Recommend me a cycle book

[Polite]

I have read books such as "The secret race", "One man and his bike", "French Revolutions", "It's all about the bike" (Robert Penn) but I haven't read many biographies.

I'm keen to hear what people recommend and I'm not narrowing my read down to anything specific, other than cycling related.

Hope to hear.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

If you enjoyed The Secret Race, then try and get hold of USADAs Reasoned Decision on Lance Armstrong. It is basically the full transcripts of the investigation in PDF, I originally grabbed it from their website.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I have read books such as "The secret race", "One man and his bike", "French Revolutions", "It's all about the bike" (Robert Penn) but I haven't read many biographies.

I'm keen to hear what people recommend and I'm not narrowing my read down to anything specific, other than cycling related.

Hope to hear.

Racing-only recommendations, plus some to avoid...
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/cycling-books-recommendation-and-avoid-racing-only.90127/

 

[PK99]

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-world-of-cycling-according-to-g/geraint-thomas/9781784296407

Gives a great insight into the world of pro cycling with the warmth of a local cycling club.

 

[Shaun]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0224080180/

Put Me Back on My Bike: In Search of Tom Simpson

Was bought for me as a present and was a revelation with regards to how little money / support / gear was available to pro riders in comparison to nowadays. I'm not a racing fan or avid follower, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-world-of-cycling-according-to-g/geraint-thomas/9781784296407

Gives a great insight into the world of pro cycling with the warmth of a local cycling club.

Agreed!, excellent book

 

[Yellow Fang]

My favourite cycling book is Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Anything by Ned Boulting or Michael Hutchinson

 

[matiz]

Flying Scotsman,Graham Obree's life story is a good read also Personal Best Beryl Burton's biography.

 

[mjr]

G is great, as already mentioned - his descriptions of Froome are almost worth it and then there's a fun book with them.

Any of Ned Boulting's are entertaining, too. I see you've The Secret Race, so for another in that vein (sorry), David Millar's two are good. For a different sort of scandalous, Nicole Cooke's The Breakaway is well worth reading.

 

[gbb]

NOT Bradley Wiggins book My Time .
I found it a jumble of recollections and thoughts...nothing more. There didn't seem to be any sense to it. JMO.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

A friend/work-collegue asked me if I wanted a few books, as he was having a 'sort-out', & he had too many to carry on bike (he doesn't own a car)

I took my daughter, & had a drive over this morning.....................
To be met by two rather large piles

This is approximately half, I left all the Rapha (& various other) magazines, for another visit




Oh!, & he's a 'Thorper too

 

[Labradorofperception]

As a man who spends lot of time on planes and trains, I plough through cycling books like a man.... erm ploughing through cycling books. I suppose it's better than sitting in the Bar at Birmingham airport at 6am, in a West Brom shirt drinking Stella....


well recommended is Christophe Bassons "A Clean Break" or "Virenque is a To$$er".

and Alasdair Fotheringham's book on the Festina affair is genuinely intriguing. it should be re-titled "Virenque is still a To$$er"

A quirky and quite esoteric read is Max Leonard "Lanterne Rouge" - It speaks to me about my own racing career - well "Dropped" would be more apt.

As others have said - Ned's stuff is great - very warm and dry and he sums up the UK cycling scene very well - it's all about trestle tables. Cake and trestle tables.

Dr Hutch has a new one out - Re-Cyclists. sort of flows from Ned's stuff about the CTC, Wayfarer, Helms cartoons and lashings of ginger beer.

I also recommend Chris Sidwell's Long Race to glory - about how the UK came to be the power it is in cycling. It quite rightly has plenty on Beryl Burton, Yvonne McGregor , Mandy Jones and Nicole Cook

 

[Low Gear Guy]

I recommend Gironimo! By Tim Moore. The author retraces the 1914 Giro Di Italia with commentary on the race and his own struggle on a vintage bike.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

A friend/work-collegue asked me if I wanted a few books, as he was having a 'sort-out', & he had too many to carry on bike (he doesn't own a car)
I took my daughter, & had a drive over this morning.....................
To be met by two rather large piles

This is approximately half, I left all the Rapha (& various other) magazines, for another visit
View attachment 371898

First to be read will probably be the Eddy Merckx, & Allan Peiper books, at the front