THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORT BOOK OF THE YEAR A retirement statement from a sports star rarely causes a flicker, but Nicole Cooke went out as she rode her bike: giving it her all. The contrast could not have been greater - as Lance Armstrong, a fraudster backed by many corporate sponsors and feted by presidents, was about to deliver a stage-managed confession to Oprah, so a shy, young woman from a small village in Wales took aim. She too had been a cyclist, the only rider ever to have become World and Olympic champion in the same year, and the first British cyclist to have been ranked World No.1, but as a woman in a man's sport, her exploits gained little recognition and brought no riches. She too had ridden through this dark period for the sport when drug-taking was everywhere. Nicole Cooke spoke up for those who had taken a very different path to Lance and his team-mates. In her frank and outspoken autobiography, Cooke reveals the real story behind British cycling's rise to global dominance. With a child's dreams of success, she left home at 18 to pursue her goals in Italy. Broken contracts, unpaid wages, a horrendous injury and drugs cheats were just some of the challenges she faced, even before she lined up to take on her opponents. The Breakaway is a book that will not only inspire all those who read it, but which also asks some serious questions about the way society regards women's sport.

Many amputees want to know how it feels to be able to cycle, and some even want to be professional amputee cyclists. The disability market offers many options for amputee cycling. This book shows you how to get started and take those exciting first steps on your way to a higher level of mobility and independence. The contributions in this collection are written by some of the best-known amputee cyclists in the world, including Margaret Biggs, Rajesh Durbal, Mark Inglis, and Keira Roche. Their achievements are nothing short of remarkablewhether cycling around a velodrome at the Paralympics or around the world raising funds for charity. This guide offers great advice from experts and ordinary cyclists alike for arm, leg, combination, and all matters of amputee cycling. The book includes tips not only on the vast arrangement of two wheelers, but also tricycles, recumbents, handbikes, tandems, unicycles, electric bikes, and more specialized cycling forms designed for the disability market. The book offers practical tips and stories, imagery, photographs, and much more to help you or a loved one firmly connect with cycling as an activity that can be done despite a disability.

This new title from Bradt tells the inspiring and emotional story of Ishbel Holmes, also known as `World Bike Girl', a Scottish-Iranian woman who became a champion racing cyclist in spite of having been abandoned by her family, and who set off on the adventure of a lifetime despite her lack of experience, money or equipment. Ishbel Holmes was determined to cycle the world but her journey took a completely unexpected turn when, despite her initial instincts not to, she rescued a street dog in Turkey. Ishbel was lost and alone when she started on her epic trip, but in Lucy found a companionship never previously known. Between the two there formed a deep bond and their relationship was followed and supported by thousands of readers online, before becoming a media sensation overnight when Ishbel put out a plea for help to transport Lucy to an animal shelter three hundred miles away. This heart-rending tale is about more than just the relationship between a woman and her dog. It is a testimony to the human spirit, overcoming present-day challenges and churning up long-buried and painful memories from Ishbel's earlier life. It is also a tale of adventure, one person's determination to cross an unfamiliar country by bike and the unforgettable scenes that greet her on the Turkey-Syria border and into Syria itself. And it is a loving portrait of Lucy, the street dog that was determined not to let Ishbel go and whose dogged persistence helped to break down the barriers around her heart and in so doing change her life in ways she had never imagined. Ultimately, this is a tale of love and healing, a modern fable that touches the soul and reminds us all of the need to belong.

Subways and yellow taxis may be the icons of New York transportation, but it is the bicycle that has the longest claim to New York's streets: two hundred years and counting. Never has it taken to the streets without controversy: 1819 was the year of the city's first bicycle and also its first bicycle ban. Debates around the bicycle's place in city life have been so persistent not just because of its many uses-recreation, sport, transportation, business-but because of changing conceptions of who cyclists are. In On Bicycles, Evan Friss traces the colorful and fraught history of cycling in New York City. He uncovers the bicycle's place in the city over time, showing how it has served as a mirror of the city's changing social, economic, infrastructural, and cultural politics since it first appeared. It has been central, as when horse-drawn carriages shared the road with bicycle lanes in the 1890s; peripheral, when Robert Moses's car-centric vision made room for bicycles only as recreation; and aggressively marginalized, when Ed Koch's battle against bike messengers culminated in the short-lived 1987 Midtown Bike Ban. On Bicycles illuminates how the city as we know it today-veined with over a thousand miles of bicycle lanes-reflects a fitful journey powered, and opposed, by New York City's people and its politics.

