There’s nothing I love more than relaxing with a good book, and thanks to these Shelter in Place days I seem to have a bit more book time than ever before. So here we are: the first in a series of posts sharing some of cycling’s greatest reads.
Each month will feature a variety of books, from dusty rider memoirs to the latest training manuals. My goal is for each post to have something for everyone, and I welcome your comments on my selections as well as any recommended reads you may offer. Enjoy!
The Rider
Tim Krabbé
Cycling’s cult classic. This memoir masquerading as novel was originally published in the Netherlands in 1978, then translated to English in 2002. It includes these famous words:
Meyrueis, Lozere, June 26, 29177. Hot and overcast. I take my gear out of the car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.
One reviewer writes “What makes The Rider so great—beyond the immediate dramatic arc of its sporting narrative—is the way it captures, at such short length, the entirety of the cycling experience.”
The Secret Race
Tyler Hamilton & Daniel Coyle
Perhaps the most devastating chronicle yet of the recent history of pro bike racing. Daniel Coyle knows his way around pro bike racing – he wrote Lance Armstrong’s War prior to this book, and it shows.
“The holy grail for disillusioned cycling fans . . . The book’s power is in the collective details, all strung together in a story that is told with such clear-eyed conviction that you never doubt its veracity. . . . The Secret Race isn’t just a game changer for the Lance Armstrong myth. It’s the game ender.”—Outside
Reading the Race
Jamie Smith with Chris Horner
If you struggle to read a bike race, or don’t know which tactics you might employ to win, this is the book for you. Sure, a high FTP is nice – but bike racing is called a rolling chess game for a reason. To win, you need race smarts.
“Whether you’re a new racer, an aspiring pro, a team manager, or even a roadside fan, Reading the Race will elevate your cycling IQ for better racing.”
Roar
Stacy T. Sims PhD
A comprehensive, physiology-based nutrition and training guide specifically designed for active women. This book teaches you everything you need to know to adapt your nutrition, hydration, and training to your unique physiology so you can work with, rather than against, your female physiology. Sims says, “Women are not small men. Stop eating and training like one.”
One reviewer says, “As a coach of female endurance cyclists: this is a constant go-to.”
It’s All About the Bike
Robert Penn
This book follows Penn’s journey to build his dream bike, but it is more than the story of his hunt for two-wheel perfection. En route, Penn brilliantly explores the culture, science, and history of the bicycle.
From artisanal frame shops in the United Kingdom to California, where he finds the perfect wheels, via Portland, Milan, and points in between, his trek follows the serpentine path of our love affair with cycling. It explains why we ride.
The Cyclist’s Training Bible
Joe Friel
Friel’s Training Bible is the bestselling and most comprehensive guide for aspiring and experienced cyclists. No matter your current ability level, it equips you with the information needed when planning a season, lining up a week of workouts, or preparing for race day.
The newest (5th) edition adds emphasis to personalizing training plans, incorporates new power meter techniques, improves on ways to develop technique, updates the strength training approach, speeds recovery for busy athletes, and cuts through the noisy volume of training data to focus athletes on the numbers that mean the most to better performance.
The World of Cycling According to G
Geraint Thomas
Double Olympic gold medallist. Multiple world champion. Tour de France winner. Geraint Thomas gives you a warts and all insight into the life of a pro cyclist.
A series of short essays on all aspects of cycling life, this is not your typical “greatest hits” pro cyclist book. Geraint doesn’t really talk much about himself, but more of the people in his life. And he does it with an entertaining, subtle sense of humor.
Funny, informative, diverting, and droll, this is a joyful celebration of the world of cycling.
What do you think?
Have you read any of these books? Got others you would recommend? Share your thoughts below!
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