Every year on the last weekend of October the death knell of the cycling season is sounded by the National Hill Climb Championship. It's been won by luminaries like Brian Robinson, Chris Boardman and Malcolm Elliott, and yet the story of the championship is one of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, of amateur cyclists prevailing against the professionals. It's a tale of obsession, pain and asceticism - the key elements in the fight against the insidious grasp of gravity.The violence of the race is set against the beauty of the landscape, from the supernatural past of Pendle Moor to the granite outcrops of Dartmoor, from the glacial High Peak to the bucolic charms of the Cotswolds. It's an esoteric and uniquely British event, a hymn to the clustered contours of this island, sung by the Corinthian exponents of amateur sport. In an era when cycling as a sport has never been more popular, this ideal is more important than ever.A Corinthian Endeavour traces the full history of the Championship event from its inception in 1944 through to 2014, and the incorporation of a Women's Championship from 1998 onwards. It is illustrated with 28b/w and 21 colour photographs.

A second volume of photos from the archive of the oldest off-road cycling club in the world is a further look into an unseen corner of cycling, social history and outdoor culture. Since 1955 the members of the Rough-Stuff Fellowship - the world's oldest off-road cycling club - have explored the 'rough stuff' where the roads end. From tight thickets to sheer rock faces and the wide open spaces of the mountains, these pioneers of riding off the beaten track have recorded their adventures at home and abroad in stunning photos and ride reports.

Le Loop: How to Cycle the Tour de France is the incredible tale of how one man took on the world's toughest bike race. Ceri Stone is an ordinary guy. He wanted to do something extraordinary just once in his life. This book is the exhilarating story of that adventure. He lays out a template for personal success, garnered from some rich life experience, and he puts his theories to the test by cycling Le Loop. Le Loop is an annual charitable event where riders cycle the route of the Tour de France one week before the pros. This is an inspiring adventure for athletes of all levels that proves we can achieve our wildest dreams and laugh along the way. Much like the tour itself, there are extreme highs and lows, and Ceri faces them with a searingly honest sense of reflection and a trivial sense of humour. This story is warm, empowering and leaves you itching to get off your sofa - but with a template to succeed at the same time. Join Ceri in his quest to live a life less ordinary.

Guidebook to cycling Lon Las Cymru, a 255 mile (410km) route from Cardiff, or 242 mile (390km) from Chepstow to Holyhead, showcasing Wales's beautiful rural heartland. Divided into 5 stages, the route (which follows quiet roads and traffic-free paths) is described south to north from both Cardiff and Chepstow. Accompanying route description for each stage is 1:100,000 mapping and elevation profiles, giving a clear indication of course. Suggested summary schedules from both start destinations are included, detailing possible 4 to 7 day cycle options. Also included is handy practical information about transport to and from the route, accommodation en route, baggage transfer options and preparing your bike. Passing through the Brecon Beacons National Park, Snowdonia National Park, and over the Black Mountains, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains, the route is as scenic as it is rewarding making it a ride to remember.

Perfect guide and map for planning your adventure along the South Downs Way. Highlights of this Planning Map include: More than 20 highlighted places of interest with detailed descriptions and attractive photographs, including: Brighton Pier, The Long Man of Wilmington, and Seven Sisters A comprehensive index to more than 800 cities, towns and villages A clear, visible route plotted across a 2 miles to 1 inch ( 1.25 km to 1 cm) scale map Advice on safety and security when travelling along the route, as well as the countryside code and the code of conduct Part of the National Trail network, this long distance footpath covers 100 miles (160 km), starting in Winchester and finishing in Eastbourne, and lies completely within the South Downs National Park. Suggested itineraries for walking, cycling or horse-riding make it easy for users to plan their journey along this scenic route.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 'Cycling Book of the Year' 2022 The strange and thrilling world of Japanese track racing - a cycling and betting culture unlike anything else on earth The Olympic cycling sport of keirin was invented in Japan more than 70 years ago to raise money to rebuild the country after World War II. Now, fans bet billions of dollars a year on races, with the top riders earning huge sums. In each race, a pacemaker leads nine riders around huge concrete velodromes, then leaves the track with around a lap and a half to go - the cue for a frantic finish as the competitors reach speeds of up to 70 kph. Along the way they block and shove each other, clash heads and occasionally crash (the two Japanese characters used to write keirin mean 'battle' and 'wheel'). To prevent race fixing, the cyclists spend meets living in dorms, with no access to online technology. Their lives are ruled by ritual and fierce competition, from their rookie days at the Japan Keirin School near Mount Fuji to the annual Grand Prix final, whose winner takes home prize money of almost one million dollars. A small number of foreign riders are invited to compete in Japan every year and some, like Shane Perkins, have overcome culture shock to prosper in the home of keirin. Justin McCurry, the Guardian's Japan and Korea correspondent, explores a blue-collar Japan we rarely see and a uniquely fascinating sporting culture.

