This guidebook describes 21 mountain biking routes in central and southern Scotland. It includes the 7stanes trail centre in Dumfries and Galloway, as well as cross-country routes in the Campsie Fells, Pentland Hills and Lammermuirs, the Galloway Forest, Tweed Valley, Cheviots and Lowther Hills. The routes range from 17 to 66km and are graded from moderate to very hard. Taking between 2 and 7 hours to complete, they are intended for reasonably fit mountain bikers with at least some experience. Detailed route descriptions are accompanied by 1:50,000 OS mapping, and the selected routes set out from various points across the area, including Greenock, Glentrool, Peebles and Milngavie, with good access from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. The guidebook also gives an overview of what the region's MTB trail centres have to offer, including the famous 7stanes trail centre, along with advice on equipment, maintenance and safety. Southern and Central Scotland is renowned for its superlative MTB trail centres, but the region's rolling hill country is also traversed by an extensive network of tracks, paths, forest roads and other trails providing endless possibilities for 'free range' mountain biking.

As the wildest of the northern coast-to-coast cycle routes, the Reivers Route explores the rich Border Reiving history of northern England and the Scottish Borders. Travelling 173 mile (280km) from Whitehaven to Tynemouth, this four-day cycle tour takes in the Cumbrian coast, northern Lake District, Northumberland National Park and North Tynedale, offering memorable off-road cycling through Kershope Forest and around Kielder Water. The route offers both on and off-road cycling, and is suitable for cyclists using touring or hybrid bikes. Places to stay overnight include Carlisle, Bailey Mill and Bellingham. The guidebook also offers the Borderers Ride, an alternative coast-to-coast ride along the England-Scotland border from Gretna to Berwick-upon-Tweed. This route joins up the fantastic middle section of the Reivers Route with a route heading north via Wooler and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to finish at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Whether on the Reivers Route or the Borderers Ride, these cycle tours offer exceptional cycling on gated roads and quiet cycle paths as they explore rolling hillsides, remote forests and plenty of historic sites. This guidebook provides everything you need to enjoy a successful cycle tour on the Reivers Route or Borderers Ride. Each stage includes detailed 1:100,000 mapping, profiles and comprehensive route description containing insights into points of interest along the way. The introduction offers plenty of information about the area's history, as well as practical advice about suitable bikes, equipment, and transport to and from the route. The appendices feature useful contacts for bike shops and available accommodation.

'Byrne comes across like a post-punk Michael Palin.' Sephen Dalton, The Times 'An engaging book; part-diary, part-manifesto.' Observer David Byrne, co-founder of the group Talking Heads, has been riding a bicycle as his principal means of transportation since the 1980's. When he tours, Byrne travels with a folding bicycle, bringing it to cities like London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Manila, New York, Detroit and San Francisco. The view from his bike seat has given Byrne a panoramic window on urban life all over the world. An enchanting celebration of bike riding and of the rewards of seeing the world at bike level, this book gives the reader an incredible insight into what Byrne is seeing and thinking as he pedals around these cities.

The 1061km Loire Cycle Route starts at the source of the River Loire in the Massif Central mountains of central France and finishes at the Atlantic opposite St Nazaire. It descends past extinct volcanoes, crater lakes and deep gorges before joining EuroVelo route 6, followed by the fully waymarked Loire a Velo, France's most popular cycle trail. Following the river downstream in 26 stages, the route is generally downhill or level, often on dedicated traffic-free cycle tracks. Packed with a wealth of useful information - from practical planning advice to fascinating insights about the river and its surroundings - the guidebook features detailed route descriptions and informative mapping. Details of facilities and places to stay, and a French glossary, are also included. The route goes through the heart of France as the Loire becomes the royal river, bounded by extravagant chateaux, fields of Charolais cattle and vineyards. It passes through historic cities like Orleans and Tours, continuing past Angers and France's fourth largest city Nantes to finish on the Atlantic coast.

