Cycling Books

Great book for beginners. Features tips and tricks and great how to get started section. Tells how to build a ramp. For the freestyler who just got started this is your book

This book will enchant readers about the wonderful world of touring Europe on a bicycle. It will inspire you to plan a week's vacation and travel to France to enjoy the countryside, food and hospitality of the country that respects bicycles more than cars. This book will describe in detail the days-in and days-out of a long bike tour through Britain, with a group, roughing it. Proof positive that it can be done, but not anyone is Jane Schnell - a postive energy source who will not be denied the opportunity to cycle anywhere in the world at any age. After reading "Both Are Better" I wanted to load up my bike with panniers and set off down the road, with tailwinds, of course. A great read, even while on the road trip.

The pictures are superb. I would have liked a few more actual historic ones. Lots of the bikes have been rebuilt or refurbished. It is an entertaining light history. However it is mildly frustrating to read that a post-war Phillips bike costs only $34 and not know how much a normal Schwinn would have cost in comparison. There is much discussion about heavy and light bikes but no supporting technical data. However what the book lacks in technical data it makes up for in quality pictures.

Good for 3-7 yrs. A chain reaction style story similar to Mike McClintock's "A Fly Went By." The trouble begins when young boy Chris, takes his bike for a ride down a steep hill, and can't stop. He slams into one animal after another, bringing them along for an unwanted adventure. It's funny, it has a good sense of rhythm, and the illustrations are first-rate.

This book is great. I have been looking for a book like this for a long time. It outlines everything you need to know to get into road cycling. From choosing a bike, maintaining it to riding techniques and in different conditions. This book is the bible for beginners and highly recommended for anyone with a love for road cycling. Grab it and get fit and have fun doing it!

This book was invaluable to me on my tours of Tazmania, South Australia and Victoria. In addition to excellent directions, the author provides you with recommended budget accomadations. Insights into Aussie culture and even a list of helpful Aussie phrases. Fair dinkum mate!

Though not exhaustive, Cycling Colorado's Mountain Passes by Kurt Magsamen, offers a perfect beginning for anyone seeking information on Colorado's many mountain climbs. This book, 237 pages long, describes 34 passes from all parts of the state. All passes are neatly outlined in the table of contents by area, thereby making them easy to find. The introduction describes the book's organization and general content. This section also includes useful information about safety, time of the year with optimal weather conditions, recommendations for conditioning as well as equipment. For someone new to the state or unfamiliar with cycling mountain passes, the introduction is most useful. There is also a summery of passes by region that includes elevation and difficulty on pages 223-4. A pass-bragging log provides a place for making personal notes. The included index provides quick access to the more detailed information contained in the book elsewhere.

The bulk of the book is devoted to a description of each pass. Each of the described passes is organized to begin with an overview, and followed by a road map, recommended start and stop points as well as alternatives, road and traffic conditions, descent challenges, sleep and supplies, and finally mileage logs. All information included is quite useful especially for someone who is new to the state. I especially like the comments contained in the road and traffic conditions, as well as the insights about where one can find accommodations and food. The graphic display of the mileage log offers a quick look of what one is about to tackle and given the exaggerated vertical scale can appear quite intimidating. More accurate information about mountain grades and overall difficulty is included in the opening paragraphs for each pass.

In general, I find the book is well organized and full of useful information. It is small enough to fit into the back of your bike jersey and at a list price of ($$$) should be considered for the book shelf of every biking enthusiast who wants to take on Colorado's mountain passes.

This book provides excellent information about every major paved road in Hawaii, including elevation profiles. I found it invaluable in planning my tours of the islands. I wish every state had books that covered them this well. The only (minor) shortcoming was that the listing of inexpensive motels/B&Bs was incomplete, a gap which was easily filled by any of the general tourist books on Hawaii, such as the Lonely Planet guide.

While Lance Armstrong has contracted cancer, beaten cancer, and gone on to win three Tours de France since McCullagh's book was published, it continues to be a good read and excellent resource for the beginning rider. He adequately covers cycling from A to Z, with chapters that are devoted to shopping for the right bike and equipment, to training and nutrition, all the while weaving anecdotal stories about fellow cyclists who have restored both health and purpose to their lives. Throughout the book he encourages readers to develop a healthful, cycling lifestyle that meets their fitness needs. I found Chapter Seven, Epiphanies, to be inspirational. Here he chronicles the success stories of normal riders who, when confronted with their doctors advice of "change your life or die," chose their bicycles as their instruments of salvation. These stories provide excellent motivation for those of us who one day wake up and realize that if we plan to live long enough to enjoy what is left of our retirement investment programs, the middle-aged person we see in the mirror needs to cut about 30 pounds, and adopt a more active lifestyle. Every rider should read Chapter's One and Two prior to their shopping trip to replace that rusty, twenty-year old ten speed that sits in the far corner of their basement or garage. Here McCullagh arms his reader with enough information to ensure that the next bike not only meets their needs, and fits well enough to provide enjoyment. The same could be said for the excellent data that are contained in the appendixes, where he provides frame size information, gear ratios, nutrition, and other equipment recommendations. In addition, the illustrations should help the absolute beginner. In summary, this book should be mandatory reading for beginners---prior to purchasing his or her first specialty bike. Until then they will be at the mercy of the salesperson. I feel that it is still worth the original purchase price, and that really makes it a bargain as a used book.

I have been buying these for several years. I love bicycles and the various forms they have taken over the years. I have yet to see as thorough a treatment of the subject of bicycles as are in these pages. A wonderful testimony to the ingenuity of mankind.