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Christmas fast approaches.
Father in law has implied a book on road cycling would tickle his fancy.
Any really good must have suggestions/classics that you recommend?
Kimmage expose and the Ride (?) both good, not read any of the modern exposes.
Tyler Hamilton's 'The Secret Race', I couldn't put it down.
French Revolutions by Tim Moore
French Revolutions as above
"Riding through the storm" by Geoff Thomas - often ignored as it is a footballers story about riding the Tour route after recovering from cancer, but a fantastic read
Flying Scotsman - Graham Obree;s story, as much about dealing with his own personal demons as the cycling but an incredible story. And Old Faithful, his self built world championship winning bike is part of cycling legend and is now in the national museum
The Hour, by Michael Hutchinson - an easy, informative and very funny read. My favourite cycling book. 🙂
The Rules, good and easy read
Not read them myself but was told that Ned Boulting books are quite good.
Yellow Jumper is quite amusing and wry.
Bradley's books are either fawning cover written books, or just painful.
Millar's book is good, although with an excuse on every page.
Cav's new book is quite good, but its very short.
Tyler's book is good.
French Recolutions is funny - quite old now, used to see him in Chiswick 10-15 years ago.
if you want a different read with cycling and a really personal story try Matt Seaton's Escape Artist. I can't recommend it highly enough. One of my all time favourite books.
+ another for French Revolutions, really funny.
French Revolutions or either of the Ned Boulting ones. All very good and not about doping.
[url= http://www.greatbritishbikerides.co.uk ]Not that I'm biased or owt, but a few routes that might inspire him[/url]
Last two i've read have both been mentioned and are very good, Boulting's Yellow Jumper and Hamilton's "Secret Race".
Can also add "Bad Blood" and "One More Kilometre..." to the list.
If any biographies tickle his fancy then try either Tom Simpson, Coppi, Pantani or Merckx.
Millar's is on my Christmas list with Cav's latest...
The Tyler Hamilton and David Millar books are both very good reads.
I found the bloke in French Revolutions irritating. Sorry.
Oh and the Tom Simpson one also very good but tragic, obviously.
[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Hat-American-Betrayal-Belgium/dp/1934030260/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1387036463&sr=8-3&keywords=a+dog+in+the+hat ]Dog in a hat[/url]
I just received Mark Cavendish's "at speed" and it has been signed by him too, really rather looking forward to reading this with a bottle of single malt ...
I enjoyed this last summer on hols [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wide-Eyed-Legless-Inside-Tour-France/dp/1845961714 ]wide eyed and legless[/url] about ANC Halfords tour in the 1980s
French revolutions was a good read
*Really* enjoyed david millar's book
The hour was quite good
Couldn't get on with Pantani's biography thta was recommended, I put it down again
Quite enjoyed Wiggo's story of the TDF & olympics year
Chris HOy's autobiography was a reasoinable read
Just finished Domestique bby Charly Wegelius which put a whole new spin on the goings on of pro racing.
Still got OBree, Cav and a couple of others lined up
Put me back on my bike by William Fotheringham - about Tom Simpson - Very interesting biography about his era and tackles drug issue in it's pre EPO era.
In Search of Robert Millar
Flying Scotsman, about Graham Obree - as mentioned above, more to do with the difficulties of being a world class athlete with major mental health issues. But incredible rather than depressing.
Sean Kelly's got a new book out soon or already and so has Sean Yates.
Breaking the Chain by Willy Voet is an interesting one, badly written but he was the team soigneur of Festina who got busted with a vast amount of drugs in the team car - beginning of the whole Festina 1998 scandal, long before Lance and Tyler Hamilton.
Obvious choice - Hamiltons book is good but if you've already read around the issue it's nothing new. I actually preferred Millar's book.
Don't bother with Wiggin's book - gives very little insight into what makes him tick or who he is.
Oh also Slaying the Badger - Hinault and Lemond in what was probably the most exciting Tour.
nbt - Pantani's book was depressing.
+1 for Slaying the Badger, The Secret Race and Bad Blood
Also check Sky's the Limit (same author), A Race for Madmen
Would really recommend 'One more kilometre and we're in the showers' - in a similar vein to Ned Boulting's latest.
Tyler Hamilton's book, David Millar's, Sean Yates, Brads books, Graham Obree all good reads.
Tyler Hamilton's book is a very intriguing and sometimes disturbing read. Well written too.
And The Rider. An old Novel by Tim Krabbe is an excellent piece of literature in my opinion.
The Pantani book is very interesting, though a harder read. Same with Slaying the Badger, which is a harder read again - very much depends what kind of reader he is. Race for Madmen is a good comprehensive history of the TdF. Obree's biography is good, but really quite dark at times, I found. Miller's biography was a bit me, me, me, but worth reading.
The Secret Race.
Wheelmen - brilliant read all about the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong in particular but American cycling in general. Absolutely fascinating - not just about doping at all.
Skys the limit about sky cycle team and how trhey set up,
also another book by one of their straff about the same thing, looks good, Cant remember the name of book but its by Fotheringham
At Speed, cavs new book , great bok easily read, buut read Boy Racer first to get in his writing style.
Hoys book, ride around a track one more time and thats about it,
Stephen Roches book not bad ,
Brads book currently on offer at the Works book shop.
and finally The banning from the singletrack forum by Jeremey Tandem.limited print run though.
The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton, absolutely compelling story of growing roadie obsession, lots of insight into road racing lore and the best explanation I've read for leg shaving, with a shockingly tragic twist at the end.
Team On The Run by John Deering is another good one.
One more kilometer and we're in the showers.
Brilliant read.
Hamilton's The Secret Race is utterly compelling.
I actually enjoyed Walsh's new book re Sky; clearly rushed out so a few silly errors but an interesting read.
The Rider is brilliant, but different to all the above.
100 Greatest Cycling Climbs: A Road Cyclist's Guide to Britain's Hills
wide eyed and legless
slaying the badger
In search of Robert Millar
We were young and carefree - this is a decent honest autobiog better than the big unit shifters
didn't like french revolutions and hoy's biog was a bit functional, Merckx's biog by fotheringham was ok but dry
Pah...road cycling books are boring. I mean come on...
Yeah, thats right, I said it. 🙂
You'll have him shaving his legs by new year.
[i]Be Brave, Be Strong: A Journey Across the Great Divide[/i]
by Jill Homer
That's a good read.
[i]Thunder & sunshine[/i] & [i]Moods of future joy[/i]
By Alastair Humphreys
Brilliant.
Sean Yates new book is good.
Tyler Hamilton's also.
Just reading 'race against time' about Boardman and Obree's rivalry....very good too.
Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh is about finally toppling Lance Armstrong, decent read.
avoid anything written by anyone who has taken, may have taken or knows some who had, might and just possibly thought about drugs. they are all the same and totally negative, even Millars. Try Maglia Rosa by Herbie Sykes, about the Giro or The Eagle of the Canavese or Unsurpaseed . that's about Tommy Godwin who if hundreds of thousands of miles in a year.
Half Man Half Bike
The Cannibal
Slaying the Badger
We Were Young And Carefree
100 Greatest Tour Stages
Cycling Anthology any of the three of them
David Millar's biog
Will Fotheringham's Merckx
Would like to read Tylers book, but point blank refuse to buy a copy on principle. Same goes for that cheating little runt Millar.