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

calistro · 18-01-2015 9:24pm

Got 'The Eagle of Toledo' - the story of Federico Bahamontes as a Xmas present, probably something I wouldn't have bought for myself but am really enjoying it. He won the Tour in 1959 but from what I've read so far could've and should've won many more.
Written by Alasdair Fotherimgham, a brother of William who has written a multitude of cycling books.

mhiggy09 · 18-01-2015 11:58pm

If no one had said it, Nicolas roche's book is pretty good 'inside the peleton'.
And his dad's book born to ride is also a brilliant read .

G1032 · 11-02-2015 1:36pm

dermabrasion wrote: »

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

Just finished reading Domestique by Charly Wegelius

An absolutely fantastic read I thought. It's not a big disclosure about doping/drug but he does however do a really good job explaining about hematocrit levels and his struggles with keeping them down (while not banging on about doping) which Tyler Hamilton never really did in 'The Secret Race'

I got it as a Christmas gift and just started reading it on Sunday. Thoroughly enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in cycling

dinneenp · 19-10-2021 5:22pm

Posted in incorrect thread

Roadtoad · 19-10-2021 5:47pm

This one doesn't match the OP's specification, but I'll put it out there anyway. It might suit other readers of this thread.

Rambles in Éireann, by William Bulfin (1907).

His asides away from the cycling have rather failed the test of time, but are worth it for a certain historical perspective.

Tombo2001 · 22-10-2021 11:57am

Good thread

I recently read the Comeback about Greg Lemond.

I do distinctly remember a sense when I was a kid that Lemond was a step above everyone else, not sure where he is regarded in the pantheon of the greats but for me he is a unique talent.

One thing that marred the book a little was a focus towards the end of it on Lance, I've had enough of Lance. I know its a big part of the Lemond story but Lemond is a far greater cyclist.

Mr. Cats · 22-10-2021 1:36pm

Really enjoyed The Breakaway by Nicole Cooke. Has a nice mix of her growing up, success, tactics and her struggles with British Cycling and the people involved there. Shane Sutton comes out looking really bad. For example she tells how she had the rest of ‘her team’ cycling against her at World Championships and how she faced that tactically.

mamax · 22-10-2021 1:42pm

I really enjoyed The Descent by Thomas Decker, a really honest book about everything that pro cyclists never talk about.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Descent-Thomas-Dekker/dp/1785036580

Exiled1 · 22-10-2021 1:52pm

Update

The Ascent by Barry Ryan.

Excellent history of the trials and tribulations of Irish cycling. Needless to say, a huge emphasis on the '80s. Doesn't pull punches.

dinneenp · 22-10-2021 2:28pm

I got back into cycling last spring (lock down) and read a fair few cycling books since. 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/2057590770/cycling-books#latest

gn3dr · 22-10-2021 9:23pm

I just started reading the Midlife Cyclist. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midlife-Cyclist-Riders-Healthy-Perform/dp/1472961382/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=32ENUCP1FZQPQ&dchild=1&keywords=the+midlife+cyclist&qid=1634934168&sprefix=the+midlife+&sr=8-1

Only 2 chapters in yet so no overall summary bit seems good so far

phelixoflaherty · 24-10-2021 8:21pm

Not a book but a blog of some Irish lad cycling around the Globe.

http://globalcycleride.blogspot.com/?m=1

His choice of favourite country was surprising.

A great read for a Sunday

Night

phelixoflaherty · 26-10-2021 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/93857554#Comment_93857554

Slaying the Badger is a great sports book

SwissToni · 26-10-2021 11:18pm

The Flying Scotsman: The Graeme Obree Story, very moving book about his mental illness as much as the bike. Read it years ago but really stuck with me,

Tyler Hamilton's would be my second pick.

CJay1 · 27-10-2021 12:51pm

Can anyone recommend a good cycling audiobooks?

A few of the recommendations here (Secret Race and Slaying Badger) don't seem to be available

phelixoflaherty · 27-10-2021 6:28pm

Just a mention for Irish book shops.

Managed to get The Escape Artist in www.kennys.ie/

2 nd Free delivery.

phelixoflaherty · 27-10-2021 6:30pm

Podcast

http://thebikeshow.net/

Has a good interview with Obree And more with Mike Burrows

reiro · 27-10-2021 6:40pm

They look very good, that is, all the ingredients match for something culinarily divine and maybe if you put some California semolina seeds in it, it will give it a nuttier flavor than chocolate.

reiro · 27-10-2021 6:42pm

They look very good, that is, all the ingredients match for something culinarily divine and maybe if you put some California State semolina seeds in it, it will give it a nuttier flavor than chocolate.

dinneenp · 27-10-2021 8:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118079699#Comment_118079699

The magic Spanner https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Magic-Spanner-Audiobook/1472975502?ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_&pf_rd_p=d5008f37-07b0-4d76-b44d-2b41ca41066e&pf_rd_r=SF7P6V9RD217MNF3F6DP

Pro cycling on $10 a day https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Pro-Cycling-on-10-a-Day-Audiobook/B06XDG9XHP?ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_&pf_rd_p=d5008f37-07b0-4d76-b44d-2b41ca41066e&pf_rd_r=SF7P6V9RD217MNF3F6DP

The Racer https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Racer-Audiobook/B016N7K1MU?ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_&pf_rd_p=d5008f37-07b0-4d76-b44d-2b41ca41066e&pf_rd_r=SF7P6V9RD217MNF3F6DP

Think you get a few audio books free as a trial when signing up first

Recommend a good cycling book

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