"Mid-life crises don’t have to be boring and staid. Buy a mountain bike and the best adventure of your life is just over the next hill" - Quote unquote from the guy at the bike shop. What he didn’t tell you is that when you’re on a bicycle most hills turn into mountains. And he also didn’t tell you beware of riding next to guy with a long bucket list. Because he will casually ask if you want ride with him from Harare to Cape Town.

After completing the trip (unexpected experiences – both good and bad- forever skeyched in your memory), you get home exhausted but exhilarated, patting yourself on the back for having raised more than a million Rand for charity, and your friends call you lazy for choosing a downhill destination. So straight away, you look for another mountain to aim at, a pointy one this time called Kilimanjaro.

Cape Town to Kilimanjaro is about having fun, doing good, and above all doing epic. It will make you laugh and cry if you are on the receiving end of the intravenous antibiotics. Hopefully it will also inspire. All you need is a bike and a destination.

The guide features 350 of the most beautiful and scenic cycling routes all over Europe, carefully curated for cyclists of every level and ability from easy, scenic lowland countryside to visually glorious, more strenuous routes in the Alps and the Carpathians. The book also includes routes that enable the user to re-create itineraries from the Tour de France or Giro d Italia. This is the best European cycling guide ever assembled with the aid of Strava, the mapping app that includes information from the world s most knowledgeable and expert cyclists who have critically reviewed and rated them. It contains maps, technical details, tourist information, and tips. Included are urban tours that highlight Europe s cultural glories and routes that highlight the continent s breathtaking natural beauty. The book is organized into nine regional sections covering mainland Europe from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula to Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the boot of Italy.

This is the second edition of the definitive and bestselling guide to great mountain biking throughout England and Wales. With new clearer maps, updated content and the addition of the latest mountain bike centres. The Good Mountain Biking Guide is a huge book comprising 640 pages of detailed information and purpose drawn maps covering both natural areas and trail centres. It includes all major destination areas such as The Peak District, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, North & South Downs, Brecon Beacons numerous smaller areas, many close to major towns and cities. The book will help plan riding of all sorts - from quick blasts after work, to day rides, mountain biking weekends and holidays across the whole of England and Wales. The Good Mountain Biking Guide features 700 route suggestions for the 500 areas that it covers making it incredible value for money. There are over 300 superb photographs of real riders on the trails and annotations of key trail features. The route summaries give a total of 17,000km of riding, enough to suit all levels and types of rider. An overview map of England and Wales shows every key mountain biking location and allows planning at a glance. The book complements other maps and guides and refers to the most appropriate resources to take out on the trail for navigational purposes. The index of 3,000 place names allows immediate reference of the relevant map. Each of the 500 areas has details of all useful facilities - from parking to pubs, cafes and bike shops. The Good Mountain Biking Guide is the ultimate reference book and is the one book that every mountain biker should own.

