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!
Heft on Wheels and Bobke are good reads!
Bobke for sure, in a future list!
I recommend Road to Valor by Aili and Andres McConnon about the life of Gino Bartali. It’s an amazing story that details his activities during the Nazi occupation of Italy during WWII. This legendary cyclist is a true hero.
“Fast After 50” (Joe Friel) for older folks like me
I’ve heard this is a good one! Being only 40, I have not yet read it. 🙂
When I saw the topic I immediately wanted to see if Tim Krabbe’s The Rider was there. Fantastic read. I also enjoyed Tyler Hamiltons Secret race. Who doesn’t know Joe Friel’s Training Bible and many other publications. Haven’t read the others but will put them on my list of To Read. There’s also a biographical account of the death of Tom Simpson on Mont Ventoux in 1967 called Put me back on my Bike (can’t remember the author) and an account of the Festina affair titled Breaking the chain by their soigneur Willie Voet. Both worthy of a read.
There are lots of great cycling reads. I was going to try to make one exhaustive post, but gave up. 7 a month until I run out of good ones. That’s the new plan!
Great suggestions, BTW.
There are several good books about Major Taylor, arguably the best cyclist ever and the reason the Tour de France was created. This one by Kerber, intro by LeMond is my favorite.
Good picks Eric!!
Colombia es Passion and King of the Mountains, both by Matt Rendell are exceptional.
Domestique: The True Life Ups and Downs of a Tour ProBy Charly Wegelius is another good book about riding in the peloton
Great book. If I ever had an aspirations of going pro, I think this book would convince me otherwise.
Training And Racing With A Power Meter—Andrew Cohan et.al. It’s the single best book of this type I have read. Lots of good Zwift-adaptable workouts in the back too. BTW Eric—thanks for the “Ride-On” on the Twenty (20) Tokyo ride today!
Great book. That and the Cyclist’s Training Bible are the two best On the topic in my opinion.
You’re welcome (For the Ride On)!
Phil Gaimon is super fun to read. I’d say Draft Animals is a good choice to start if you have to pick one.
Agreed!
I can recommend reading: The man and his bike by Wilfried de Jong. A great selection of short stories of the world seen from a bike.
PS Great blog Eric. Love the information and race stories.
Reading Mark Beaumont’s “around the world in 80 days” at the moment Eric, a must for any endurance cyclist. Had the pleasure of attending an evening with Mark in January and he’s a real gent.
Road to Valour, a biography of Gino Bartali that reveals his wartime heroics between winning the TDF before and afterwards
Hearts of Lions is on my all-time great books of cycling list. Greg Moody’s “Two Wheels”, and “Deadroll” are fun cycling murder myatery novels for your next list…
About to finish The Secret Race – fast read and great book. Thanks for the recommendation!
I’d recommend not giving any money to Tyler Hamilton who spent a career making money by cheating and then, when it was all over, made money by writing a book about how he spent his career cheating. Along the way he funded his legal defence – during which he claimed not to have spent his career cheating – by selling babygros with “Tyler Is Innocent” emblazoned across them.
The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton – one of best books on cycling.
The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton – great book. Beautifully written.