From the winner of the Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year 2018 The first Tour de France in 1903 was a colourful affair full of adventure, mishaps and audacious attempts at cheating. Its riders included characters like Maurice Garin, an Italian-born Frenchman, said to have been swapped for a round of cheese by his parents in order to smuggle him into France to clean chimneys as a teenager, Hippolyte Aucouturier with his trademark handlebar moustache, and amateurs like Jean Dargassies, a blacksmith who had never raced before. Would this ramshackle pack of cyclists draw crowds to throng France's rutted roads and cheer the first Tour heroes? Surprisingly it did, and, all thanks to a marketing ruse dreamed up to revive struggling newspaper L'Auto, cycling would never be the same again. Peter Cossins takes us through the inaugural Tour de France, painting a nuanced portrait of France in the early 1900s, to see where the greatest sporting event of all began.

In the spring of 2015, Mark Beaumont set out from the bustling heart of Cairo on his latest world record attempt - solo, the length of Africa, intending to ride to Cape Town in under 50 days. Seven years since he smashed the world record for cycling round the world, this would be his toughest trip yet. And he would set a new mark that would simply break the limits of endurance.

Despite illness, mechanical faults, attempted robbery and stone-throwing children, as well as dehydration in the deserts and unprecedented levels of exhaustion, Mark completed the journey in just 41 days, 10 hours and 22 minutes, after cycling 6,762 miles, spending 439 hours in the saddle (sometimes up to 16 hours a day) and climbing 190,355 feet through 8 countries. It was an astonishing journey, and one that will fascinate and grip the reader.

From the obvious dangers of Egypt, Sudan and Kenya, over the unpaved, muddy, mountainous roads of Ethiopia, through the beautiful grasslands of Tanzania and Zambia, to riding at night in Botswana in the company of elephants and giraffes, Mark brings Africa to life in all its complex glory, friendship and curiosity, while inspiring us all to question the bounds of what is possible.

Join the world’s biggest bike race on its 40-year journey from the Argus Tour to the Cape Town Cycle Tour.

312 pages with over 1000 iconic images, astonishing facts, all the winners, personal memories and the in-depth tale of each of the 39 tours to date.

Each year, from 1978, is featured as a separate chapter with:

• Highlights & facts over the years
• Factoid boxes throughout
• A graphic (for each year) showing the finish line comparisons of record holders & finishing times
• Overall finishing statistics comparison graphs since 1978
• The date, the distance & main category winners listed for each year since 1978
• Location map of the route (showing changes since 1978)
• Key stats for each year
• Overview of sponsors
• Key rider personalities
• Winner’s photos
• Images reflecting riders & supporters since 1978
• Bike, clothing, gear & technology changes over the years
• Images of the medals, logos & awards
• Key celebrities, personalities & organisers over the years
• Race number graphics & badges
• Over 1000 photographs from the archives featuring:
• Spectators
• Personalities
• Historic moments
• Interviews with iconic personalities & their personal memories
• Historic newspaper clippings
• “The year that was” box with non-cycling events for each year

On 1 January 1999, Travis Gale (aged 17) and Stephen Bonaconsa (aged 27) left Johannesburg on a mission to cycle across four continents and raise R1 million for children living with, and affected by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal. They pedalled out of Johannesburg, riding mountain bikes equipped with panniers, carrying the basic requirements for an adventure. They rode unsupported. No Instagram or Facebook. It was just the two of them and the open road. The pair successfully cycled over 16 000 kilometres, across four continents, through 16 countries, raising R1.7 million for their cause.

When asked to share about his experience, Travis very rarely spends time talking about the start or the finish of the tour. The stories Travis shares are from The Middle. It’s The Middle that tests us with challenges, yielding a multitude of emotions. It’s The Middle that involves the raw and often painful need to dig deep, to push through the barriers that stand in our way, and show ourselves what we are capable of. The Middle is what we, as human beings, were designed for. We can all pitch up at start lines. We can all celebrate a finish. But no finish is without a Middle and every Middle is where WHO WE ARE is revealed.

