A good read

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
indy
Posts: 42
Joined: 17 Jul 2010, 6:06pm

A good read

Post by indy »

Can anyone recommend any good books about cycling (hopefully compatible with the kindle?
Cheers
LollyKat
Posts: 3250
Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: A good read

Post by LollyKat »

What sort are you looking for - training, racing, touring?

I found Ned Boulting's "How I won the Yellow Jersey" (Kindle) very entertaining - the last page is priceless.
iandriver
Posts: 2521
Joined: 10 Jun 2009, 2:09pm
Location: Cambridge.

Re: A good read

Post by iandriver »

Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
iandriver
Posts: 2521
Joined: 10 Jun 2009, 2:09pm
Location: Cambridge.

Re: A good read

Post by iandriver »

Ps, Still think a cycling reads section would make a good sticky.
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
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beachcomber
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Joined: 17 Jan 2009, 10:49am
Location: North Yorks

Re: A good read

Post by beachcomber »

I enjoyed the following;

Moods of Future Joys.
Thunder and Sunshine. Both by Alistdair Humphries.

Books by Josie Dew. The Wind in My Wheels. The Sun in My Eyes. Slow Coast Home. A Long Cloud Ride. and several others. ( Google her name)

French Revolution by Tim Moore. Very funny story about a French cycle trip.

It's not about the bike. Every Second Counts. both about Lance Amstrong. Motivational stuff.

The Man Who Cycled The World. Mark Beaumont.

+1 for the topic being a sticky. :D
pete75
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Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: A good read

Post by pete75 »

In my opinion WIlliam Fotheringham is one of the best English writers of cycling biography. His new book Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike is due out towards the end of the month. Fotheringham's Fallen Angel a biography of Coppi is excellent. Presumably biographies of the two greatest riders by one of the best writers must be near the top of the list.
Jean Bobet's Tomorrow We Ride which covers his and his brother's early lives, racing careers and Louisons's last ride along with much insight about cycling and the lives of 1950s racers is well worth a read. It's beautifully written by a man once described as the only intellectual ever to ride in the peloton.
One more Kilometre and We're in the Shower by Tim Hilton is a perennial favourite covering topics as widely spaced as the singing club run, formation of the Clarion, the BLRC, the Giro,the Vel D'Hiv and it's links to Becket, Reg Harris, Ray Booty, BB and Alf Engers.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
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Swallow
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Joined: 4 Feb 2010, 10:13am
Location: Cornwall

Re: A good read

Post by Swallow »

Have a look here http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=s ... ling+books I have just finished You've Gone Too Far This Time, I thought it an excellent read.
'Kernow bys Vyken'
bigdaddy183
Posts: 2
Joined: 8 Mar 2012, 2:20pm

Re: A good read

Post by bigdaddy183 »

Try "It's All about the Bike" by Robert Penn. I'm not a techy but thoroughly enjoyed this.
JClarkson
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Joined: 10 Mar 2012, 9:58am

Re: A good read

Post by JClarkson »

Cycling home from Siberia, Rob LIilwall
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RickH
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Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: A good read

Post by RickH »

To complement Mark Beaumont's book there is "Cycling Home from Siberia" by Rob Lilwall (available on Kindle as well as dead tree) about Rob's 3 & 1/2 year trek from the East of Siberia back to England. They both mention each other as they met in Turkey while passing through in opposite directions (& at very different speeds).

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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beachcomber
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Joined: 17 Jan 2009, 10:49am
Location: North Yorks

Re: A good read

Post by beachcomber »

Some time ago I read a book about two guys and a girl who set off riding across Africa. Eventually they left the girl.
Both of the lads contributed to the book sometimes covering the same events from their own perspective.
I can't remember the title. Does anyone know the book to which I refer?

Anyone fancying riding long distance audax can get a flavour of the task by reading Baring Mechanicals by Andy Allsop. He describes his journey on the 1400km London-Edinburgh-London ride. It is available for e-books.
eileithyia
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Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)

Re: A good read

Post by eileithyia »

Some of the threads on cycle forums; we have a thread here already at 5 pages, on other forums I go on they can talk for pages and pages about campag v shimano, cycling 40 years ago, what have done today...... how to put a tub on :D :D
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
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easyroller
Posts: 523
Joined: 27 Feb 2012, 8:05am
Location: Berkshire

Re: A good read

Post by easyroller »

I recently finished reading "One Man and his Bike" by Mike Carter.

Kindle version: http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Man-His-Bik ... B00546DORQ

It's about a middle aged guy who, sick of the daily commute through London, decides to just keep going and cycle around the coast of Britain. If you're into your cycle touring or just UK travel in general it's quite an entertaining read.
Reigncloud
Posts: 127
Joined: 2 Mar 2011, 2:00pm

Re: A good read

Post by Reigncloud »

'Off the rails' is an entertaining read about two young Australians who cycle from Moscow to Beijing on recumbents. Through winter.

I saw their mini documentary on tv years ago and it looked very tough going!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Off-Rails-Mosco ... 1840243988
cycloret
Posts: 426
Joined: 17 Jun 2010, 9:48pm

Re: A good read

Post by cycloret »

Although I enjoyed Mark Beamont's account of his trip round the world, I wanted more. There should have least have been a chapter about his bike and equipment.

I'll suggest two books by Matt Seaton, "The Escape Artist" and "Two Wheels". He wrote a column about cycling in the Guardian for a while and sometimes mentioned his aspirations to be a good track racer. The former book is a poignant story which deals with his track cycling and the death of his wife from cancer. The later is a diary based format which as a reader is easy to dip in and out.
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