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Cycling books

KathleenF · 2016-04-27 15:19:09

Hi. Hope this is right forum. I'm looking for recommendations on books about long distance cycling please, specifically 'journey' type books, not Tour de France/racing ones. Last one I read was about cycling Alaska to Chile in 9 months, a few Irish guys did it in 2008. Also read Screaming at the Sky. Are there any others…

27-04-2016 4:19pm

#1

KathleenF

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Hi. Hope this is right forum. I'm looking for recommendations on books about long distance cycling please, specifically 'journey' type books, not Tour de France/racing ones. Last one I read was about cycling Alaska to Chile in 9 months, a few Irish guys did it in 2008.
Also read Screaming at the Sky. Are there any others people would recommend? I'm interested in doing Mizen to Malin this summer and would love some reading on how other people fared on their cycling journeys.

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#2 27-04-2016 4:36pm

neris

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theres a book thread buried deep down here somewhere with recommendations for various types of cycling and not just racing. Link below will make it quicker to find

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057189863

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#3 27-04-2016 4:46pm

dragratchet

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Not necessarily a journey book but one that definitely portrays a journey in life is Matt Seatons - The Escape Artist, really fantastic book that would engage anyone with even a passing interest in cycling. I really cant recommend it enough.

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#4 27-04-2016 4:46pm

KathleenF

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neris wrote: »

theres a book thread buried deep down here somewhere with recommendations for various types of cycling and not just racing. Link below will make it quicker to find

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057189863

Perfect. Thanks a mil Neris & dragratchet

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#5 27-04-2016 5:38pm

Carawaystick

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Dervla Murphy has cycled a lot of places. Wrote books about it too.
http://www.dervlamurphy.com/books.html

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#6 02-06-2021 3:05pm

devonp

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a new ? book if anyone is interesting in cycling in the Pyrenees

(is this tread that old or is there an alternative ?)

https://inrng.com/2021/06/book-review-cyclists-guide-to-pyrenees/#more-38570

https://www.gnbooks.co.uk/product/a-cyclists-guide-to-the-pyrenees/

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#7 02-06-2021 6:36pm

triggermortis

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A personal favourite of mine:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masked-Rider-Cycling-West-Africa/dp/B00COPEKIW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=neil+peart+cycling+in+west+africa&qid=1622655358&sr=8-1

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#8 02-06-2021 7:41pm

Quigs Snr

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The Mark Beaumount ones. Along with the TV show are pretty decent.

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#9 02-06-2021 9:46pm

wanderer 22

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I find the Tim Moore ones very entertaining, particularly this one - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25069840-gironimo-riding-the-very-terrible-1914-tour-of-italy

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#10 02-06-2021 10:13pm

crosstownk

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I'll second Mark Beaumont. I really enjoyed The Man that Cycled the World. Good read.

Another good read, but a blog rather than a book is Willie Bennett's Round the World Attempt. I found it very entertaining although I was following it 'live' at the time.

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#11 03-06-2021 8:32am

Tombo2001

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I know its an old thread, but if anyone hasnt read Full Tilt by Dervla Murphy, its really a brilliant book.

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#12 03-06-2021 9:01pm

jrar

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crosstownk wrote: »

I'll second Mark Beaumont. I really enjoyed The Man that Cycled the World. Good read.

Another good read, but a blog rather than a book is Willie Bennett's Round the World Attempt. I found it very entertaining although I was following it 'live' at the time.

Stumbled across Willie's blog on the CrazyGuyOnABike site, and whereas I'll dip in and out of many of the offerings on that site, I stuck with Willie's blog especially as there was adventure, travel, danger, and romance all tied up in it (there's definitely a book in there !) (though unlike you, I was playing catch up and not following it 'live')

For the OP, the site is invaluable for touring cyclists many of whom are doing vast distances and/or spending years on their RTW trips etc. (but shorter offerings ARE available ! )

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#13 03-06-2021 10:25pm

crosstownk

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jrar wrote: »

..... there was adventure, travel, danger, and romance all tied up in it (there's definitely a book in there !) .........

Yep. It has a lot of drama. Willie is well able to write so hopefully a book will follow in time. There were a few rumours of a book not long after he returned to Limerick but I've heard nothing in quite a while. Hopefully it'll happen eventually - I'd be first in the queue to buy it.

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#14 19-10-2021 4:57pm

dinneenp

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Some already mentioned here, but here's a summary of the cycling books I really enjoyed over the past year:
The Ascent- history of Irish cycling https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36312053-the-ascent
The Rider- fantastic. describes in painstaking detail one 150-kilometer race in a mere 150 pages https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/657466.The_Rider
The Magic Spanner Carlton Kirby gives an insider's view of competitive cycling delivered in the inimitable, humorous, and at times outspoken style for which he has become globally famous. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263250-magic-spanner
The Secret Race https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15823426-the-secret-race
The Rules- lighthearted, rules of cycling https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18377988-the-rules (funny)
Faster: The Obsession, Science and Luke behind the world's fastest cyclists. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18719682-faster
Pro cyclist for $10 a day
Racing Through the Dark.
Next on my list:
A Dog in a Hat
Draft Animals
Endless Perfect CirclesL lessone from the little known world of ultra distance cycling

@Admin- there's another thread that's the same as this, I'd suggest to close one and point it to the other
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057189863/the-cycling-books-thread-discussion-reviews-recommendations-etc/p6

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#15 01-11-2022 8:12pm

devonp

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like many above i've read many cycling books ...so many i can't even remember them!!!
anyhow the latest one is was The Secret Cyclist....gave up and returned to the library after 50 awful pages ...never did that before for a cycling book...anyone else find it dreadful ???
btw i really liked the Phil Gaiman books and all of Tim Moore's cycling adventure/challenge books ....best of all was the non-cycling trek with the donkey across the Camino; Spanish Steps

Post edited by devonp on November 2022

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#16 01-11-2022 10:06pm

dinneenp

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https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119820863#Comment_119820863

Hi. There's another thread with the same topic & is more active-
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057189863/the-cycling-books-thread-discussion-reviews-recommendations-etc/p6

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#17 05-11-2022 7:41pm

2011abc

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Jeez that’s a great story !Fair play Willie !

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