'That would have been unnerving enough, but the shape of the thing convinced me it moved with a purpose. What I saw, just for a moment, was a dragon. Born of lightning and fire, it flew into the air, writhed in the pleasure of its freedom, and screamed in ecstasy as it flew toward me."

10,158 miles. Incredible thunderstorms, raging forest fires, dense smoke, hail, sleet, cops, a half-a-dozen paramedics, bears, and even a dragon or two.you know.the usual stuff.

Ride the Alaskan Highway all the way there and back again. It's 4365 miles each way, Dallas to Fairbanks.

The Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) is one of the finest long-distance cycle rides in England and tackling the route over four days is a marvellous mini-adventure that should appeal to all sorts of cyclists. Every stage of this 205-mile long cycle route, from Southport on Merseyside to Hornsea in East Yorkshire, is described by author Nicolas Mitchell, including fascinating accounts of its rich industrial heritage and details of many opportunities to explore its glorious natural history. This new book icnludes detailed route maps to help you keep on track; full-colour and archive photographs of all the sights along the way; detailed listings of accommodation, places to eat and drink and local bike shops and advice on how to prepare yourself and your bike for the trip.

In July 2005, over twenty million spectators flocked to France to see if anyone could beat Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France. Among them were hundreds of thousands of Americans - men of a certain age and financial status, mostly - who see the Tour as the ultimate buddy getaway, a jaunt replete with fine wines, delicious meals and lazy mornings under the Provencal sun. There were also huge clumps of Germans, Spaniards, Italians, Dutch - basically every country in Europe, a mini-UN that packed the fields and small towns along the way, showing how one can be drunk in 13 different languages. A unique combination of travelogue, humour and insider cycling critique (complete with interviews and insights from Armstrong), CHASING LANCE will be the only book to bring into focus the entire Tour experience. For those who love Peter Mayle's tales of Provence, this will be a wonderful book about France. For those who love John Feinstein, this will be a wonderful book about sport and for those who love great writing, CHASING LANCE will enthrall and entertain.

Cycling in the Peak District presents 20 graded day rides in the national park, along with a challenging five-day 250km (155-mile) 'Tour de Peak District'. The circular day rides are centred around Ashbourne, Matlock, Bakewell, Buxton and many other charming Derbyshire towns, while the more challenging Tour de Peak District circumnavigates the National Park. Routes include sections of the Tissington Trail, Monsal Trail and Transpennine Trail, with a focus on quiet lanes, gratifying downhills and not overly technical bridleways, tracks and trails. The routes are ideal for gravel/adventure bikes (or hybrid/cross), though most can be easily adapted for road bikes. Each ride features step-by-step route description accompanied by 1:100,000 mapping. Overview stats and profiles are provided to aid route selection, along with details of refreshments, parking facilities and cycle hire, and full accommodation listings for the Tour de Peak District. The guide also includes tips for cycling the routes and advice for novices. The scenic Peak District boasts an abundance of country lanes, tracks, towpaths and railway trails that are perfect for two-wheeled exploration.

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.

This guidebook explores 20 sportive cycling routes in the best cycling areas of south west England. Ideal for training, the rides range between 59 and 119km (36 to 74 miles) in length, and offer a full range of challenges; from long, fast flat routes, perfect for pacing, to tough hill climbs on the Downs and Moors of the south west. The 20 sportive routes are found in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, as far north and east as the Wye Valley and Swindon. The range ensures that there is plenty of riding to be found, throughout the region, not to mention the companion Sportives guidebook to routes in England's south east. From the Cotswolds, to Dartmoor, Exmoor, Bodmin Moor, into Wales and the south coast, there are miles of of cycle-friendly roads suitable for sportive training. All 20 routes are graded for difficulty and include timings, ascent, food-stops and access information, as well as annotated route maps and clear route descriptions. Sportive cycling is a growing sport, and this guide provides routes for experienced riders and those new to this sport. Useful information on bike maintenance and equipment, to travelling around the areas with your bike and advice on accommodation is also included. The result is a sportive guidebook that will prepare you for the challenges ahead, and allow you to explore the best cycling the south-west has to offer.