In cities throughout the world, bicycles have gained a high profile in recent years, with politicians and activists promoting initiatives like bike lanes, bikeways, bike share programs, and other social programs to get more people on bicycles. Bicycles in the city are, some would say, the wave of the future for car-choked, financially-strapped, obese, and sustainability-sensitive urban areas. This book explores how and why people are reconsidering the bicycle, no longer thinking of it simply as a toy or exercise machine, but as a potential solution to a number of contemporary problems. It focuses in particular on what reconsidering the bicycle might mean for everyday practices and politics of urban mobility, a concept that refers to the intertwined physical, technological, social, and experiential dimensions of human movement. This book is for Introductory Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Environmental Anthropology, and all undergraduate courses on the environment and on sustainability throughout the social sciences.

With quiet roads, striking scenery and brimming with 5,000 years of heritage, north Leinster is a marvellous region to discover by bike. These thirty routes, exploring coast, lake, river and canal routes, vary in distance and difficulty and are graded to suit all abilities. Greenways along canals and old railway lines are ideal for novices and families, while the adventurous can take a challenge through the mountains of Louth's breathtaking Cooley Peninsula. Each cycle is prefaced with summary information and illustrated with photos, a custom-drawn map and a gradient graph. Anecdotes, history and profiles of interesting locals are included throughout, adding colour to coffee breaks in the sleepy villages and medieval towns that dot the picturesque landscape. All but one of the routes are looped back to the train stations from which they started, making for perfect days out. Visit the early Christian settlement of Monasterboice or the original home of the Book of Kells. Take in spectacular views across Dublin Bay or the legendary Hill of Tara. This practical and informative guide covers the scenic and the curious in this land of saints and scholars.

An Italian SCHINDLER'S LIST, this is the inspirational story of Gino Bartali, who made the greatest comeback in Tour de France history and secretly aided the Italian Resistance during the Second World War. ROAD TO VALOUR is the inspiring, against-the-odds story of Gino Bartali, the cyclist who made the greatest comeback in Tour de France history and still holds the record for the longest gap between victories. Yet it was his actions during the Second World War, when he secretly aided the Resistance, rather than his remarkable exploits on a bike, that truly cemented his place in the hearts and minds of the Italian people. Based on nearly ten years of research, and including fascinating new interviews, this is the only book written that fully explores the scope of Bartali's wartime work. A breathtaking account of one man's unsung heroism and his resilience in the face of adversity, this is an epic tale of courage, comeback and redemption, and the untold story of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century.

Find Solitude and Dramatic Views Around San Francisco Bay Everyone needs a break from their daily life. Escape to the oak-studded grasslands and tranquil forests of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Hike, bike, or ride through nine counties with the official guide endorsed by the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. Discover dramatic coastlines, a range of ecosystems, former Mexican ranchos, vistas that inspired Spanish explorers, and more. Join author Elizabeth Byers-a founding board member of the council-and Jean Rusmore, and choose from 75 trail segments on a network of paths that ring San Francisco Bay. Make your way through parks and public lands like Mount Tamalpais State Park and Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. Trips range from a 2.5-mile excursion over the Benicia-Martinez Bridge to a 12.5-mile traverse of Bolinas Ridge. You can also link several trips together to create a continuous trek that is 20, 40, or even 80 miles long. Each trip includes summary information, like distance, accessibility, regulations, and facilities, as well as an easy-to-read map. Comprehensive trail directions help to ensure that you always know where to go, while details on the region's history and culture entertain you along the way. Grab the updated, full-color edition of Bay Area Ridge Trail and start planning your next adventure. The perfect outing is closer than you think.

Skateboarding originated in California, and early board designs were simple. By the 1980s, skateboarding had reached all corners of the country and was becoming popular worldwide, as kids adopted the culture and took over public spaces to practice the sport. This book highlights the work of forty-four artists who exemplify the seemingly boundless evolution of skateboard design.

