Vitesse Books

With the help of this book, I traveled much of France and Belgium and some of northern Italy to follow the major tours and Classics. The only two negative things I can say is 1) By now it is rather dated; pre 1990; and 2) It is somewhat limited in the amount of information just because it covers 20 races. Each race could be a book onto itself.

Now in a revised and expanded edition, Fit & Pregnant: The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Exercise presents the medically sound advice of nurse, midwife, athlete, and mother of two Joan Marie Butler for pregnant women of all backgrounds. Though Fit & Pregnant pays especial attention to the concerns of highly athletic women and particularly professional athletes, the needs, concerns, body changes, and exercise guidelines for all pregnant and postpartum women regardless of background are covered. Fit & Pregnant explores the beneficial effects exercise can have on the pregnant body, from types of exercise that can reduce the risk of postpartum urinary incontinence to general health and fitness promotion. Fit & Pregnant also covers which specific exercises are best avoided particularly in the second trimester onward, how to lift weights safely, and how to scale back particularly intense regimens - pregnant women are advised to train not for professional competition, but rather specifically for the "event" of delivering a healthy baby. Also discussed at length are the changes a pregnant woman's body goes through, what to expect and prepare for, and means to maximize health and safety throughout the experience. Enthusiastically recommended for expectant mothers everywhere.

The review printed by Amazon that accompanies the advert for the book is clearly written by someone who has never worked in the amateur sports arena as Dave did. There are many of us who work as paid staff or as a professional/volunteer (someone who does not get paid but is expected to perform as if he/she did and maintain another career and family life at the same time)in a similar role to that of Dave with members of a Governing Body whose motives are either self preservation because it looks good on a CV or who, in spite of their considerable talents, spend their time fighting for their personal little issues or simply micro-manage. The book should be compulsary reading for anyone wanting to join or be elected to a sports NGB or who is simply going through the motions as a Board member.
Fortunately sport is changing, albeit slowly because its 'customers' are more demanding and more enlightened now than 20 years ago - they are less prepared to be seen as somewhere down the pecking order of priorities after the elected officers and in some cases staff too.
For anyone who wants an emotional journey in this amateur sports world which still exists - told in an honest but dramatic way (which makes it easy reading) then this is the book - it is also worthy of re-printing and free distribution in the wider context of organisational change and governance/management issues.

Barnett's is easy to love. Its beautiful, elaborate technical line drawings on every page elevate the manual nearly to coffee table status and reflect a deep love of the bicycle. Its extremely thorough step-by-step instructions leave nothing to chance. It presents interesting, sometimes nonstandard service or assembly procedures that work well. The philosophy of detail, logic, measurement, and consistent methods in my view go to the heart of effective bicycle service and bring rigor and professionalism to the bicycle mechanic's trade. Honestly, there are few things I'd rather do on a weekend afternoon than sit down and rebuild a brake caliper or hub or other bike part, Simple Green and clean grease and paper towels everywhere, with a volume of Barnett's on the floor opened to the correct grease-resistant page.

But the style can be a bit much. Barnett's is written in an almost robotic style that can get difficult to read. The formal structure - the vocabulary grouped all at the beginning of each section, many procedures broken into over fifty steps - at times seems suited more for computer than human being. For example, Barnett's lengthy and technical wheelbuilding instructions verge on incomprehensible, whereas Sheldon Brown's free online instructions are shorter, more heuristic and colloquial, and ultimately far easier to use. The irony is that Barnett's best explanations, buried in these huge checklists and stilted subsections, are often just as colloquial as anything in the literature.

A more serious complaint is Barnett's incomplete selection of topics. One expects a modicum of completeness from an expensive four-volume set aimed at professional shop mechanics. Several reviewers have complained that Barnett's is out-of-date in its lack of treatment of low-spoke-count wheels and other new technologies. As a bit of a retro grouch, the lack of the newest fads doesn't bother me much. But I would argue that backwards compatibility is at least as important and is sorely neglected here. The 212-page thirty-eighth chapter on overhauling suspension forks and rear shocks consumes most of the fourth volume even though not all bikes - not even all mountain bikes - have suspensions. After admirably concise distillations of diverse service prodcedures in the previous chapters, that chapter miserably misses the forest for the trees. And after that expenditure of paper, not even a page is dedicated to overhauling internal-gear hubs or working on fixed-gear drivetrains even though such bicycles have a large place in the cycling landscape.

