Take one very large guy. Add booze, cigarettes, and an extreme amount of junk food. Mix in a wry, self-effacing wit. Throw in a bike. The result? Heft on Wheels, a potently funny look at turning your life around, one insanely unrealistic goal at a time.
Not that long ago, Mike Magnuson was a self-described lummox with a bicycle. In the space of three months, he lost seventy-five pounds, quit smoking, stopped drinking, and morphed from the big guy at the back of the pack into a lean, mean cycling machine. Today, Mike is a 175-pound athlete competing in some of the most difficult one-day racing events in America. This irreverent and inspiring memoir charts every hilarious detail of his transformation, from the horrors of skin-tight XXL biking shorts to the miseries of nicotine withdrawal.
"Heft on Wheels is an unforgettable book about getting from one place to another, in more ways than one.

When you think of Kentucky, Daniel Boone and horse farms usually come to mind. What most people don't know is that the area's easy accessibility from major cities, quiet backroads, gentle terrain, and stunning river views make it an ideal place to explore by bicycle. Whether you're going out for a day trip or two-day ride, cyclists of all abilities will find many opportunities to explore this beautiful state. With detailed maps, mile-by-mile directions, and fascinating historical commentary about what you'll see along your ride, author George Garber will lead you along winding rivers and through covered bridges and pastoral farmlands, in addition to such places as: Frankfort, the state capital Lexington and horse country Kentucky Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Harrodsburg, the first Anglo-American settlement west of the Alleghenies Camp Nelson, a Civil War site Kentucky River Gorge Big Bone Lick State Park, home of fossilized woolly mammoths ...and much more. In addition, cyclists can ride a portion of the Transamerica bike route that runs from Virginia to Oregon, and that traverses almost the entire length of Kentucky. 25 black & white photos, 26 maps.

Mountain Biking Northern Arkansas is a mountain bike guide that focuses on singletrack trails in northern and central Arkansas. This guide features 21 trails with information on trail difficulty, trail length, expected ride time, trail type, driving directions, detailed trail description, and general information including services available at or near the trail. Fifteen of the trails in the guide have never been published before. If you're looking for a definitive guide to mountain biking trails in Arkansas, this book will take you there.

Underneath an azure sky with the wind in his face, Cleo Coney Jr. discovers a new world of speed, guts, and friendships. "Push, Carve, Grind" takes the reader to the Central West Coast of Florida, where skateboarding not only helped to develop a young mind, but also open one. Who knew that the close group of skaters he was a part of would be responsible for keeping the sport alive in his part of the world, during skateboarding's dark days when the skateboard parks all closed. "Push, Carve, Grind!" opens a window allowing the reader to explore this soul enhancing experience called skateboarding.

When people think about New York City, very often the image that's conjured up is of a vast metropolitan and polluted environment, with traffic for miles, and suburban bedroom communities that sprawl in all directions. However, author Gerry Brooks has taken a closer look and discovered the many delightful quiet country roads and lanes that can be reached in 90 minutes to, at most, less than two hours from NYC. From the Connecticut shoreline to the riverbanks of Bucks County along the Delaware River, these 25 cycling tours in the tristate area can easily provide exercise and relaxation for the hurried urbanites/suburbanites of Philadelphia and the 12 million others in the NYC region. Although not all of the tours chosen for this guide are flat, the name "Cycling for Softies" could be also be given to this compilation of 1-day trips in the New York tristate area. Whether you choose to enjoy riding solo, with friends, or as a family activity, this complete guide will give you all the information you need to make your each day tour unique. Features include: historical background to accompany each tour; tour ratings from "easy" to "more difficult" terrain; gear preparation; road safety (in this land of many roads); directions so that a route can be extended; and more.

In the Tour de France of 1998, for the first time ever, political forces intervened to lay bare the comprehensive doping practices of popular athletes, which had been covered up by the sports officials as well as by journalists who might have exposed them. As these dramatic raids made it clear that doping practices pervaded professional cycling and as such put an end to the myth that doping can simply be attributed to the moral defects of corrupt individuals, suspicions grew that cycling was probably not the only major sport in which doping was for many athletes a way of life. This great Tour de France scandal of 1998 made possible a genuine campaign against doping led by governments and sports officials. In 1999 this resulted in the creation of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by which the way was paved for a partnership between an independent international body and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This arrangement has produced some notable successes in the drug testing of elite athletes over the past several years wherefore many observers may well believe that there is today an effective global anti-doping consensus and that doping is gradually being eliminated from major Olympic sports. The essays appearing for the first time in this volume, however, show that athletes who dope and those that pursue them are trapped in a fateful conflict that is far more complicated than the familiar story line suggests. The detect-and-punish strategy currently being refined by WADA does not address some of the major dimensions of the doping phenomenon: the rights and requirements of the athlete-worker, the gradual legalisation of soft doping techniques, nationalistic resistance to doping control, the perils of corporate sponsorship, the expanding black market for doping drugs, the publics tacit acceptance of doped athletes, and the cherished illusion that the Olympic motto citius, altius, fortius is compatible with the requirements of a drug-free sport in the 21'th century. Doping and Public Policy argues that the current strategy of condemnation and surveillance is not enough, and that it is time to rethink anti-doping policy in the global context where it belongs.