FEATURING A FOREWORD FROM MARK CAVENDISH AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GERAINT THOMAS, CHRIS FROOME AND ROD ELLINGWORTH.

A rare insight into the heart of pro cycling and the inner workings of the peloton, from Team Sky and Ineos Grenadiers legend, Luke Rowe.

There’s one well-established truth in professional cycling: the strongest always wins. Yet in a sport of champions, victory is only possible as a team. At the heart of that team effort, that unity, is the road captain.

After more than a decade as the pre-eminent road captain in professional bike racing, Luke Rowe reveals here for the first time the intricacies of that role. As he lifts the lid, he provides the ultimate insider’s view on racing tactics and strategy within the professional peloton. He gives readers an unprecedented insight into what exactly is going on within that pulsing mass of athletic power and state-of-the-art machinery, seen through the eyes of the rider tasked with leading his team to glory.

Featuring exhilarating stories from his years at Team Sky and Ineos Grenadiers – where he played a fundamental role in the team’s dominance at the Tour de France, leading Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal to their Tour victories – Luke shows what it’s like to manage a road race unfolding at 60km/h. As he points out, it is ‘like playing chess on wheels’.

Road Captain immerses readers in the team dynamics, tactical complexities and split-second decisions vital to success in professional cycling. It discloses the mental and physical battles taking place within a group of riders, and reveals how the biggest bike races are won.

The must read, fully updated guide to bike fit. Burning thighs and lungs aside, cycling shouldn't be a painful or uncomfortable experience. If you suffer from numb hands, hot-spots on your feet, back pain or saddle discomfort when you're riding, chances are something isn't right with your bike set-up, your body or how they interact. But not all cyclists can afford a professional bike fit. This accessible manual contains all the information you need to find your perfect cycling position, revealed by one of the world's leading authorities on bike fit. This new edition includes brand new material on: - why almost all cyclists would benefit from shorter cranks - an in-depth look at saddle health, with special attention and advice for female cyclists - watt-saving advice for time trialists and triathletes - how to make indoor cycling more tolerable. Let Phil Burt guide you through your own Bike Fit, to ensure your bike and body work in harmony.

The Cycling Bible by renowned cycling author and journalist Chris Sidwells is a comprehensive guide to help you get the most out of cycling, whether you go road cycling, gravel riding, mountain biking or enjoy any other kind of two-wheeled fun. Based on the author's extensive experience and research, this book collates the knowledge you will need to specifically train for the technical, physical and mental aspects of cycling training. It includes riding positions, strength and conditioning, endurance training, the psychological side of training, tailoring nutrition to your goals and bringing it all together to create your own training plan. It also deals with choosing the right bike for you, making essential safety checks and carrying out maintenance. Extensively illustrated and packed full of action photos, The Cycling Bible will help and motivate you to improve and develop as a cyclist and find even more joy in this fantastic sport.

Originally published in 1994, this fully revised and updated North York Moors guide book contains 22 classic mountain bike routes in the National Park. From the coastal trails around Robin Hood's Bay to Dalby Forest and the open moorland of Guisborough, the guide introduces a huge variety of wilderness trails. Clear hand-drawn maps; precise, easily-followed directions; inspiring and informative photography make the North York Moors guide a perfect companion, whether planning your ride at home or following routes out on the trail.

Seeking a temporary escape from the city and a world gone mad, Alan Brown plots out a personal challenge: an epic coast-to-coast trip through the lonely interior of the Highlands. He traverses paths historic and new, eschewing creature comforts and high-tech gear, trusting his (mostly) serviceable bike and his own skills. Armed with the essentials and a sense of curiosity, he discovers more about nature, people, our country, risk and himself than he ever thought possible. Alan traces a route from Argyllshire's Loch Etive across remote Rannoch moors, dramatic Grampian terrain and the beautiful glens of Strathspey to reach the Moray Firth at Findhorn. Ready for all weathers and obstacles, he succumbs to the hypnotic daily routine of ride, eat, sleep, repeat. He's savouring the landscapes, the wildlife and the solitude, and relishing the self-reliance. He is also picking up clues to past lives and discovering how the land has been altered by industry and game sports or, sometimes, conserved for wildlife and trees.