At the end, though, I'm thankful for my copy. Barnett's has details and mundane procedures not covered elsewhere, and it is much easier to get out one's wrenches and get greasy with Barnett's than with a computer screen. At the time of this review, it's hard to find a hard copy of Barnett's; I can only hope that the book returns to print soon.

No other bicycle repair manual goes into the level of detail that the Barnett Manuel does. The manual provides trouble shooting tips, torque specifications, exploded diagrams and tool recommendations for every repair possible on a bicycle. The target audience for this manual is the bike shop or the enthusiast that wants to do everything on a bike themselves.

The manual consists of four volumes:

Volume 1
Introduction
Frames
Forks
Bearings

Volume 2
Wheels
Tires
Drive trains

Volume 3
Handlebars
Seats
Shifting systems
Brakes

Volume 4
Suspension
Appendix

The 5th Edition is the last printed version. This edition will provide everything you need to repair any bicycle except for some of the newer technologies such as the 2007 and newer Campagnolo Ultra Torque crank sets and some of the newest mountain bike suspensions. These newer technologies are covered in the CD version of the manual. The CD also has more photos but only of the newer technologies. All of the other photos and line drawings in the CD are the same as the print version.

Highly recommended if you want do all everything on the bike yourself.

I became a professional bicycle mechanic myself after I readed this book! I owned an bike shop for two years and it became very valued for the service quality in which I applied Barnett's techinics.

This is a great book! It goes into deep explanations of how every little part of the bicycle work, with the all the bell & whistles theories, then it explains with an great language what is to be done!

I used to think that I knew how to setup an derailleur, but after reading the book, I just learned that I knew very little about it! Read it well and practice it well. You'll find that your adjustments will last much longer and tune-up will be less frequent.

Recommended for both the pro or wanna-be mechanic. It is so complete that it even explain basic tools usage (hammers, screwdrivers, open-end wrenchs, etc).

The last edition I have (5th) was pretty updated back then and there's the digital DX update available.

Go ahead and forget about every other bicycle maintance book you ever readed!

It's what I expected, but not what I had hoped it would be. If you never worked with a bicycle before, and want to be a good bicycle mechanic, it's well worth it. If you have some experience with bike repair over the years, it may just reinforce what you already know in many areas. But it is the bible of bike repair.

This guide covers all the basic and most advanced bicycle repair procedures. Graphics are instructive and clear. As opposed to other manuals it includes good trouble shooting and diagnostic sections. It includes indications, symptoms, maintenance cycles, tools, tool usage, complications, checklists, different types of parts--their specification and dimensions--and it goes on. The only irksome aspect is that after buying the latest print edition I was prompted to buy, at a similar price, the expanded DVD with the latest components. This is not fair.

If you are very young and contemplating a career in professional or serious amateur bicycle racing, this book may be of interest. It should not be your only resource, however, as the information is dated and the science has been eclipsed. Although I did find the section on bicycle fit very helpful.

If you are an older cycling enthusiast, and want to get insight into the world of bicycle racing as a fan or spectator, or get guidance on riding or training, there are better books for that.

The two seasons I used this book (starting the training program on Dec. 1st), were my most rewarding years as a cyclist. Use "Bicycle Road Racing" with caution, yes, but this can be said for all training programs. The best thing about this book, I think, is not the tactics section (although his ideas are technically superb, with strong teammates), but Borysewicz's insistence on RECOVERY. I have learned the hard way that this word is the most important in any cyclists vocabulary, whether you are a beginning racer, Cat. 1, or recreational cyclist. I hope we get an updated version soon!

My first year of riding was 1985. I used the book beginning in 1986. By 1989 I was racing Cat 1-2 Pro races fully sponsored by Team Spago in Los Angeles, CA. Call me 'old school' but I'd still recommend it for any entry level rider that dreams of racing with the best.

This book IS a classic, and should be required reading for any aspiring road racer, but it is NOT a substitute for a good coach. This point needs to be stressed: Eddy B's training program is geared toward PROFESSIONAL racers. Beginners who follow his program will find themselves overtrained and demoralized. God knows how many beginning racers quit the sport after reading this book and mistakenly believing that a Cat 5 needs to ride 400 miles a week to be competitive. The chapters on tactics are good, as are his gripping anecdotes, but do yourself a favor and GET A COACH!

