobiography is very good - he has a very dry sense of humour and I was unaware of just how much involvement he had behind the scenes in the success of British Cycling over the last 10-15 years.
Rob Penn's "It's all about the bike" is a good read - it inspired me to build my own bike. I think there is a short film based on it as well.

ugo.santalucia

Crescent wrote:

Rob Penn's "It's all about the bike" is a good read - it inspired me to build my own bike. I think there is a short film based on it as well.

Whis is awaste of time... I assembled myself quite a few bikes over the years (build is a big word, it would imply making the frame as well)... none of them was better than an off the peg Specialized Allez