Finally, the authoritative resource that serious cyclists have been waiting for has arrived. The perfect blend of science and application, Cycling Science takes you inside the sport, into the training room and research lab, and onto the course. A remarkable achievement, Cycling Science features the following: * Contributions from 43 top cycling scientists and coaches from around the world * The latest thinking on the rider-machine interface, including topics such as bike fit, aerodynamics, biomechanics, and pedaling technique * Information about environmental stressors, including heat, altitude, and air pollution * A look at health issues such as on-bike and off-bike nutrition, common injuries, fatigue, overtraining, and recovery * Help in planning training programs, including using a power meter, managing cycling data, off-the-bike training, cycling specific stretching, and mental training * The latest coaching and racing techniques, including pacing theories, and strategies for road, track, MTB, BMX, and ultra-distance events In this book, editors and cycling scientists Stephen Cheung, PhD, and Mikel Zabala, PhD, have assembled the latest information for serious cyclists.

My Cool Bike celebrates a love affair with bikes and bike culture. The bicycle is the most popular form of transport on the planet. Cycling is simply ideal for many things and we are now at the dawn of a new golden age of this versatile machine. This book will appeal to all who have taken up cycling for sport, fun, health and wealth. As the individual stories in the book show, a bike is a way of seeking solitude - a leisurely trip taken at one's own pace, only relying on pedal power. For some the bike is much more than an accessory for the daily commute: there are the plucky few who have have embarked on life-changing momentous global journeys; while for others bike ownership offers the chance to be part of a loyal, passionate and strong-minded community of fellow enthusiasts embarking on club excursions. Among this collection of cool bikes are classic racing bikes, high-tech machines that use the latest in material science and aerodynamics, eccentric bikes designed for specific purposes, and rarities coveted by serious collectors. Themes include: Urban, Commercial, Touring and Sporting, Vintage and Eccentric, Custom bikes, Eco and community bikes, Workshops, shops and cafes and Accessories including fashion.

This classic, once hard-to-find travelogue recalls one of the very first around-the-world bicycle treks. Filled with rarely matched feats of endurance and determination, Around the World on a Bicycle tells of a young cyclist's ever-changing and maturing worldview as he ventures through forty countries on the eve of World War II. It is an exuberant, youthful account, harking back to a time when the exploits of Richard Byrd, Amelia Earhart, and other adventurers stirred the popular imagination. In 1935 Fred A. Birchmore left the small American town of Athens, Georgia, to continue his college studies in Europe. In his spare time, Birchmore toured the continent on a one-speed bike he called Bucephalus (after the name of Alexander the Great's horse). A born wanderer, Birchmore broadened his travels to include the British Isles and even the Mediterranean. After a lengthy, unplanned detour in Egypt, Birchmore put his studies on hold, pointed Bucephalus eastward, and just kept going. From desert valleys to frozen peaks, from palace promenades to muddy jungle trails, Birchmore saw it all on his eighteen-month, twenty-five-thousand-mile odyssey. Some of the people he encountered had never seen a bike - or, for that matter, an Anglo-European. As a good travel experience should, Birchmore's trip changed his outlook on strangers. Always daring, outgoing, and energetic, he now saw an innate goodness in people. In between bone-breaking spills, wild animal attacks, and privation of all kinds, Birchmore learned that he had little to fear from human encounters. That he traveled through a world on the brink of global war makes this lesson even more remarkable - and timeless.

The Tour de France Grand Depart of 2014 shone a light on Yorkshire as a world class cycling destination. But the triumph that was Le Tour was in many ways the latest encounter in a unique long distance love affair between the White Rose and the most challenging race on the planet. From the culture shock that working class Yorkshiremen experienced cycling alongside the continental greats of the 1950s and 60s to the golden triumphs of post-Millennial Olympic success, Cycle Yorkshire tells the region's cycling story through the eyes of the riders themselves. It delves into how the pit villages, steelworks, glorious landscapes and riding routes of Yorkshire have played their part in pioneering and sustaining British cycling at home and abroad. And it explores the stories of bravery, passion and heartbreak behind legends like Brian Robinson, Barry Hoban, Tom Simpson and Beryl Burton and the successes of modern day greats like Malcolm Elliott, Ed Clancy and Lizzie Deignan, while looking at what the future might hold for the sport in God's Own Country with its first Road World Championships on the horizon in 2019. There are exclusive interviews, first person musings from the centre of the action and informed guides on the region's best cycling climbs and top training routes along the way. It's the ultimate account of Yorkshire's cycling story.

