Cycling Books review thread

[DA-EVO]

New book on Cinelli available soon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0847 ... d_i=468294

:cry: I think thats now the next 2-3 months of books already planned.

 

[john]

Nice thread idea. Read quite a few cycling books (or I will once I finish the 50 shades series). Few I've read fairly recently and enjoyed.

Racing Through the Dark - David Millar.

Fairly mixed feeling on Millar based on his past along with interview 'persona' but think he really comes across well in the book which is a good read too > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Through- ... 296&sr=8-1


Born to Ride - Stephen Roche.

Good in parts, especially dealing with his golden season. Also some good inisghts into the mind of the man. Seems to gloss over his early career a little. Final segment also a little too long imho. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Ride-Autob ... 441&sr=8-1


Slaying the Badger - Richard Moore

Really enjoyed Moore's previous books and this is no exception. A great story well written. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slaying-Badger- ... 539&sr=8-2


Bike Snob

Read the blog on and off. So far enjoying this more than I expected > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bike-Snob-Syste ... 598&sr=8-1

 

[john]

It's All About the Bike - Rob Penn

He owns a retrobike t so it's always going to be a good review Interesting concept and good read, worth checking the tv show too > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-All-About-B ... 0193881_49


We Were Young and Carefree - Fignon / Fotherington

Gave me a new appreciation of Fignon, good story which is well written and translated > http://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Were-Young-C ... 0193881_55

 

[DA-EVO]

As per a previous post I bought 'The Obree Way' by Graeme Obree.

There are paper-back editions of the book (http://www.obree.com/store.php) which are the same sort of size and format as Privateer, cost is around £30.00 plus post. It is also available in iTunes and Amazon for about £6.00 and can be viewed with a free download Kindle viewer.

So, 'The Obree Way'. In short, for £6.00 (or £4.00 as it cost on the early-bird launch) I was to say the least, very happy with the book. It covers a great deal about bike training in a manner that is easy to read and understand. It covers physical prep, mental prep, measuring your efforts, nutrition, breathing, pedaling. It does the lot and it doesn't have a printed, rigid training regime in there for you to follow.

The book is more directed at cycle racers or perhaps the sort of people who like to look at verifiable numbers to determine that they are improving their fitness or speed, and not just checking out their latest Strava KOM's (moi? shurely shome mishtake). Its also good because it asks you to perform unusual and cruel surgery on your Turbo Trainer (but bad because it then asks you to use said Turbo trainer). It is also one of the more enthusiastic books I have read.

Finally, the main thing about the book is, its accessible. Obree is famous for making his name on a bike constructed out of old spares, making him a World Champion.

The book therefore does not ask you to go and buy an SRM or expect you to join a Gym, buy lots of supplements or do anything more than own a bike, eat heathily, learn to breathe, pedal and, well, yeah, there is the Turbo Trainer bit... But I can forgive him that

Best £4 quid I spent in a long time.*

*OK, I bought the paper based one too



Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Obree-Way-e ... 091&sr=8-1

 

[Rich Aitch]

http://www.amazon.com/Campagnolo-75-Yea ... campagnolo
Campagnolo Seventy Five Years of Cycling Passion by Paulo Facchinetti, coffee table books can be a bit naff but by golly this is gorgeous, I wanted to lick every page especially the one with the photo of the full Euclid groupset on it. A book for all the twisted gadget monsters out there.

http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Racing-G ... sr=1-2-ent
Mountain Bike Racing by Tim Gould and Simon Burney. I must have read this zillions of times and it gets better with age, especially their odd predictions about the future- always a dangerous business- such as the one about how one day all shifters will be like Campagnolo Bullets... Cleverly it doesn't try to be all things to all people, so for the bit about bike set up it explains what works for them and why they chose that. A nice snapshot of the past, written when they were star rider and manager of Team Pugeot.

The only book on "Cycling" I've not really been impressed by was http://www.amazon.com/Stumpjumper-25-Ye ... tumpjumper Stumpjumper 25 years of mountain biking by Mark Riedy, which felt a bit like vanity publishing by Specialized and didn't really get to the important points, like how the stumpy got to be the VW Golf of the mountain bike world.

 

[claret73]

Wide eyed and legless: The ANC Squad in the 87' Tour
LA Confidentiale: Never translated from French, but why we're getting excited about Lance now. It was in here all these years even with my rusty French...
Currently reading a biography about a local framebuilder (Orbit & Sirius) and road racer in the 50's 'Frank Clements'.

 

[NeilM]

Just finished 'How I won the yellow jumper' by Ned Boulting.

It is an excellent read as it's both funny and a fascinating look behind the scenes of the tour. There are some very interesting views on Cav, Wiggo, Armstrong, doping and Team Sky (amongst other things).

I got my copy from the bay for £6.50. Money well spent.

 

[Retro Cat]

Although I'm not the knit-your-own-yoghurt kind of person I'm fond of books about cycle touring;

1. Anne Mustoe - A Bike Ride 12,000 miles around the globe

2. Josie Dew - Slow Coast Home

3. Alaistair Humphries - Thunder and sunshine

4. Christopher Smith - Why don't you fly?

And cycling 'individuals'

1. Richard Moore - In search of Robert Millar

2. Matt Rendell - The Death of Marco Pantani

 

[DA-EVO]

My first recent book is called 'Need for the bike'. Its an English translation of a French book by Paul Fournel....

This book has been re-released with some re-work by Rouleur magazine and Paul Fournel. Apparently has a few longer essays in it by the author, as I think he contributes to Rouleur (I don't buy that mag a present). Its reviewed here: http://inrng.com/2012/09/book-review-velo/

Funnily enough, the review quotes the same paragraph I did in my previous post about Mount Ventoux, however, has a little less sympathy for the book cover! Maybe I was influenced in buying by podium cafe to reading it, so I can't claim it was all my own idea, guv.

It also seems our beloved St. Joseph of Burt has done some artwork for it, and it looks good too.

Its now a few quid more but nicely made and available here: http://www.rouleur.cc/Velo

There is also a limited edition copy which is more money but signed and supplied with prints and so on.

I will await a few more quid in the bank before buying it but the original (for me) was pretty great anyway.

 

[DA-EVO]

Work(s) in progress:

I bought 'In Pursuit of Stardom' and I am part way through and enjoying it, more to come on that one.

I also got Frank J. Berto's 'The Birth of Dirt' which seems to be quite a source of Clunker stuff, yet to finish it however. I just read a few bits in it and want to start again and read it all.

'Mountain High' by Friebe and Goding, one that is pretty much out the wrapper and had a quick look, but its a recce of the Grand Tours most famous hills - will get on with that in a few weeks.

I Got 'Campagnolo 75 Years of Cycling Passion' as a birthday present, but I suspect that is one for the top shelf really, someone upthread was on about licking the pages, I really have no idea what they are on about...

Similarly, Guido P Rubino's 'Italian racing bicycles' by the same publisher looks like utter bicycle filth so I will hide that away from fragile and enquiring minds for the time being.

Happy reading