Founded in 1955, the Rough-Stuff Fellowship is the world's oldest off-road cycling club. Its archive contains thousands of stunning images, hand-drawn maps and documents - an unexpected treasure trove of incredible value and beauty that is now being brought to a wider public by Isola Press. The photos are evocative of a bygone age and a bygone style - a time when you might set off on a bike ride wearing a shirt and tie or a bobble hat, and no ride was complete without a stop to brew up some tea and smoke a pipe. They are also a record of intrepid adventures. RSF riders explored the Lake District, the Cairngorms, the Alps and further afield, and their exploits were beautifully documented by amateur and professional photographers. In their own very British way, these men and women were pioneers, pedalling and carrying their bikes where angels feared to tread. Mountain bikes, gravel bikes, adventure bikes all owe them a debt. This book celebrates their style and their spirit. It is a stunning visual resource of cycling heritage that will inspire new adventures.

Explore the Cotwolds off road with this laminated, waterproof Cotswolds map. With 10 clearly-marked routes this easy-to-use map will help you discover the best of the Cotswolds on your bike and off the road. From the gorgeous, honey-coloured stone villages to the dramatic rolling hills, the Cotswolds are a visual feast and perfect for exploring by bike. The Cotswolds are ideal for the touring cyclist and day-tripper. They represent England at her very best. Long, winding lanes connect beautiful villages with excellent pubs and friendly tearooms. The landscape you cycle through is rich in imagery with some of the tracks being prehistoric in origin. For the cross-country rider who wants long green lanes criss-crossing some of England's most beautiful landscapes, and linking some of the most beautiful villages, and all 100% rideable - then this is for you. 10 fantastic routes are included, from the Bibury Circuit and the Northleach Circuit to the Stow Slaughters Trail.

In the cyclists' guide series from Mica publishers, here are 30 circular road cycle routes of 35 miles to 115 miles, exploring the best of Scotland's panoramic back roads from the Far North-West to the Borders. The routes include two Cairngorm crossings and the spectacular Bealach na Ba in Applecross, some of the toughest and most spectacular challenges in the country, as well as gentler cross-country and coastal routes round the Black Isle, Moray Coast, Ayrshire, Arran and East Lothian. These day circuits include detailed descriptions and Ordnance Survey mapping, plus variations and extensions to ensure you get the best from your day. Route profiles indicate uphill and downhill sections and the spread of total height gain. There are also route fact files indicating starting point, distance, height gain, maximum gradient and approximate time. There are extensions & variations to shorten and lengthen routes, plus all important cafe stops en route are listed.

Bike London is the definitive guide to cycling in the UK's capital. The cycling culture in London is constantly evolving and this book offers an indispensable resource for the city's bike users - whether they're weather-hardened commuters who ride in all conditions or summer daytrippers looking to explore. This book covers all things two-wheeled, from local cycle shops and essential cafe stops, to ideas for routes and events that will appeal to all breeds of bike lover. More than a mere directory, Bike London speaks to important players in the city's cycling community, while also looking back and offering interesting facts and snippets of information from London's 100-year-plus love affair with the bicycle. As London embraces a greener future, this book is a timely resource that will help you put words into action. Each chapter is categorised by theme: Local Bike Shops, Cycling Clubs, Cycling Events, Cycling Locations, Cycling Routes, Cycling Equipment, Cycling Apparel, Cycling Cafes, Cycle Hire and Iconic London Cyclists. Throughout, Bike London will also feature profiles of some of the great and the good of London cycling, from Bradley Wiggins and Paul Smith to Tahnee Seagrave, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Maurice Burton and Jeremy Vine. Also in the series: Vinyl London ISBN 9781788840156 London Peculiars ISBN 9781851499182 Art London ISBN 9781788840385 Rock 'n' Roll London ISBN 9781788840163

The Tour de France is one of the best-known and most challenging athletic events in the world. In the first three weeks of July every year, the pros pit their strength, wit and skill against each other over the gruelling 3,500km route. And every year, amateur riders the world over dream of tackling one of the Tour's legendary stages themselves. Ride a Stage of the Tour de France is the first book that allows non-professional cyclists to do just that. A thorough 'how to' guide, it covers forty of the Tour's classic ascents, including Mount Ventoux, Galibier and Tourmalet. Each route is described in detail by an author who has ridden them all. There's information to help you prepare, train and choose the right stage, and each route comes with a map and vital statistics like altitude, length and difficulty. From where to park to when to go, from what to wear to the characteristics of the road, Riding a Stage of the Tour de France has all you need to complete the challenge safely and successfully.