This comprehensive cycling guide uncovers scenic back roads for both touring and mountain bikes through the heart of the Southern Appalachians: from North Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina to Southwest Virginia. Encompassing the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the region offers scenic and historic tours along valley floors, exhilarating ridgetop rides, and challenging treks through rugged mountains. Rogers describes road bike rides at Georgia's historic Chickamauga National Battlefield; high, wild vistas from the transmountain Cherohala Skyway; and a new greenway system spanning Maryville and Alcoa, Tennessee. Mountain bikers will love the classic tours on the Tsali and Bent Creek trails systems, as well as two new trail systems along Tennessee's Ocoee River. Also included are Virginia's popular Virginia Creeper and New River Trails. Routes range from the little known to the well traveled, from level road rides to challenging mountain trails. Each ride description will include mile-by-mile directions; a detailed map and mileage cue sheet; information on difficulty and terrain; and notes on the natural and historic features you'll encounter along the way.

A book like no other, Paul Fournel's "Need for the Bike" conducts readers into a very personal world of communication and connection whose center is the bicycle, and where all people and things pass by way of the bike. In compact and suggestive prose, Fournel conveys the experience of cycling--from the initial charm of early outings to the dramas of the devoted cyclist. An extended meditation on cycling as a practice of life, the book recalls a country doctor who will not anesthetize the young Fournel after he impales himself on a downtube shifter, speculates about the difference between animals that would like to ride bikes (dogs, for instance) and those that would prefer to watch (cows, marmots), and reflects on the fundamental absurdity of turning over the pedals mile after excruciating mile. At the same time, Fournel captures the sound, smell, feel, and language of the reality and history of cycling, in the mountains, in the city, escaping the city, in groups, alone, suffering, exhausted, exhilarated. In his attention to the pleasures of cycling, to the specific "grain" of different cycling experiences, and to the inscription of these experiences in the body's cycling memory, Fournel portrays cycling as a descriptive universe, colorful, lyrical, inclusive, exclusive, complete.

A "live vicariously through me" adventure book about a teacher's journey across America in the summer of 2000 on a bicycle. A stimulating blend of history, cycling facts, and personal experience interspersed with heart-warming scenes of America's people and places.

From a U.S. Olympic coach, physiologist, and veteran cyclist comes Performance Cycling--the ideal training manual for the several million coaches, cyclists, and endurance athletes of all ages and abilities who want to rev up their RPMs and go for personal gold. With techniques utilized by national champions and Olympians, this unique, cutting-edge guide covers the proven ways to make any body perform for maximum endurance and toughness.

Subsequent to hiking the whole Appalachian Trail, which took 47 hikes over many years, and having bicycled alone across the USA in four separate trips, Paul Wittreich decided that he wanted to do a long distance adventure in one shot.

The result was a two-month bicycle ride across Canada from the Pacific at Vancouver Island to Nova Scotia and the Atlantic. In the next summer, he topped it off by going to the end of Trans-Canada Highway, Mile 0, in St. John's, Newfoundland. The adventure took him through all ten of Canada's provinces, including Prince Edward Island.

In addition to keeping a continuous chronicle, he took panoramic photos with his WideluxTM camera. The resulting pictures visually encompass scenes of 140 degrees to portray the sweeping breadth of Canada.

Like a modern-day Don Quixote, Joe Kurmaskie—bike adventurer, writer, and twelve-year-old boy trapped in a man’s body—wanders the world on two wheels, often with hilarious results, in Riding Outside the Lines.
A jaunt through such far-flung locations as Ireland, Australia, Mexico, South America, and beyond, here is a collection of tales woven together with one central theme: the world is a much smaller place when you view it from the seat of a bicycle.

Whether he’s weekending in the buff after accidentally stumbling into a nudist colony wedding, knocking back red wine in tin cans with a gun-toting ex–bounty hunter, combing the countryside in a quest to find the all-girl bagpipe squad he met in his dreams, or playing a rousing game of ice golf on the frozen tundra, Joe Kurmaskie writes of his gonzo global trek in a spirit infused with insight, good humor, and optimism. Riding Outside the Lines encourages travel buffs and armchair explorers alike to get on your bike and see the beauty of our planet and the colorful souls who populate it.