This book analyses the Tour de France over its long history both as France's most prestigious and famous sporting event and as a European and, increasingly, a world cycling competition. This study provides interdisciplinary and varied perspectives on the sporting, cultural, social, economic and political significance of the Tour within and outside France, giving a comprehensive and authoritative investigation of up-to-the minute thinking on what the Tour means, now and in the past, to competitors, to France, to the French public, to the cultural history of sport, and the sport of cycling itself.

There's little that can beat the perfect simplicity of a bike ride.

There are many reasons why cycling has such enduring appeal. For some, it is the relaxation and freedom that biking offers – what could be better than pedalling away and leaving our troubles behind? For others, cycling is the perfect means of building strength and fitness. Indeed, it can be one of the most challenging sports on the planet – from amateurs testing themselves to the limit to professionals competing in some of the toughest races in the world.

Packed full of wise, witty and inspirational quotes, The Little Book of Cycling is the perfect gift for cyclists of all levels. From the simple exhilaration of freewheeling downhill to the arduous challenges faced by the endurance cyclist, this is the ultimate ode to the love of two wheels.

'I am blown away by the level of detail Phil Cavell brings to his work.' - Elinor Barker MBE, multiple world champion and Olympic gold medallist 'The Midlife Cyclist is a triumph' - Cycling Plus 'An amazing accomplishment... a simple-to-understand precis of your midlife as a cyclist - you won't want to put it down.' - Phil Liggett, TV cycling commentator 'Phil is eminently qualified to write The Midlife Cyclist. Well, he is certainly old enough.' - Fabian Cancellara, Tour de France rider and two-time Olympic champion Renowned cycling biomechanics pioneer, Phil Cavell, explores the growing trend of middle-aged and older cyclists seeking to achieve high-level performance. Using contributions from leading coaches, ex-professionals and pro-team doctors, he produces the ultimate manifesto for mature riders who want to stay healthy, avoid injury - and maximise their achievement levels. Time's arrow traditionally plots an incremental path into declining strength and speed for all of us. But we are different to every other generation of cyclists in human history. An ever-growing number of us are determined to scale the highest peaks of elite physical fitness into middle-age and beyond. Can the emerging medical and scientific research help us achieve the holy triumvirate of speed and health with age? The Midlife Cyclist offers a gold standard road-map for the mature cyclist who aims to train, perform and even race at the highest possible level.

This second volume in this successful series adds another 30 circular road cycle routes of 28 miles to 115 miles, exploring the best of Scotland's panoramic back roads from the Outer and Inner Hebrides to the Borders. The routes include a Tour of the Border Abbeys, the famous Five Ferries route round the Firth of Clyde, a journey through the Flow Country, routes on Mull and Skye and the Golden Road on Harris. These day circuits include detailed descriptions and Ordnance Survey mapping, plus variations and extensions to ensure you get the best from your day

The 1989 Tour de France is arguably the greatest ever. It saw American rider Greg LeMond overturn a 50-second deficit to France's Laurent Fignon on the final stage on the Champs Elysees to snatch the title by a mere eight seconds. After three weeks and more than 2,000 miles in the saddle, these few seconds remain the smallest margin of victory in the race's 100+ year history.But as dramatic as that Sunday afternoon on the streets of Paris was, the race wasn't just about that one time-trial. During the previous fortnight, the leader's yellow jersey had swapped back and forth between LeMond and Fignon in a titanic struggle for supremacy, a battle with more twists and turns than the maziest Alpine mountain pass. At no point during the entire three weeks were LeMond and Fignon separated by more than 53 seconds.In Three Weeks, Eight Seconds, Nige Tassell brings one of cycling's most astonishing stories to life, examining that extraordinary race in all its multi-faceted glory with fresh interviews and new perspectives and laying bare that towering heights of adrenaline, agony, excitement, torment and triumph that it produced.