The best part of this book are racing tactics. It's the best I've seem so far.

This is a great book. Sure it's out-dated, but, why mind? This book has a LOT of good advices for any racing cyclist. It covers a lot of aspects in cycling, although none of them in great depth. It has gave me at least a dozen of very valuable tips that really helped me in real life, including tips for sprinting, climbing, playing with the others mind, how to manage a cross-wind, a breakway.

The only part that I found not good was the training season. That was the old way of training, with a fixed season and fixed number of hours for all types of riders. Everyone is different and therefore need a different training method. I do not advice to follow 100% his training plan, specially if you're a begginer. Hire a coach to help you or do it at your own risk. Eddie has a "iron hand" on his way of coaching and says: my way or no way. I don't believe this, but hey!, he was grown in the eastern-old-world. This may stop you, take care.

Some other chapters are outdated, like bike positioning, equipment choices and the now almost defuncted team-time-trial, but his TTT techinics are great if you are in a breakway.

He has a very sensate way of writing and thinking. This book is MUCH better than those of Greg Lemond, Bernard Hinault and alikes. You'll learn many good techincs for droping your companions. He tells a lot of how a team should work to get their job done. A great book for a racing cyclist.

Read the first half of the book in one sitting and have enjoyed it. Lots of fun information about the development of zobo(Herald). If you like the car you will find the book full of interesting data. A must have next to the repair manual.

Introduced in 1959, the Triumph Herald was one of the most successful light cars of the 1960's. Ex-Triumph employee graham Robson recently released the aptly-titled Complete Story of this model range.

One of the most interesting stages during the development of the range, a trip from Cape Town to tangier in Morocco, is discussed in detail, and it is amazing to see that Standard- Triumph made no attempt at all to conceal the cars' identity. As a matter of fact, the first chapter of the book, which tells the history of the Herald's ancestors, makes for very interesting reading, especially for the uninitiated.

The complete history of the Herald and the more powerful Vitesse is told in detail, and the book also contains brief histories of the closely-related Spitfire, GT 6 and Bond Equipe. Even a picture of a proposed four-door model is included, and it is actually a pity that this model was never put into production. Full specifications and production figures of all the Herald and Vitesse models are provided, even though the latter had to be based on estimates. The reason is that no actual production figures were recorded.

Graham Robson has proved once again that he is THE authority when it comes to Triumphs, and therefore, his account of the history of the Herald and Vitesse cannot be recommended strongly enough.

While most of the photos are archival Triumph Standard no doubt from Mr Robson's days a Secretary for the Standard Factory, this, like others of his books, I found lacking in content although his photo file may be of interest to some. Almost all of what I read here I've read before. But if you haven't collected TR books for years this may be a good summary of the Herald-Sport Six lineage.

This book is not for the person who wants to get a step by step guide for winning. If you want detailed diets and sprint info read Greg Lemonds book. The Eddy B. Book is next. For a REAL deatiled list of how to find Dave Scott's "Triathalon Training" - He is TOO detailed.

Who is this for? This is for the person who knows all the training basics and can keep up with the pack. Bernard tells the reader that there is no 'formula' or plan. One must create as one rides. Improvisation is the key to his style. However, he has rules to follow that teach one how to use creativity.

His main Rule: Have Fun and Enjoy. When the joy is gone then leave. It is only a ride or a race. It is not life. It does not define who you are.

His best use of tools: Riding old MTBs to learn handling skills and to have fun in the woods. (When was the last time you just putted around the woods at 2mph just playing with runts and wheelies?)

I read this book for the first time over 10 years ago, and it remains a classic. In my capacity as a cycling coach, I find occasion to recommend this book to everyone I work with.

It contains the latest information for it's time (1980's era) and much of it is timeless. It is a perfect compliment to Bernard Hinault's seemingly mercurial temperament to show the amount of thought he put into his preparation. He used the best training programs available, and the best trainers available to him in the twilight of his career and delivers that information in a clear, pointed way.

One can not help but be impressed by the amount and variety of information here. Everything from gear charts for cyclotourists to saddle height formulas are in this book, and even in 1998 serve as a good starting point for anyone interested in proper fitting to the bicycle.