Tom Danielson's Core Advantage offers a simple, highly effective core strength program for cyclists. This comprehensive approach shows the 50 essential core workout exercises that will build strength and endurance in the key core muscles for cycling--no gym membership required. Professional cyclist Tom Danielson used to have a bad back. He shifted in the saddle, never comfortable, often riding in pain. Hearing that core strength could help his back, he started doing crunches, which made matters worse. He turned to personal trainer Allison Westfahl for a new approach. Danielson and Westfahl developed all-new core exercises to build core strength specifically for cycling, curing Danielson's back problems. Better yet, Danielson found that stronger core muscles boosted his pedaling efficiency and climbing power. Using Danielson's core exercises, cyclists of all abilities will enjoy faster, pain-free riding. Cyclists will perform simple exercises using their own body weight to build strength in the low back, hips, abs, chest, and shoulders without adding unwanted bulk and without weights, machines, or a gym membership. Each Core Advantage exercise complements the motions of riding a bike so cyclists strengthen the right muscles that stabilize and support the body, improving efficiency and reducing the fatigue that can lead to overuse injuries and pain in the back, neck, and shoulders. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced training plans will help bike racers, century riders, and weekend warriors to build core strength throughout the season. Each plan features warm-up stretches and 15 core exercises grouped into workouts for injury resistance, better posture, improved stability and bike handling, endurance, and power. Westfahl explains the goal for each exercise, which Danielson models in clear photographs. Riding a bike takes more than leg strength. Now Tom Danielson's Core Advantage lays out the core strengthening routines that enable longer, faster rides.

A critical look at the political economy of urban bicycle infrastructure in the United States Not long ago, bicycling in the city was considered a radical statement or a last resort, and few cyclists braved the inhospitable streets of most American cities. Today, however, the urban cyclist represents progress and the urban "renaissance." City leaders now undertake ambitious new bicycle infrastructure plans and bike share schemes to promote the environmental, social, and economic health of the city and its residents. Cyclescapes of the Unequal City contextualizes and critically examines this new wave of bicycling in American cities, exploring how bicycle infrastructure planning has become a key symbol of-and site of conflict over-uneven urban development. John G. Stehlin traces bicycling's rise in popularity as a key policy solution for American cities facing the environmental, economic, and social contradictions of the previous century of sprawl. Using in-depth case studies from San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Detroit, he argues that the mission of bicycle advocacy has converged with, and reshaped, the urban growth machine around a model of livable, environmentally friendly, and innovation-based urban capitalism. While advocates envision a more sustainable city for all, the deployment of bicycle infrastructure within the framework of the neoliberal city in many ways intensifies divisions along lines of race, class, and space. Cyclescapes of the Unequal City speaks to a growing interest in bicycling as an urban economic and environmental strategy, its role in the politics of gentrification, and efforts to build more diverse coalitions of bicycle advocates. Grounding its analysis in both regional political economy and neighborhood-based ethnography, this book ultimately uses the bicycle as a lens to view major shifts in today's American city.

One man, one bike, one hour. The inside story of Bradley Wiggins's record-breaking ride For 60 minutes this summer, the British public stopped what they were doing, switched on their radios, their TVs, refreshed their Twitter feeds and followed Bradley Wiggins's attempt to break one of sport's most gruelling records: The Hour. The premise is simple enough: how far can you cycle in one hour. But it is thought to be one of the toughest events an athlete can endure, both physically and psychologically. Eddy Merckx, cycling's uber-champ, called it the hardest thing he ever did. Wiggins, like many before him, discovered the unique pain of pushing yourself as hard as you can for 60 minutes. In this revealing book, Bradley Wiggins takes you behind the scenes of his record attempt. From planning to preparation, to training to execution, Bradley shares his thoughts on his sacrifices, his heroes, and the people who have supported him along the way as well as what's to come as he heads towards the twilight of his stellar career. Supported by stunning photography, My Hour is a fitting celebration of one of Britain's best-loved sportsmen in his finest hour.

World champion at 19... One of the first black athletes to become world champion in any sport... 1-mile record holder... American sprint champion in 1898, 1899, 1900... triumphant tours of Europe and Australia... Victories against all European champions...