Now in a fully updated 3rd edition for 2020, Brompton Bicycle tells the fascinating story behind one of the world's most unusual and popular folding bikes. It also details how you can modify and convert your Brompton for such uses as child carrying and tackling hilly country and acts as a unique maintenance and repair manual, full of tips you won't find in any standard bike repair book. In short, everything you need to enjoy this incredible bike to the full. The first two editions were hugely popular with the legions of Brompton fans, but the latest 232 page edition contains information on the new Brompton Electric, where Brompton may be heading in the future and of course the low-down on other new products and company developments.

50 Ways to Cycle the World is the kind of book you'd give to a friend or family member who's considering cycling somewhere in the world but feels that there are too many obstacles to overcome. 50 Ways encapsulates 50 unique cycling projects accomplished by 75 cyclists from 23 countries. It serves as the ultimate visual guide and encyclopedia to travelling by bicycle no matter what your personal situation is. You'll find impressive, powerful, emotional and incredibly fun stories on almost every page, accompanied by the beautiful and inspiring photography shot all over our planet by the many cyclists who've shared their cycling stories. Want to know what it's like to cycle alone, with a dog or a cat, with kids, or with strangers you meet on the road? Or how to travel by tandem, folding bicycle, e-bike or on a bamboo frame? Or maybe you're simply in need of that last little push over the doorstep, inspired by those who've seen the world by bike. Featuring over 400 revealing questions and answers, we're sure 50 Ways to Cycle the World will tell you exactly what you need to know in order to overcome whatever is holding you back from starting out on your big adventure.

A meditative love letter to the sport of cycling which explores how the cultivation of a tangible skill can shed new light on age-old questions of selfhood, meaning, and purpose.

Interweaving a deeply personal narrative of elite-level cycling and mental health struggles with an evocative history of Western philosophy from Plato to the Existentialists, The Art of Cycling explores the limits of rationality and how the visceral, embodied nature of sport ultimately has the potential to redeem us from the painful, locked-in isolation of our own heads.

In the tradition of philosophical road trip titles like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and On the Road, The Art of Cycling turns a critical eye towards our increasingly disconnected digital lives —showing how re-engaging with the material world can breathe new vitality into everyday existence and serve as a countervailing force against the sense of detachment which has come to characterize modern life for so many.

The guidebook contains routes from both Dover and Harwich ferry ports to London. This makes it possible to cycle around the English Channel, when also using the Plymouth link. The Dover to London route takes you though the fruit orchards of Kent, historic Canterbury and the Medway estuary with its impressive castles. The Harwich to London route provides pleasant countryside cycling in Essex and takes you through Roman Colchester. Cycling through the heart of London, our route manages to stay away from busy roads, the occasional busy junction crossing excepted. Most of the cycling takes place on towpaths along the River Thames with spectacular views to enjoy. You will cycle under the Tower Bridge and you'll pass the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace on the way. Greenwich Park, Hyde Park and Richmond Park all provide superb green traffic-free routes. Heading west you'll cycle by Windsor Park and Windsor Castle before making your way to the Aon & Kennet Canal, with the pleasant towns of Newbury, Hungerford and Marlborough to take in. In Sting's "Fields of gold" of Wiltshire you have the choice to cycle either by famous Stonehenge or that other beautiful ancient stone circle, Avebury. Extraordinary engineering awaits you at the twenty-nine canal locks of Caen Hill and the canal aqueducts near Bradford on Avon. You'll cycle through the hilly Cotswolds here, with a canal path providing a majestic flat route to magnificent Bath with its Roman Baths, Jane Austen Museum and Royal Crescent. Via the Bristol & Bath Railway Path you'll make your way to bustling Bristol and its spectacular Avon Gorge. If you only wish to cycle "Coast to Coast" from the North Sea or English Channel, you could stop at seaside Clevedon with its striking views over the British Channel. The route continues via the charming Strawberry Line to famous Cheddar with its cheese museum and gorge. The Somerset Levels provide the last section of truly flat cycling, because from Taunton the big climb starts into Exmoor National Park. From here, the route is for determined cyclists only, as there is serious climbing to take in. To get to the ancient Tarr Steps you'll have to take on two major climbs of about a mile long! Fortunately, from Barnstaple the splendid Tarka Trail provides easy cycling on another former railway. You can choose to cycle to Plymouth from where you can cross the English Channel to France. This Devon Coast to Coast route takes you on high viaducts with fantastic views over Dartmoor National Park. The spectacular Plym Valley Way from historic Tavistock down into Plymouth could be a worthy climax to your journey! Of course, you can also continue into Cornwall, but you have to be ready for more serious climbing here. The section between Bude and Tintagel Castle is particularly rugged. Atlantic Ocean views are the ultimate reward for all the climbing efforts made, as is cycling on the flat and beautiful Camel Trail. This trail leads you to Padstow with its exclusive fish restaurants and the famous surf beaches of Newquay. The striking mining area of Redruth allows you to cycle briefly through "lunar landscapes", before arriving at beautiful Penzance Bay with its striking St. Michael's Mount. The grand finale of the route is a circular route via the spectacular headlands of Land's End and Cape Cornwall. From Penzance, you can take your bike on the fast train service back to London.

