Cycling books

Can anyone recommend me a good book about cycling??

How i won the yellow jumper by Ned Boulting. funny as.

French Revolutions by Tim Moore, Put me back on the bike, Tom Simpson biography and In Search of Robert Miller by Richard Moore.

The 4 suggestions above are really good, I’d also add The death of Marco Pantani if you want to know about the darkside of road racing, and Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage

i have quite an addiction to cycling books and have dozens of them. all above are good. I recently really enjoyed the Nicolas Roche one.

A peipers tail by errr….Alan peiper.

I haven’t managed to get through the Pantani one. Really struggled with the start when it just seems to be a list of relatives and the names they were given and what they went by. Must give it another go.

It’s All About the Bike – Robert Penn.
Racing Through the Dark: The Fall and Rise of David Millar – David Millar
It’s Not About the Bike – Lance Armstrong

1st book is all about Penn’s quest to build his dream bike. It’s an easy, but really good read.
The Armstrong book is quite sad in places but his arrogance stops it being overly so. Maybe arrogance is the wrong word. His determination perhaps. Anyway it is amazing what he overcome. Whether you believe or not that he doped, it is still well worth reading.

Im 1/3 the way through the Millar book. It really gives you an insight on the immense pressure that cyclists are under to perform. Of course he would say that but so far, it is interesting stuff.

All good recommendations however best cycling book ive ever read is: in pursuit of stardom les nomades du velo anglais by tony hewson, a fantastic read.

Avoid the Pantani book, I really struggled with it, wouldn’t recommend it.

As mentioned:

‘How I Won The Yellow Jumper’ by Ned Boulting. Chuckle-tastic

‘Rough Ride’ by Paul Kimmage

Also;

‘Wide-Eyed and Legless: Inside the Tour de France’ by Jeff Connor

I’ve red quite a few over the last few years. The best where the escape artist by Matt seaton. It’s not about the bike by lance. The rider by Tim krabbe. Three awesome books.

Pantanis book is good, as is fignon and David millars.

Less so was the Robert millar book IMHO. Didn’t really enjoy Marc beaumonts round the world much.

Finished them all but that’s my order of preference.

From lance to landis, rough ride is awesome.

Tour de force is good too.

they’re always about road riding, but
french revolutions is very funny. just reading his new (but non-cycling book too).
lance ‘its not about the bike’ was good – he is a little weird about his mum tho.
‘flying scotsman’ was very interesting.
just finished the cavendish book which I enjoyed (learning a bit about him & road riding).
‘roadie’ next

these & couple of others here http://www.roughrideguide.co.uk/books.html

Im just not into road stuff, why are there no decent mountain biking equivalents, there are mountain biking legends, so thats no excuse.

Ive tried French Revolutions et al, and they just dont float my boat, find them all a bit wishy washy and tedious. The death of Marco Pantani, however I did enjoy.

Id love to read Steve Peats or John Tomacs biog or somthing similar, If I was a writer type person its something id be pursueing, as I think its a gap needing to be filled.

journey to the centre of the earth by Nicholas Crane.

There are also a couple of books about the Great divide race, “eat, sleep ride” and I can’t remember the name of the other one, its something like “cordella”. I haven’t read them but they get good reviews.

I rate this one highly. But then I would wouldn’t I 🙂

+1 for rough ride
Inside the postal bus – good behind the scenes TDF read

Id love to read Steve Peats or John Tomacs biog or somthing similar, If I was a writer type person its something id be pursueing, as I think its a gap needing to be filled.

The problem is Just because they are good, doesn’t mean they are interesting, most biographies are crap because fame and success in itself is not a story worth telling. The TdF is an incredible feat of human endurance, to win it 7 times after recovering from cancer is an amazing story, revealing the dark influence of drugs is a story worth telling, puking up in a hotel room after drinking too many stellas isn’t.

Dividing the Great

Another vote for Dave Barters book (Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder) – see Davidb’s link above. A nice read, and very cheap.