Until now a forgotten, shadowy figure, Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor is here revealed as one of the early sports world's most stylish, entertaining, and gentlemanly personalities. Born in 1878 in Indianapolis, the son of poor rural parents, Taylor worked in a bike shop until prominent bicycle racer "Birdie" Munger coached him for his first professional racing successes in 1896. Despite continuous bureaucratic--and, at times, physical--opposition, he won his first national championship two years later and became world champion in 1899 in Montreal. This beautifully illustrated, vividly narrated, and scrupulously researched biography recreates the life of a great international athlete at the turn of the century. Based on ten years of research--including extensive interviews with Major Taylor's 91-year old daughter--this is the dramatic story of a young black man who, against prodigious odds, rose to fame and stardom in the tempestuous world of international professional bicycle racing a century ago.

For Anna, a cycling enthusiast, the decision to ride 4,000 miles solo around the coast of the UK wasn't that hard. Following the river from London until it became the sea, then following the sea until it reached the mouth of the Thames again was a beautifully simple idea. But after epic highs, incredible lows, unforgettable scenery and unpronounceable place names - as well as a hearty battle with some good old British weather - her simple idea turns into a compelling journey of self-discovery, and an eye-opening insight into what makes the island where she lives so special.

If, as Wallace Stegner said, the national park is "the best idea we ever had," the rail-trail is certainly a close runner-up. Part transportation corridor, part park, the rail-trail has revolutionized the way America creates high-quality, car-free pathways for bicyclists, runners, walkers, equestrians, and more. It was only a few decades after railroad barons had run roughshod over America's economy and politics that they began to shed nearly one hundred thousand miles of unneeded railroad corridor. At the same time, bicyclists were being so thoroughly pushed off ever-more-intimidating roadways they came close to extinction. Through political organizing and lawyerly grit, an unlikely, formerly marginalized advocacy arose, seized on seemingly worthless strips of land, and created a resource that is treasured by millions of Americans today for recreation, purposeful travel, tourism, conservation, and historical interpretation. From Rails to Trails is the fascinating tale of the rails-to-trails movement as well as a consideration of what the continued creation of rail-trails means for the future of Americans' health, nonmotorized transportation networks, and communities across the country.

E-Bike is the essential guide to this exciting technology and way of riding. From features, benefits, pros and cons, and the best ways to take advantage of motor-assisted cycling, E-Bike shows how to get the best bike for you and how your new e-bike will improve your cycling. Electric bikes are a new and fast-changing technology that's poised to transform how Americans ride bicycles, commute to work, and get around town. But in a market crowded with makes, models, and features, which e-bike is best for you? E-bike expert Martin Haussermann explores this exciting new way of riding a bicycle to share all the information e-bike shoppers and owners need. With guidance from VeloNews tech editor Dan Cavallari, custom e-bike framebuilder Lennard Zinn, and cycling retail journalist Stephen Frothingham, E-Bike offers the e-bike curious the essential guide to e-bike tech, formats, and uses. Whether you're looking for a city commuter, a speedy road bike, or a mountain bike, you can get up to speed on e-bike motors, drivetrains, brakes, and suspensions. Haussermann offers insights on e-bike handling, maintenance, and e-bike touring that makes clear all the benefits an e-bike can bring to your riding. Electric bikes are here, and E-Bike shares the best ways to take advantage of motor-assisted cycling.

The must-read practical guide to what to eat (on and off the bike) for any cyclist looking for a training or performance advantage.

If you're looking for success on the bike what you eat is at the core of all your training. You are what you eat - and if you're on the bike for long periods and expecting results then your diet is crucial. Get it wrong and you can feel sluggish and below par - but eat right and all the training and preparation will be worth it. Nigel Mitchell, head of nutrition at Cannondale-Drapac, is at the pinnacle of delivering cutting edge nutrition, and has demonstrated this at the elite level of cycling. Now Nigel lifts the lid on his nutritional secrets and the knowledge and experience gained from working with the top professional to help you get the most from your diet to fuel your cycling and gain a performance advantage. This accessible and practical toolkit features crucial rules to follow and 24 nutritional recipes for breakfast, main meals and snacks.

This is a no-nonsense and non-faddy approach to a subject that's often shrouded in mystery and pseudo-science. Pro rider anecdotes and race case studies feature throughout to help you identify your own requirements.