The mountains, that is where the greatest battles of the Tour de France are fought, where champions are made and where some of the toughest are defeated. It's where men like Christophe, Coppi, Bahamontes, Merckx, and Armstrong have shown their mettle. And it was where British cyclist Tommy Simpson died. This beautifully illustrated book looks at the scenic beauty of the mountain stages and at the men who have competed on them throughout the 100-year history of the Tour. This book replaces in our list a previously announced title on the same subject by Peter Leissl, which was cancelled (1-892495-48-1).

Shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Non-Fiction Award 2020 'Chappell is a gifted storyteller' - Observer In 2015 Emily Chappell embarked on a formidable new bike race: The Transcontinental. 4,000km across Europe, unassisted, in the shortest time possible. On her first attempt she made it only halfway, waking up suddenly on her back in a field, floored by the physical and mental exertion. A year later she entered the race again - and won. Where There's a Will takes us into Emily Chappell's race, grinding up mountain passes and charging down the other side; snatching twenty minutes' sleep on the outskirts of a village before jumping back on the bike to surge ahead for another day; feeding in bursts and navigating on the go. We experience the crippling self-doubt of the ultra distance racer, the confusing intensity of winning and the desperation of losing a dear friend who understood all of this.

The mountains of Europe have many different meanings to many different people. For the locals they are a way of life; for visitors they represent breathtaking beauty, active holidays and peaceful moments. For cyclists, however, the dramatic landscapes mean something quite different: suffering, pain, agony - and glory. For over a century the mountains have provided the setting for the greatest cycling contests, where human determination and willpower can triumph over nature and opponents. In recent years, as cycling's popularity has changed our cities, made us more active and taken us down less-travelled roads, the mountains of Europe have become the primary destination for everyday riders who want to challenge themselves, experience the storied roads and escape their everyday lives. This publication is aimed at all who wish to be inspired by those challenges or celebrate those personal victories. With tributes and personal recollections from leading road cyclists, the photographs and words coalesce into a visual depiction that transcends any single perspective and will inspire awe and wonder in anyone who wishes to confront the power of the mountains.