This book, The Middle, includes eight stories, drawn from eight key days of a world cycle tour, which will encourage and equip people through The Middle; the territory we must navigate in pursuit of our goals.

If you love cycling and want to learn more about this sport, then The South African Bike Book & Events Guide is for you.

Cycling is a complex sport and if you want to improve your abilities, whether it is just to make it to the top of your nearest hill without stopping, or whether to win a champion race, cycling takes dedication and sacrifice. In this book we give you everything you need to equip yourself to become the best cyclist you can be. The book will introduce you to the origins of the humble bicycle, as well as key safety and cycling regulations and tips on staying alive.

As a cyclist knowing your equipment and the anatomy of your bike is important. This book gives you all the information you require on how to buy the correct bike, the variety of bikes on the market, how the various options differ, and how many different ones you need to covet, rather than need. Other chapters include the gear (kitting yourself out properly), the workshop (how to care for your bike), set-up and skills (basic set-up, road skills and MTB skills) as well as training and nutrition (the basics, recovery, injury and illness). The last chapter focuses on top events highlighting the top 5 road races and MTB races and other popular cycle races, uniquely African races, DIY and the ultras.

Of course once you have equipped yourself with this knowledge we give you a fantastic ride and training logbook, because practice makes perfect.

So get your ride on, with the ultimate South Africa Bike Book & Events Guide today!

Steve and I clutched hands - his right in my left - and then we simultaneously pushed down with our feet. Cogs clicked, wheels turned, and we were on our way. We left Nordkapp within minutes. Cape Town was only 18,000 kilometres away.

Deciding to break away from his comfortable lifestyle in London, Reza and his friend Steven set off from the most northerly point on mainland Europe to cycle the 11,000 miles to the other end of the planet, completely unsupported. Their expedition becomes a race against the clock, as they attempt to complete the trip in a world record of just 100 days. Battling punishing terrain and primitive roads, harsh and debilitating climates, malaria, food poisoning and heat stroke, their thrilling journey brings them face to face with some of the world's most stunning, memorable and volatile regions.

This is the intensely personal story of one man's mission to create a more positive, purposeful life, and the compelling account of the epic journey he took to get there.

With a foreword by Eddy Merckx The world of professional cycling is fraught with fierce competition, fervent dedication and unerring ambition, and only a handful of competitors reach iconic status. Among them is Sir Bradley Wiggins - a man uniquely placed to reflect on the history of this remarkable sport and its unforgettable titans. In Icons, Wiggins takes the reader on an extraordinarily intimate journey through the sport, presenting key pieces from his never-before-seen collection of memorabilia. Over the course of his illustrious career, he amassed hundreds of items - often gifts from its greatest and most controversial figures. Each reflects an icon, a race or a moment that fundamentally influenced Wiggins on both a personal and professional level. By exploring the lives and achievements of 21 of the sport's key figures - among them Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Indurain and Tom Simpson - Wiggins sheds new light on what professional cycling demands of its best competitors. Icons lauds their triumphs, elucidates their demons and sheds light on the philosophy and psychology that comprise the unique mindset of a cycling champion.

Many of us have recently dusted off an old bike and got back in the saddle for the first time in years. This is great news; we will be enjoying the health, financial, and emotional benefits for decades. But if you've not ridden a bike since childhood, it's a challenging prospect. This book is a confidence builder for the nervous new or re-newed cyclist. In three clear stages the book covers the benefits of cycling, looking after your bike thereby avoiding trips to the bike workshop, and above all, the real-world advice you need to become a confident cycling commuter and road user. Engagingly written by cycling expert and author Alan Anderson, all this comes in a small, readable format, with attractive illustrations by David Sparshott.