Bernard Hinault used to call himself, in his typically French way, "An artist of the bicycle." He was, in fact, the second greatest cyclist that has ever lived. The way in which he would mentally dominate his opposition in races was impressive, and could give the impression that he won races on willpower alone. This is simply not the case, as you will see from the book. In this book, you get to see the tools the 'artist' used to paint his canvas.

This book is written for the "layman" in regards to the physiology behind the sport of cycling. As someone not familiar with VO2 max or heart rate training or even different methods of training, this book is perfect.

As someone with an Exercise Physiology background, however, this book was nothing more than a reveiw of everything I have learned. I was looking for something more physiologically based.

This book is written for the "layman" in regards to the physiology behind the sport of cycling. As someone not familiar with VO2 max or heart rate training or even different methods of training, this book is perfect.

As someone with an Exercise Physiology background, however, this book was nothing more than a reveiw of everything I have learned. I was looking for something more physiologically based.

I will be reading this book several times. It's packed with information on how to maximize your training session, off-season training advice, nutitional info, how to cope with jet lag, ad infinitum. I recommend this book to all who take this sport seriously.

I read Serios Cycling from Ed Burke and realized that there is more to cycling than mere racing. Being a "new" cyclist at the age of 43 I had great difficulty to match the "older" cyclists that have been cycling competatively for the last 25 years. This book helped me to see what is all the preparation work behind the scenes. Mere fitness is not enough. You tend to hit the wall during training rides and feel confused because you are still not there. The understanding of how muscles work and what they need to continue performing at extreme levels of endurance made me to adapt my diet and pre-race preparation to ensure maximum energy, nutrition and oxygen are available to the working muscles to perform at their best. It was a complete mind change but today, less than three months since I bought this book fellow cyclist are questioning if I use steriods. They could not believe the improvement! The book is well laid out to explain the basic as well as the advanced detail of the body and mind and how to overcome those stages where you seem not to progress at all. If you are serious about cycling, get this book. You'll see what I mean!

I was disappointed with this book. Having just bought a tandem bike, my wife and I thought we'd spend some time riding the towpath along the Erie canal in Western NY. What this book lacks is directions on how to get where you're going. There is very little information on access points or parking areas.
It is a nice historical reference to take along, or read before you go, which is why I gave it 3 stars. But, if you're not sure how to get there, or are wondering about where you may leave your car while you're riding, another book may be necessary.

The author is an old friend of mine. Although I am not a cyclist and no longer live in New York I was curious enough to see what kind of book he had written. I found it to be filled with lots of interesting historical and geological information along with the guide of where and how to go. All intertwined to make it an entertaining and easy read for either history buffs or those intending to ride parts of the canal routes.

Massage is one of those topics difficult to describe using just words. So Roger Pozeznik illustrates his "Massage for Cyclists" with a simple two-photo system for each technique: putting the two side by side helps the reader interpolate the motions necessary to do the moves. In addition to the photos themselves, what makes this book helpful is the division into functional parts: pre-ride, post-ride, and maintenance massage. There are two kinds of stretching described as well. Pozeznik is practical about massage's benefits without veering outside the bounds of his topic. At all times he stays attuned to the needs of athletes on the verge or at the end of a hard day's riding. Since I have offered neck-and-shoulder massage for years -- knowing that what I was doing was helping, but not knowing why -- it was especially grayifying to read the chapter on neck massage and realize that I had lucked onto a sequence almost identical to that which Pozeznik recommends. Cyclists looking to increase flexibility and suppleness, and to enhance recovery, will enjoy this book. Besides, massage is great fun. ("Sort of" by one's self, and "Absolutely" with a partner!)

As a Registered Massage Therapist I was expecting more. Although I was pleasantly surprised by the photos in this book, I was dissappointed at the descriptions of technique in this book. Pozeznik, a Certified Massage Therapist himself, needs to be building the image of Massage as a valid Therapy, useful in countless applications. This is very difficult to do when he does not use proper names to refer to technique or strokes. I understand that this book was written for the average cyclist, or lay-person, still a proper glossary at the back of the book would have solved the problem of terminology. To say I was more engaged by the forword written by Edmund Burke is not far off point. Still the book does outline a fairly useful series of pre- and post-ride sessions. A useful book to have in my library, but by no means does this book give a complete start into the field of Sports Massage.