J. B. Wadley's career as a cycling journalist spanned more than 40 years and encompassed every aspect of the sport. The first British writer to cover the Tour de France and the great one-day Classics, his were the words that first put us in among the continental peloton. But he was equally at home among crack-of-dawn time-trialists, trackmen, randonneurs and record-breakers. His enthusiasm embraced them all, and he wrote about each aspect of cycle sport with an authority and an inimitable eye-witness style that never failed to convey its particular drama. All of this is reflected in this selection of his work, drawn from his early days as a young reporter with The Bicycle, through the years when he edited Sporting Cyclist and then International Cycle Sport, to his last major book, My 19th Tour de France.

Around Birmingham is one of 20 titles in the new Philip's Cycle Tours series. The series is directly derived from the highly successful Ordnance Survey Cycle Tours series, but has been updated and improved, with a new focus on the needs of cyclists and the cycling market in the 21st century.Each book in the series contains 20 routes, both on-road and off-road, taking you along low-traffic or traffic free roads, tracks and paths. The route takes you through some of the most beautiful countryside and prettiest villages in Britain, and past some of the finest and most interesting houses, churches, castles, gardens and monuments in the land.Around Birmingham provides a rich variety of rides in the heart of England. Rides pass through the open country of the Tame Valley, the uplands of Warwickshire, the former Forest of Arden, undulating west Leicestershire, the Lickey and Clent hills, and the heath and woodland of Shropshire and Staffordshire.A unique feature of Philip's Cycle Tours is the superb Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 mapping showing the routes of the rides. This mapping not only gives the detail and clarity you need to follow the route with ease and safety, but allows you to plan short-cuts and detours, to look out for new places of interest, and to become truly involved in the lansdcape you are cycling through. The mapping now shows National Cycle Network routes and National Long-Distance Footpaths.Clear directions are given alongside the mapping, and cross-profile diagrams make planning the pacing of each ride an easy task, even for the beginner. Extra information includes an introduction to the area of the route, nearest railway stations, places of interest with descriptions, guides to refreshment stops, and clear indications of distance, grade and terrain.The books are beautifully and practically designed, with colour photographs throughout the ultra-clear layout.Main map scale: 1:50,000

The classic guide for beginning and intermediate cyclists is back—and it’s better than ever. With the latest on bikes, gear, and training techniques and new sections on short tours, and touring abroad, this new edition of The Essential Touring Cyclist promises to appeal to a whole new population of aspiring cyclists. Whether you’re heading out for five hours or five months, this vividly designed, heavily illustrated, and resource-rich guide delivers everything you need.

From Philadelphia to the Amish country, this all-new guide to cycling eastern Pennsylvania's scenic roads includes tours for both road and mountain bikes. Patricia Vance has explored hundreds of miles of roads in eastern Pennsylvania to find the most scenic, uncrowded, and enjoyable cycling on both paved and dirt roads. Areas covered include: Philadelphia Valley Forge The Brandywine River Valley Bucks County The Poconos The Endless Mountains Pennsylvania Dutch Country Gettysburg Rides range in length from a 10-mile spin through the row houses of Old City Philadelphia to a 55-mile ramble in the rolling hills of the Pocono Mountains. Each chapter includes a detailed map, mile-by-mile tour directions, and information on mileage, terrain, and difficulty, as well as nearby bicycle rental and repair shops. An overview chart at the beginning of the book provides information at a glance to help you choose a tour. And throughout, Vance provides fascinating commentary on the history and culture of this picturesque region. 25 black & white photographs, 26 maps.

The natural beauty of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket is best appreciated from the intimate vantage point of a bicycle: sand dunes and beaches, cranberry bogs and pine forests, wildflower meadows and tidal creeks, and above all, the ever-present sea. Susan Milton has completely updated this guide to include tours on back roads and little-traveled paths. They avoid the crowds and traffic that can plague the Cape, taking riders instead along scenic lanes and past quiet harbors. Each chapter includes a detailed map of the tour, mile-by-mile directions, and information on the area's maritime heritage and natural history, as well as places to eat, stay, and repair or rent a bike. 31 up-to-date maps, includes tours for both mountain bikes and road bikes. The first edition of this book was titled 25 Bicycle Tours on Cape Cod & the Islands.

With a varied terrain that includes the forested slopes of the Allegheny Mountains, hilly farmland along the Pennsylvania border, pine-filled woodlands along the upper Chesapeake Bay, and the flat expanses of the Eastern Shore, Maryland is perfect for cycling adventures. For this completely revised and updated second edition, Anne Oman has traveled throughout the state to assemble 25 trips, including four new tours, ranging from a day's outing to a weekend inn-to-inn tour. Visit the wild ponies of Assateague Island; spin through Antietam National Battlefield and other historic sites; explore the streets of Baltimore and Annapolis; or raise your pulse on a hard ride around Sugarloaf Mountain. The rides range in length from 5 to 95 miles. Each tour description includes a detailed map, as well as information on mileage, terrain, where to eat and repair a bike, and natural and historic highlights you'll see along the way. 4 new tours in this edition. 20 black and white photographs 26 maps