How would any of us feel if we could meet our teenage selves, a ghost on the road? Everything Passes, Everything Remains is a confluence of journeys, made by Chris Dolan, his friends, and writers before him. It's a bit about cycling, a bit about walking, and a bit about buses. It's a kind of travelogue, over time, and through some lesser-known parts of Spain. It's an obsession with Spain's writers and its history, from the Inquisition to the Civil War to the questions it faces as a country today. What makes a nation, or a family for that matter, or a group of friends? In many ways it's as much about Scotland and the UK as Spain. But mostly it's about growing up and growing older - how the past plays merry hell with the present. About friendship, loss, music, writing. And it's about memory, and the tricks it plays.

From bad weather to business travel to traffic safety, there are dozens of reasons why cyclists and triathletes take their rides inside. Although indoor cycling workouts offer the ultimate control over workout conditions, most inside riders don't get the most out of their trainers or spin bikes. RIDE INSIDE offers cyclists and triathletes a smart guide to getting more fitness from every indoor cycling workout. From the world's most experienced personal cycling coach, Joe Friel, RIDE INSIDE reveals all the unique aspects of indoor riding: * Mental aspects like motivation, focus, and enjoyment * Changes in upper body stability, posture, and pedaling technique on a stationary bike * Respiration, hydration, and cooling * Inherent changes in power output * Lower leg tension and eccentric loading from flywheel momentum * Lower effort from lack of terrain changes, headwinds, and crosswinds * Road-like feel * Different shifting patterns All these differences of indoor riding add up to a big impact when the rubber hits the road. Drawing from the foundations of Friel's classic training guides, The Cyclist's Training Bible and The Triathlete's Training Bible, RIDE INSIDE shows how to apply smart and proven training concepts to indoor cycling. Riders will get expert guidance on the best ways to set up a trainer or smart trainer, how to modify outdoor workouts for indoor cycling, how to better monitor power and RPE, and how to use social online training platforms like Zwift to make training better and not worse. Most critically, RIDE INSIDE shows cyclists and triathletes how to do indoor cycling workouts that actually meet their training goals instead of compromising.

The revised edition of the classic cycling guide by Harold Briercliffe of 1950. Used as the inspiration for the Britain by Bike television series and a vital part of the award-winning Britain by Bike book by Jane Eastoe, the original book is reproduced along with suggested cycling routes in the Central England region for today's cyclists. Harold Briercliffe was the Alfred Wainwright of cycling and his books provide great insight into cycling in various parts of the UK in the 1940s. Harold's fascinating description of the towns, villages and roads of Britain at the time is a joy for all those who love these isles and especially for cyclists looking for inspiration. Many roads have changed over the decades and are now too busy for enjoyable cycling, so Mark Jarman, along with Sustrans, have made suggestions for alternative routes in the region for today's cyclists. The book includes the original photographs taken by Harold Briercliffe and the original illustrations. The Cycling Touring Guide: Southern England covers cycle routes in the Thames Valley and the Cotswolds, The Isle of Wight, The New Forest, between London and the South Coast, and routes along the South Coast. The cycle routes vary in length from half day and day-long trips to weekend and week-long tours.

The Official Tour de France Bike Maintenance Book goes exclusively behind the scenes with the finest professional cycling mechanics during the most gruelling and high-pressure bike race in the world. Working at the cutting edge of bicycle technology, Tour mechanics expertly maintain high performance race bikes every day throughout the Tour. The highlight, for many fans, is watching the bikes being prepared before a stage and serviced after it. The reader is put in the fans' shoes, with exclusive insights and images from the life of a Tour mechanic, with in-race stories and technical advice. Practical sections in each chapter show the home mechanic how to perform essential maintenance tasks and personalise their own bicycles to Tour de France standards. Even if bikes are serviced by shop mechanics, vital checks and regular adjustments are covered in these pages and, to make a bike stand out, there are professional tricks of the trade as well as the small but telling detailing jobs to enhance the bike's looks. Another feature of The Official Tour de France Bike Maintenance Book focuses on the growing interest in classic racing machines, which are collected, ridden and displayed in 'Eroica' festivals, events celebrating the heroic age of cycling. These, of course, include Tour de France bikes from the past 75 years and there are features on these classic bikes, with maintenance tips using traditional tools and techniques.