Mrs Eye bought me this the other day, not started it yet.

It’s All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels
By Robert Penn

Or Ned Overends Mountain bike like a Champion which is an easy read and quit insightful although a little dated.

Im just not into road stuff, why are there no decent mountain biking equivalents, there are mountain biking legends, so thats no excuse.

There’s a story about mountain biking in this one.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Bent-Links-ebook/dp/B004QS995E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332098783&sr=8-1

It’s frickking awesome.

And I’ve not seen Bad Blood recommended yet. The hatred the writer has for Lance is immense. Quite interesting too.

I disagree MSP, Steve Peat foir example was brought up in a rough part od Sheffield, I think a lot of people would be interested in his rise to fame, as they could associate more with him, over some gaul, from 50 years ago.

I agree that winning the Tdf after cancer etc is a story that needs to be told, but there are other angles, stories out there.

Just ordered another copy (my original was “lost” many years back)of “The Mountainbike Way of Knowledge” by William Nealy, for a friend who’s just getting into it. For just over a fiver from Leisurelakes, it’s a good read, lots of tips, tales, and cartoons, taught me a lot when I was new to it, well worth buying.

cycling back from siberia. fantastic read.

one man and a bike. a bloke cycling around the british coastline. also a fantastic read.

Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men on The Bummel is on the radio at the mo.
I’ve posted a linky for the iPlayer in another thread.

The original Richard’s Bicycle Book by Richard Ballantine is a work of genius if you can get hold of it.
Worth it just for the article on dealing with dog attacks and his inspirational philiosophical ramblings.

The Rider by Tim Krabbe

roadie books i liked: riding through the dark
the beautiful machine; graeme fife

mtb books; ghost trails; gill homer
2 wheels on my wagon; paul howard

The problem is Just because they are good, doesn’t mean they are interesting, most biographies are crap because fame and success in itself is not a story worth telling.

+1, i think this is why the 2 mtb books i have recommended are about 2 of the epic races of mtbing, iditabike & tour divide respectively.

The Lost Cyclist – David V Hirlihy
Full Tilt – Dervla Murphy

both of these are good accounts of epic cycling adventures in far flung destinations.. both with some awesome historical value.

+1 for Two wheels on my wagon, Ghost Trails didn’t really grab me,+1 for the Rob Pen book and surprised A Dog in a Hat not had a mention.
A recent release was Unsurpassed about Tommy Godwin world record holder for most miles ridden in a year 76’000 also Cycling Miscllany full of interesting facts and quote’s

If you suffer from insomnia I can recommend Hugh Porter’s “Champion on Two Wheels”.

“Tales From the Bike Shop” by Maynard Hershon is amusing.

“Winged Wheel” by William Oakley celebrating the centenary of the CTC is interesting to see how attitudes were in the old days. How cyclists did fight against the introduction of rear lights.

Cycling home from Siberia by Rob Lilwell (Ton, wanna swap it back for something? Got the urge to read it again and I can send you ‘as far as my feet will carry me’ if you like)
Moods of Future Joys / Thunder and Sunshine by Al Humphries – he rode round the world over 4 years, a great read. Epic ride.
The Hour by Michael Hutchinson
Off the Map – biking across Siberia by Mark Jenkins

Not many really good bike reads imo, not compared to mountaineering. Loads about racing, some very good like the Tom Simpson book, some a bit dry. I wonder if less tourers have the really out-there adventurous, risk-taking spirit or if having a bike limits where you can go? I look out of the plane window on the way back from taiwan and every time, think about whether a solo rider can get across the wastelands of the ‘stans and towards the Hindu Kush, or whether anyone’s ridden the route in the film The Way Back, Siberia to Tibet. If people do stuff like this they don’t seem to write about it, or I’ve missed some great reads.

Any recommendations along these lines? I’m going to look up Yunki’s 2 – cheers ) edit – ordered the lost cyclist, looks interesting. Thanks