Cycling Books Recommendations

detones

Looking for some good books to read about cycling. Have been getting more and more interested in the History of cycling and events from the Grand Tours to the Monument Races to even our own RAS and everything in-between. Would also be interested in some autobiographies of the big names in Cycling History (not lance). I don’t really want to get too bogged down in all the drug stuff, but that’s probably unavoidable. Not so interested in books on training as I have some.

There's about a 5min to 1hr window in my day after I put Junior to bed, do my chores (whip noise), feed the hogs, milk the cows etc. were I’d rather do a bit of reading then my current habit of watching old Next Generation Episodes or some other sh1te.

So any recommendations?

fightireland

Racing In The Dark - David Millar
Seven Deadly Sins - David Walsh
Slaying the Badger - Richard Mooore
Rough Ride - Paul Kimmage

Wishbone Ash

fightireland wrote: »

Racing In The Dark - David Millar
Seven Deadly Sins - David Walsh
Slaying the Badger - Richard Mooore
Rough Ride - Paul Kimmage

I'll have to second those four. Great reads especially Slaying the Badger which I wanted to reread as soon as I finished it. It's about the epic duel between Hinault and LeMond during the 1986 TDF.

godtabh

I've just read Racing i the Dark and Slaying the Badger. Both great reads but I did find Slaying the Badger repetitive.

I had a similar thread on this before my holidays and was also recommended The Rider by Tim Krabbe. Reading it now. A bit meh so far

Ole Rodrigo

+1 The Rider - Tim Krabbe.

check_six

A Race for Madmen by Chris Sidwells is a good overview of the history of the Tour de France.

funkyjebus

Just read these on my holidays.

The secret race - Fantastic read, could not put down
Born to Ride - Good

bazermc

the rás-the story of Ireland's unique bike race by Tom Daly, is a good read.

http://www.collinspress.ie/the-ras.html

ps I will not hear a bad word spoken about old Next Generation Episodes - always a classic!

TheNah

I've read most of those mentioned so far. The ones I enjoyed the most, in order, are:

Rough Ride
The Secret Race
A Race for Mad Men
Racing in the Dark

Bad Blood by Jeremy Whittle is also good. I find you need to temper cycling books about na drugai (of which there are many, some very good) with some that don't major on it, such as the tour de france one above (race for mad men), elsewise you will most probably end up taking drugs yourself.

check_six

French Revolutions by Tim Moore is a very funny book about a writer who decided to ride the course of the Tour de France despite not having been on a bike since he was a kid. Crazy and hilarious in turns. Also achievable from the point of view of emulating your heroes, if your hero is a guy who is fairly poorly prepared physically, and really doesn't know what's ahead of him as the road goes upwards.

detones

Thanks lads for all the replies. Plenty there for me to get stuck into too. Will probably average a book a month so will take a while!!

chester3455

fightireland wrote: »

Seven Deadly Sins - David Walsh

seven deadly sins is about how lance used drugs:mad: seven times to win the tour so this is not what you want to read by your description on books you want

I found The Hour a good read.

bren_mc

funkyjebus wrote: »

The secret race - Fantastic read, could not put down

would have to agree - so far anyway; started this yesterday and I'm about half way through it.

12 sprocket

"A Dog in a Hat is a page turner. Anyone who has raced in Europe or who wonders what it's like to jump the ocean on your own should pick up this book.