The 800-mile California Missions Trail leads walkers and cyclists through some of the most scenic and historic sites of one of America's most beautiful states. The 21 missions, founded 200-250 years ago, are key to understanding California's history and form the spiritual and cultural landmarks of this epic journey that stretches from the North San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego, near the US/Mexico border. The route never strays more than 30 miles from the sunny Pacific Coast, touching famous California beaches at Santa Cruz, Carmel, Santa Barbara, San Clemente and Carlsbad, not to mention metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. California's diverse wine regions play a starring role, as does the vast Salinas Valley, the 'Salad Bowl of America'. This guide offers everything you'll need to make your trip of 50-60 walking days or 12-20 cycling days on this epic West Coast adventure. There is a wealth of information to help you prepare for the journey, including packing lists and transport notes. In addition to clear route description, each stage of the route includes scale maps for easy orientation and comprehensive details of facilities available on or near the route. The trail is presented in sections, so it can either be undertaken in its entirety or split as desired, and an accompanying appendix displays distance intervals between towns and cities offering accommodation, in case you should wish to choose your own itinerary. The route can be walked or cycled; for cyclists, around 95% of the trail can be completed on a road bike. From Mission Sonoma to Mission San Diego, you'll follow the journey of 18th-century Spanish missionaries as they created 21 missions to convert the native inhabitants to Christianity. Included is a sensitive recount of the history of the missions, highlighting the story and monuments of the Native Americans who formed the foundation of the landscape, rather than the Spanish and Franciscan priests. From the sunlit sea to swathes of vineyards, to the bustling metropolis of San Francisco, and with historic, spiritual and scenic interest aplenty, the California Missions Trail offers an unforgettable journey through America's Golden State.

Here's a great new twist to the cycling guide: instead of a book, a box filled with 50 cycling cards. Each has a different route fully described and illustrated. Pocket a card, leave the box on your bookshelf and enjoy your day out. Many routes link in with convenient public transport around Britain's main cities and towns: out to one station, cycle to another, and then return. It's a happy mix of routes around Britain's loveliest towns and countryside, ranging from half a day to three days, and are aimed at recreational as well as seasoned cyclists. The series began with Walker's Britain in a Box and has continued with walking boxes all around Britain and overseas as well as Cyclist's Britain.

Jack Thurston, best-selling author of the Lost Lanes series, takes you on a freewheeling tour of the hidden lanes and forgotten byways of the Midlands and beyond, from the windswept hills of Shropshire to the big skies of Lincolnshire, from the crags of the Peak District to the comely villages of the Cotswolds. Graded from easy to challenging, with listings of the best pubs and tea stops, wild swim spots, viewpoints and accommodation too. Accompanied by a dedicated website, downloadable GPX files, turn-by-turn route instructions and detailed maps. All rides are accessible by train and include Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. > Enjoy the traffic-free trails of the Peak District, taking in dramatic landscapes, grand country houses and a wealth of industrial archaeology > Explore the Cotswolds on its quietest country lanes and hidden byways, stopping at cosy pubs and breathtaking sunset viewpoints > Follow in the tyre tracks of Edward Elgar to the summit of the Malvern Hills for some of the most splendid views of England > Discover secret Birmingham on its vast network of canal towpaths and traffic-free urban greenways > Ride high along the dramatic Shropshire Hills on the contours of Brown Clee Hill, the Wrekin, the Stiperstones and Wenlock Edge

This guide to the best single track mountain biking in Spain offers comprehensive travel and cycling information advising riders what to do both on and off their bikes.

Rides using Trans Pennine Trail, Pennine Bridleway and featuring a 110 mile 'Pike to Peak' circular route, linking the famous landmarks of Stoodley Pike near Hebden Bridge to Rushup Edge and Mam Tor in the Peak District National Park. The Pike to Peak is around 75% off-road and uses old packhorse trails and turnpike roads to take in some of the area's most stunning scenery and attractive towns and villages. An ideal long weekend challenge! - Off-road riding with the emphasis on broad, rideable tracks for adventurous leisure riders. Ideal for electric mountain bikers getting their first taste of the activity. - 14 epic circular bike rides along classic trails such as Cut Gate, Wessenden Valley, Holme Valley, Reddyshore Scout, Ladybower Reservoir and the Hope Valley. - 20 family trails including sections of the Calder Valley Greenway, Longdendale Trail, Tame Valley Trail, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Sett Valley Trail and many more. - Cycle-friendly accommodation listings located on the map. - Internet links guide users to web pages where they can download GPX route files and get lots more background information about the routes.