This is in the series of pocket sized, folded maps to the National Cycle Network which include clearly mapped on-road and traffic-free paths, easy to read contours and detailed town insets. Published by Sustrans. 1:110,000 scale; folded 155mm x 99mm; flat 792mm x 630mm.The Causeway Coast & Glens Cycle Map (52). Including Causeway Coast Cycle Route, Lower Bann Cycleway, Loughshore Trail, ecos Cycle Trail and 5 individual day rides.

The official route map for the 120-mile (193 km) ride linking the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge. National Route 51 from Oxford to west of Bedford, and Huntingdon to Cambridge. National Route 12 from west of Bedford to Huntingdon

This area map shows the National Cycle Network and local routes in this area. It covers the northern area of the Mid Wales region of Wales, including Aberwystwyth, Machynlleth, Llangollen and southern Snowdonia. With landscape ranging from the uplands of the Cambrian mountains and Snowdonia to picturesque views over Cardigan Bay, north mid-wales offers a great variety of cycling experiences from traffic-free paths to challenging gradients. Head south from Porthmadog through stunning South Snowdonia, until you reach Coed Y Brenin forest park, Wales' home of mountain biking, or explore the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth. This pocket-sized colour map shows clearly mapped on-road and traffic-free paths, easy to read contours, and detailed inset maps for the major towns and cities as well as recommended linking routes connecting the NCN with quiet roads. MAJOR ROUTES COVERED BY THIS MAP: National Route 8 (Lon Las Cymru cycle route) between Llanidloes and Criccieth via Machynlleth, Dolgellau, the Mawdach Trail and Porthmadog. National Route 81 (Lon Cambria cycle route / Montgomery Canal Greenway) between Welshpool and Llanidloes via Newtown. National Route 82 between Machynlleth and Porthmadog via Tywyn, Dolgellau and Coed Y Brenin. National Route 85 (Llangollen Canal route) between Llangollen and Chirk. Regional Routes 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 around Y Bala. Regional Routes 41, 42 and 43 around the Llyn Peninsula.

This is in the series of pocket sized, folded maps to the National Cycle Network which include clearly mapped on-road and traffic-free paths, easy to read contours and detailed town insets. Published by Sustrans. 1:110,000 scale; folded 155mm x 99mm; flat 792mm x 630mm.John o' Groats & North Scottish Coast Cycle Map (48). Including The North Sea Cycle Route and 2 individual day rides.

WINNER OF THE BEST BRITISH BOOK AND BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE BRITISH BOOK DESIGN AND PRODUCTION AWARDS 2010 Join Clare Balding on some terrific cycle rides around Britain, whether it's a week-long cycling holiday or an afternoon ride with the family, the book has a cycle ride for everyone. Free-wheeling on and off road - along obscure lanes, bridleways and disused railway lines - Britain by Bike reveals a fresh perspective on our country. Revel in beautiful breathtaking and exhilarating cycle routes and scenery in the six regions of Britain and find out the unusual ways to enjoy these islands, whether it's going to green man festivals, learning local customs or resting up at remote campsites or posh yurts! Share in Clare Balding's practical and cycle-related challenge and learn how to make the most of pedal power with guidance on reading a map, puncture repair, bad weather and tricky terrain. Discover Britain by Bike.

This is in the series of official pocket sized, folded maps to the National Cycle Network which include clearly mapped on-road and traffic-free paths, easy to read contours and detailed town insets. The series is published by Sustrans. 1:110,000 scale; folded 155mm x 99mm; flat 792mm x 630mm.West Dumfries & Galloway Cycle Map 36. Including Lochs and Glens South and 3 individual day rides.

