Recommend a good cycling book

oconnpad · 14-01-2015 9:14pm #1

I haven't read a cycling book at all and i'm looking for a recommendation of a good 1st read.

Open to a change of mind on this but i was thinking of something along the lines of modern pro cyclist autobiography would interest me most at present.

I'd like to find out a bit more about their pre season training, maybe diet side during season as well stories from races and general good read.

Any recommedations welcome.

Arequipa · 14-01-2015 9:57pm

On the Lance Armstrong fiasco:
1) The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton
2) Wheelmen.

The Marco Pantani autobio
The David Miller book.
David Walsh has books on Team Sky and Chris Froome...

or yea.

Slaying the Badger about Hinault vs Le Mond..

A

desertcircus · 14-01-2015 10:07pm

Lanterne Rouge is a great read, but definitely not a perspective on the modern pro's life.

dermabrasion · 14-01-2015 10:14pm

Charlie Wegalus: Domestique
Cycle of Lies: whatshername
David Millar: Racing in the Dark

daragh_ · 14-01-2015 10:20pm

Dog in a Hat - Joe Parkin

American Pro racing in Europe late 80's - early 90's.

drogdub · 14-01-2015 10:23pm

Etape by Richard Moore, +1 on Domestique and the Cycling Anthology books

dragratchet · 14-01-2015 10:35pm

+1 for Dog in a Hat - great read.

A Race for Madmen -Chris Sidwell - a history of the TDF

The Crooked Path to Victory:Drugs and Cheating in Professional Bicycle Racing: Les Woodland

drogdub · 14-01-2015 10:48pm

Also, excellent thread here: http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057189863/1

Gallant_JJ · 14-01-2015 11:10pm

Laurent Figon's autobiography is a cracking read.

TheBlaaMan · 14-01-2015 11:28pm

Gallant_JJ wrote: »

Laurent Figon's autobiography is a cracking read.

This would be my first choice too... a great read, well written and honest, it would seem.

lissard · 15-01-2015 12:32am

Quite enjoying Paul Howards biography of Jacques Anquetil at the moment. It's called "sex lies and handlebar tape". Etape by Richard Moore is really good read.

tonytiger81 · 15-01-2015 9:07am

1. It's All About The Bike by Robert Penn.
A good book about the evolution of the bicycle and how he builds a bike for life with the help of Brian Rourke (and a few worldwide trips).

2. Breaking the Chain by Willy Voet: The sports physio that was involved in the Festina Affair in 1998. Very good read.

3. We Were Young and Carefree by Laurent Fignon.

4. The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton.

5. Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage.

thejaguar · 15-01-2015 9:18am

The secret race is a good read
The death of Marco Pantani is good as well
Rough Ride is also good.

I haven't managed to read a book yet that isn't about the disastrous effect of drugs on cycling/cyclists.....

I'll have to have a look at some of the others on this thread.

oconnpad · 15-01-2015 9:38am

Thanks all for the replies and the link to the other thread, i'll pick through them today

Craig06 · 15-01-2015 12:33pm

The rainbow project is good as is mark cavendish at speed.

dragratchet · 15-01-2015 12:43pm

The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton is incredible. you wouldnt even need to be into cycling to enjoy it.

Pdoghue · 15-01-2015 3:10pm

I've just finished 'In Search of Robert Millar' by Richard Moore and it's an excellent read. He's a really good writer, even though I think he's a little unfair to Millar in the premise of this book.

Caroline_ie · 15-01-2015 5:14pm

You gotta read Rough ride by Kimmage!

ROK ON · 15-01-2015 7:32pm

The Rider

Then after that:
In search of Robert Millar
dog in a Hat
the Ras
Life and death of Marco Pantani - spoiler alert it's utterly depressing. Almost as depressing as Nil by Mouth (which is my favourite depressing film).

ustazjoseph · 15-01-2015 7:45pm

this meets none of the criteri you mentioned but i really enjoyed this book Gironimo!: Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/tim-moor
he also wrote one called French revolutions. he followed the route of the four and the Giro. The tour on a standard road bike , the giro on a period classic with wooden rims. Hes a middle aged , not very fit cyclist . I think he sort of represents the cycling everyman. hes also funny . good on poted history and back story to the races as well .

MPFG · 15-01-2015 7:46pm

I liked Nico Roche's i- Inside the Peloton if you are new to cycling and it is an easy read
I thought The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton was a very good read

Anything by Richard Moore is great including Slaying the Badger and Etape

I also liked We Were Young and Carefree by Laurent Fignon.

And I have just bought Hunger by Sean Kelly

crosstownk · 15-01-2015 9:39pm

MPFG wrote: »

And I have just bought Hunger by Sean Kelly

A great read.

I can't believe this thread has had 20 posts before Hunger was mentioned!

dermur · 15-01-2015 11:05pm

tonytiger81 wrote: »

1. It's All About The Bike by Robert Penn.
A good book about the evolution of the bicycle and how he builds a bike for life with the help of Brian Rourke (and a few worldwide trips).

The video of the book of the bike of the...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leg9iYK-9E0

dermur · 15-01-2015 11:09pm

Would definately recommend Fignon's "We Were Young and Carefree" as a good read. Typically blunt and no BS.

flimflamflo · 15-01-2015 11:09pm

+1 for The Rider, a true classic.

Enjoyed Sean Kelly's 'Hunger' but in fairness, he doesn't exactly engage with the elephant in the room that is PED and I reckon the only thing I really got out of it was the fact that he signed the book for me.

Tyler Hamilton's is a well written, very engaging look at what anyone who read 'From Lance to Landis' before David Walshe cashed in bigtime already knows.

Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage remains (for me, anyway) the benchmark for any honest account of the past 30 years, like him or no.

I really enjoyed Michael Hutchinson's 'The Hour'

If you want a coffee table style book with an engaging storytelling style and history, Herbie Sykes' 'Maglia Rosa' about the Giro is excellent too.

Lastly, check out The Cycling Anthology series - collections of current cycling journalism, there might be something there to catch your fancy.

Enjoy :-)

geoff35 · 16-01-2015 9:59am

Fallen Angel-Fausto Coppi...is very good...i've read most and its one of the best ive read...

Pdoghue · 16-01-2015 11:19am

crosstownk wrote: »

A great read.

I can't believe this thread has had 20 posts before Hunger was mentioned!

In fairness, it's not that great of a read at all. Very disappointing from Kelly. As someone said, he doesn't address the PED issue at all. Reads more like an English footballer's bland biography, and does the genre of cycling biography a disservice.

David Walsh's biography of Kelly in the eighties was probably better.

Caroline_ie · 16-01-2015 2:35pm

I had another look at my collection and I think my favourite is Laurent Fignon "Nous étions jeunes et insouciants"/"We Were Young and Carefree" for the non francophones.

Ole Rodrigo · 16-01-2015 2:37pm

Rough Ride is a good one to start with.

Just bought ' The Rules ' for holidays ..looks gas

Mercian Pro · 16-01-2015 10:06pm

+2 for The Rider by Tim Krabbe if you want to imagine a time when drugs didn't determine who won and who lost. Too many of the other books either focus on drugs/getting caught/reforming or duck the issue altogether.

Jim Stynes · 17-01-2015 10:34am

Faster - The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World's Fastest Cyclists
Very good if you're interested in how the pros train. Easy to read as well.
http://road.cc/content/review/115653-faster-obsession-science-and-luck-behind-worlds-fastest-cyclists

Recommend a good cycling book

Comments