A Place Apart is a remarkable geographical and psychological travelogue that rises above history, politics, theology and economics. Created by a southern Irishwoman, cycling into the mayhem of Northern Ireland in order to try and sort out her own opinions and emotions about this troubled land. She came equipped with her own childhood experiences of murder and Republican martyrdom, but was otherwise unfettered by sectarian loyalties and armed with a delightful curiosity, a fine ear for anecdote, an ability to stand her own at the bar and penetrating intelligence. She travelled extensively through both town and country, frequently finding herself in horrifying situations, and sometimes among people stiff with hate and grief: but equally, she discovered an unquenchable spirit everywhere that refused to die. Other Dervla Murphy titles published by Eland. Original Hardbacks: A Month by the Sea: Encounters in Gaza, The Island that Dared: Journeys in Cuba, Eland Classics: Wheels within Wheels, Full Tilt: From Ireland to India with a Bicycle, In Ethiopia with a Mule, Where the Indus is Young: A Winter in Baltistan, Tibetan Foothold, The Waiting Land: A Spell in Nepal, On a Shoestring to Coorg.

AUTHOR OF INTERSTATE, STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016; "Iberia" is Julian Sayarer's account of his impromptu journey across Portugal and Spain, from Lisbon towards Barcelona, undertaken during a pandemic on an old blue bicycle named Miles.; Finding himself in Lisbon amidst a pandemic, Julian Sayarer decides simply to ride. Through hazy landscapes and on baked roads, he pedals east. During long hours in the saddle, his thoughts traverse matters big and small - hopping from post-colonial culpability to the supremacy of an orange picked at the roadside; Across 900 miles of sun-drenched olive groves, vast mountainscapes, and dormant towns glimpsed through driving rain, Sayarer's journey is punctuated by fleeting, beautiful moments of human connection. Iberia is a celebration of a shared humanity and community found in a uniquely fragile time; Sayarer is a brilliantly thoughtful writer ... One can't help thinking that the future of travel writing lies in this adventurous, post-modern genre -- Sara Wheeler; Sayarer has made something of a specialism of reporting on the world from the roadside. -- Daily Telegraph; On the Road for the Occupy Generation -- Open Democracy; Sayarer's love of the open road and his ability to evoke the beauty of travelling by bike are a potent combination that makes you itch to go cycling -- Cycling Active

"A middle-aged crisis takes many forms..." Tadej Pogacar has 7% body fat, Chris Froome's resting heart rate is 30bpm, Mark Cavendish reaches sprint speeds of over 50mph. They're super-human cyclists for whom riding 3,500km over 21 stages across the Alps and Pyrenees is a matter of course. James Witts is 44 years old, fatty deposits nestle on his back and he has a penchant for craft ale. He also rides a little. But not a lot. In his job as cycling journalist, however, he does have unparalleled access to the world's best riders and their world-class support staff. Which got him thinking - could spending time with the pros, discovering the training, gear and nutritional tricks of the trade, transform this back-of-the-pack sportive straggler into a fit-and-fast frontrunner? Doubtful, improbable though not impossible. In this entertaining tale, Witts utilises his connections in the industry to gain access to the world's greatest teams and riders to reveal the tricks of the trade that he can then apply to his own less-than-world-class performance. This warm-hearted and amusing tale is of an Everyman dropped into the world of Supermen. James Witts trains, rides and eats using the regimes of the planet's toughest athletes, to conquer his very own Grand Tour. Will he sacrifice the pub for stamina boosting beetroot juice? Can an altitude mask really send his performance soaring? And will his ego cope with a drag-cutting, little-left-to-the-imagination skinsuit? Learn and laugh on a journey of a lifetime.