Great cyclists are born, but winning cyclists are made by the brains of their managers. The craft of racing requires a non-stop obsession with detail: watching rivals, judging the strength of a break, knowing the course, and picking the right moment to seize a fleeting opportunity and turn it into a big win. How the Race Was Won investigates the fine details of bicycle racing through extensive interviews with the sport's brightest minds. Author Peter Cossins has interrogated the riders, managers, and directors who have shaped the sport, and reveals how they learned to navigate the invisible undercurrent that sweeps their riders to the finish line. From the moment when George Pilkington Mills was paced to victory by a wily teammate in the 1891 edition of Bordeaux-Paris to Chris Froome's modern emphasis on marginal gains, How the Race Was Won embraces the full sweep of cycling history, making stops along the way to analyze how tactics first evolved and how today's winning minds continue to build on what came before. Behind every great cyclist is a race wizard reading the race, watching the rivals, outwitting the competition, and anticipating the one perfect moment to launch a rider to victory. How the Race Was Won is a thrilling and unprecedented look at how victory is won, how rivals are vanquished, and how pure speed can only prevail when supported by deep brainpower.

Bath to Bournemouth at 1:110 000 scale, clearly mapped traffic free and on road National Cycle Network Routes and linking routes. Includes detailed town and city maps for urban navigation with easy to read contours and route profiles. Also includes local visitor information centres, cycle shops and cycle hire details. National Route 24 from Bath to Longleat National Route 25 from Longleat to Bournemouth

LOST LANES will take you on 36 meandering tours of the most beautiful and hidden destinations in southern England. The book includes: Route overviews, distances and maps Overnight stops, from B&Bs to camping under the stars Best pubs and tea stops Wild swims, breathtaking views and fascinating history How to access each ride by train (no car required!) So take off on a trip past hedgerows and open meadows, along sparkling rivers and wild seashores, and see it all from the best vantage point of all: that humble yet extraordinary transport of delight, the bicycle. MOBILE DEVICES & DOWNLOADS All the routes in this book are supported by downloadable route instructions you can print out take with you, plus a GPX navigation fi le for your GPS device or smartphone app. The book is also available as a smartphone app for Android and iPhone.

The bicycle has long been a part of American culture but few would describe it as an essential element of American identity in the same way that it is fundamental to European and Asian cultures. Instead, American culture has had a more turbulent relationship with the bicycle. First introduced in the United States in the 1830s, the bicycle reached its height of popularity in the 1890s as it evolved to become a popular form of locomotion for adults. Two decades later, ridership in the United States collapsed. As automobile consumption grew, bicycles were seen as backward and unbecoming-particularly for the white middle class. Turpin chronicles the story of how the bicycle's image changed dramatically, shedding light on how American consumer patterns are shaped over time. Turpin identifies the creation and development of childhood consumerism as a key factor in the bicycle's evolution. In an attempt to resurrect dwindling sales, sports marketers reimagined the bicycle as a child's toy. By the 1950s, it had been firmly established as a symbol of boyhood adolescence, further accelerating the declining number of adult consumers. Tracing the ways in which cycling suffered such a loss in popularity among adults is fundamental to understanding why the United States would be considered a ""car"" culture from the 1950s to today. As a lens for viewing American history, the story of the bicycle deepens our understanding of our national culture and the forces that influence it.

The official map for the 167-mile route from Stratford-upon-Avon to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. National Route 5 from Stratford-upon-Avon to Reading. National Route 4 from Reading to London.

This is in the series of pocket sized, folded maps to the National Cycle Network which include clearly mapped on-road and traffic-free paths, easy to read contours and detailed town insets. Published by Sustrans. 1:110,000 scale; folded 155mm x 99mm; flat 792mm x 630mm.Derry ~ Londonderry & The North West Cycle Map (51). Including Foyle Valley Cycle Route, Limavady Borough, Faughan Valley Cycleway and 5 individual day rides.