This guidebook describes two cycle routes between London and Paris: the 490km 'classic route' and the 387km Avenue Verte. Passing through rolling chalk downland and characterful market towns, the trails link these two great cities with their grand buildings, famous museums and iconic monuments. Ideal both for cycle-touring holidays and charity challenges, both routes are well within the capabilities of cyclists of moderate fitness and will generally take between five days and a week - meaning that a round trip, including a few days sightseeing in Paris, can easily be accomplished in a fortnight. The routes are described in both directions, with the primary route description running from London to Paris. The classic route is presented in eleven stages; the Avenue Verte in nine, with clear step-by-step directions accompanied by mapping, elevation profiles and notes on local points of interest. A comprehensive introduction covers all the practicalities, such as Channel crossings, accommodation and what to take, and also offers a fascinating historical overview of southern England and northern France. A summary of facilities, useful contacts and an English-French glossary can be found in the appendices. The classic route crosses the Channel between Dover and Calais and makes use of quiet country roads, rural tracks and dedicated cycle paths, with a number of off-road sections. Developed to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics, the Avenue Verte is fully waymarked and makes maximum use of Sustrans off-road cycle tracks in England and voies vertes (rural cycle routes) in France: it uses the slightly longer Newhaven-Dieppe crossing. Cycling from London to Paris draws on the best of both worlds: England and France; the bright lights and vibrant attractions of the city and the delightful scenery of Kent, Sussex, Hauts-de-France and Normandy. The journey offers a wonderful cycling experience, as well as a unique insight into the cultures of both nations.

A profound insight into the stories behind the image of the Tour de France, showcasing the sacrifice, despair, strategy and chaos of those four weeks in July to reveal a fascinating new perspective on the greatest race on earth. Every year the Tour de France puts on one of the great viewing spectacles in sport, showcasing extraordinary human endurance and one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. But underneath the facade, it's a different story - a story of suffering, sacrifice and pain. This is that story. Pain and Privilege gets under the skin of cycling's cruel super race and describes what the race that unites people from all over the globe is really like, from the laughs to the tears, from the politics to the personal, from inspirational triumph to desperate failure. Team staff, sports scientists, psychologists, media and dignitaries all contribute to draw a more complex and confronting portrait of the world's grandest sporting spectacle. With exclusive contributions from Richie Porte, Cadel Evans, Chris Froome, Michael Matthews, Caleb Ewan, Sam Bennett, Robbie McEwen, Michael Morkov, Jens Debusschere, Matt White, Allan Peiper, Cherie Pridham, Enrico Poitschke, Mathew Hayman, Simon Clarke, Marcel Kittel and Luke Durbridge. Plus, insights from Geraint Thomas, Mark Cavendish, Patrick Lefevere, David Brailsford, Tadej Pogacar and more.

Whether you are cycling south from Scotland or took the train up from Newcastle, the coast of Northumberland between Berwick upon Tweed and Newcastle will take your breath away. Lindisfarne Holy Island with its unique causeway and five historic remote castles are the main attractions. One of them is Alnwick Castle, famous for the Harry Potter film appearances. Newcastle is the largest city on the route. With the estuary of the River Tyne, things never feel crowded. You cycle via the famous Angel of the North, Millennium Bridge and historic Grainger Town to remains of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Derwent Walk Country Park features a worldclass cycle path in a wooded valley, heading for World Heritage site Durham, with its historic city square, cathedral and castle. Returning to the North Sea Coast, Hartlepool Headland and the famous River Tees Transporter Bridge take you via industrial Middlesbrough into North York Moors National Park. After a demanding ride in beautiful countryside with moors and valleys, Whitby town and abbey are at the start of the coastal Cinder Track to seaside resort Scarborough. Cycle to York via the Yorkshire Wolds or head for the Hull ferry. From the Hull ferry, you can also join our route south via York. York is England's most popular tourist destination after London, famous for its cathedral, city walls and National Railway and Jorvik Museums. Via the low lying Humberhead Levels, Selby Abbey and Doncaster, the Trans Pennines Trail takes you to higher grounds. The Don Valley Trail via the Wharncliffe Woods take you to Peak District National Park. At remote Stanage Edge you'll find yourself on the top of the world. This spectacular vault line of rock continues to Castleton, famous for its caves and castle. The Monsal Trail features spectacular tunnels and high bridges and takes you to bustling Bakewell. The scenic Tissington Trail will finally take you out of the hilly Pennines. Via the pretty Derbyshire Dales, Burton on Trent with its brewery museum and the National Forest you'll arrive in Leicester. The National Space Centre and King Richard III Museum can keep you occupied before heading deeper south to the original rugby grounds of Rugby, stylish Royal Leamington Spa, grand Warwick Castle and the hustle and bustle of Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon. The Cotswolds are remarkably quiet, featuring hilly countryside hardly affected by modern times. Its marble is Blenheim Palace World Heritage just before arriving in famous Oxford. Then you make your way into the Wessex Downs via the Ridgeway, taking you via Uffington White Horse to the World Heritage stone circles of Avebury and Stonehenge. Salisbury is famous for its beautiful cathedral. Deep south, forest tracks in the New Forest National Park take you to Isle of Wight ferry. The cliffs of The Needles are your ultimate 'end of the land'-finale of the ride. Via the spectacular Tennyson Trail you'll arrive at Sandown Beach before hover crafting to bustling Portsmouth with its numerous railway and ferry connections.

The fascinating and unknown story of the Tour de France's ever-changing relationship with money and power - and the enigmatic family behind it all. It started with a cash drop by an English spy in occupied Paris in 1944. Reserved for Resistance groups during the war, the money reached Emilien Amaury, an advertising executive, who was tasked to help France return to a free press once liberated. He soon launched a newspaper empire that - unbeknown to him - would own the rights to run what would become one of the greatest sporting events in history. Le Tour, once a struggling commercial phenomenon, began to rise in popularity across much of western Europe in the glum years after the Second World War, lifting the mood of the hungry and despondent French. But with the increased interest in the event, exacerbated by the creation of television and the internet, came several cultural threats to national heritage. Multiple attempts to wrest power and profits from the latest generation of the Amaury family - who still own the race and take tens of millions of euros home in dividends - have followed, but not without a fight. Fast-paced and fastidiously researched, Le Fric illustrates how moments off the bike at the Tour de France are every bit as gripping as the battle for the yellow jersey.

This guide describes the first 1269km of the cycle route that follows the Danube river from its source in the Black Forest to Budapest. Leading through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, the route visits spectacular gorges, hilltop castles, vineyard-clad hillsides and medieval towns. The route mostly follows part of the EuroVelo route 6 (EV6). This guide breaks the route into 29 stages, averaging under 44km per stage. A fit cyclist, cycling an average of 90km per day should be able to complete the route in a fortnight. Suitable for all levels of cyclist, on all types of bike, the route is on a gentle downhill gradient, is mostly off-road and uses well-surfaced and dedicated cycle tracks or quiet country roads. You can break the journey at almost any point as there are many places to stay along the way, varying from youth hostels through to B&B's, guest houses and hotels. The route's highlights include the great imperial cities of Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, with their palaces, cathedrals, museums and galleries.

Guidebook to 35 full and half day mountain biking routes in Slovenia. The graded routes, which range from technically not difficult but requiring a reasonable level of fitness to highly technical, requiring a high level of fitness and confident bike handling skills, vary in length from 12km to 59km. Routes are located in Gorenjska, Soca Valley, the South, as well as Central and North Eastern Slovenia. Full route descriptions are accompanied by gradient profiles and 1:75,000 mapping, together with practical information such as getting to and around Slovenia, travelling with the bike, arranging accommodation and dealing with emergency situations. A handy Slovenian language glossary is also included. Showcasing a remarkably diverse landscape, Slovenia is an idyllic mountain biking destination. From the towering peaks of Gorenjska and the stunning riverside trails of the Soca Valley to the tremendous limestone caves of the Karst region and the forests of the Nanos plateau in the country's south, there is endless opportunity for tough climbs, long descents and technical trails - as well as slow, scenic trips lakeside and through vineyard-laced landscapes - making it a perfect travel destination for the avid mountain biker.

A TRUE CLASSIC OF CYCLING LITERATURE

'Nobody evokes the transformative joy of cycling the way Fournel does here ... magical' - Herbie Sykes

"I ride to rest and to tire myself out; I ride to do myself good and to do myself harm"

... one of the many cycling paradoxes explored in this unique and delightful book.

"I've never got over this miracle"

Starting with the childhood joy of learning to ride a bike, Need for the Bike goes on to relate the agony of climbing, the angst of crashing, and all the other universal moments and feelings which all cyclists will recognise.

"To get on a bike is to take possession of the landscape"

The sounds, smells, pains and joys of riding with friends or alone, finding things on the road; getting lost, "re-reading" familiar routes; Paul Fournel's classic comes as close as any book has to an encapsulation of why we all need the bike ...