The Lake District boasts some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the country, providing a dramatic backdrop to many of the rides featured in this book. The practical spiral-bound guide describes 20 wonderful lane rides of 24-35 miles in South Lakeland and the Eden Valley. All of the rides are highlighted on Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 mapping, seen as the gold standard of mapping for cyclists. Junction-by-junction route instructions guide you through the region's beautiful countryside. Each ride contains details of distance, grade of difficulty and refreshments along the way (with phone numbers of pubs and cafes so that you can check on opening hours). A height profile gives you warning of the hills to expect and schematic maps show how the ride can either be shortened or linked to adjacent rides for a longer day out. The rides have been designed to use quieter roads and are divided into three main areas: the first is around Cockermouth and Keswick where three rides explore the breathtaking landscape either side of Bassenthwaite Lake. To the west lie Wythop Woods, Whinlatter Forest, Loweswater, Crummock Water and Buttermere; to the east of Bassenthwaite is the classic circuit around the back of Skiddaw to Caldbeck. The second area covers the southeast of Cumbria, encompassing the upper Eden Valley and the Lune Valley, with rides starting from the handsome towns of Appleby, Kirkby Stephen, Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale. The weather tends to be drier here as the two valleys lie in the rain shadow of the Lakeland Fells. These rides also offer panoramic views of the Pennines and the Howgills to the north of Sedbergh. The final area features rides in and around the southern half of the Lake District National Park. There are fantastic views of many of the central lakes and fells including those to be enjoyed from the Windermere Ferry, featured on the ride north from Backbarrow. You may well be pleasantly surprised that there are so many quiet lanes to explore in such a popular tourist area. Choose your time well and you will enjoy your rides even more.

For much of cycling's "Fabulous Fifties" it was Brian Robinson alone who flew the flag for Britain abroad - that is until three young men set out to emulate his success, starting from ground zero. This book tells the story of how, along with fellow Yorkshireman Vic Sutton and South Londoner John Andrew, the intrepid Tony Hewson set off to conquer the European racing scene, first off in an old, battered, converted ex-WD ambulance, then in an oil-leaking pre-war Wolseley with a caravan in tow. Variously mistaken for gypsies, terrorists, undertakers, even market traders, these were our original cash-starved, have-a-go pioneers, whose inspiration prompted Tom Simpson and succeeding generations of would-be stars to cross the Channel. It is an often hilarious sometimes sad but never bitter saga of daring-do that found the trio rubbing shoulders with Coppi, Anquetil, Van Looy and the other greats of the era. It tells of how Andrews won a place in the prestigious Mercier-BP trade team and of how Sutton conquered the headlines with a brilliant display of climbing in the mountaains of the 1959 Tour and its relates Hewson's own pickings of primes and placings in after-Tour criteriums.It also provides a wonderfully evocative insight into what life was like in France and Belgium back in that far-off era.

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.

Pedro Delgado's 13-year racing career spanned one of cycling's golden decades. Riding against Hinault and Fignon in their prime in the early 1980s, then later against Roche and LeMond, through to mentoring Indurain in the 1990s, he took part in the Tour de France and in one of the other grand tours in every year but his first and last. His final haul of one Tour and two Vuelta victories perhaps does not do justice to his talent, but then he was a rider whose defeats were often every bit as memorable, and every bit as spectacular, as his victories, and they too could be accompanied by controversy. An innate climber, he learned how to time trial, but it was that natural inclination to attack whenever the gradient steepened, whether wisely or impulsively, that would move spectators to tears - sometimes of pure joy; sometimes of bitter disappointment. But in the end he was always capable of a smile, because he knew better than most how to take those 'two imposters of triumph and disaster' in his stride. More than a cycling biography, this book gives a rare and often amusing insight into the inner world of the professional peloton in that era - life in the team hotel; the obsessions about diet and health; the eccentricities and foibles of both the riders and their directors; as well as the loyalties and feuds provoked by this, the hardest of sports.

In this concise account, experienced touring cyclist Patricia Vance shares the lessons she learned over many years on how to plan, prepare for, and carry out a successful bicycle tour. Whether you're traveling light and staying in hotels or going off the beaten path complete with camping gear, Bicycle Touring will show you in detail how to handle each situation, all presented in a lively personal style of writing. Unlike other bicycle touring books on the market today, Bicycle Touring does not emphasize the mechanics of the bicycle; after all, there are plenty of good repair manuals available, if that's what you want. Instead, the book concentrates effectively on the things you really need to know to make every bicycle tour a success. It's really 20 years of touring experience condensed and clearly presented. This book is illustrated both with diagrams and black & white bicycle touring photographs and contains solid information as well as personal experiences.

Bicycle Engineering and Technology is a primer and technical introduction for anyone interested in bicycles, bicycling and the bicycle industry. With insight into how bicycles are made and operated, the book covers the engineering materials used for their manufacture and the technicalities of riding. It also discusses ways in which the enthusiast may wish to get involved in the business of working with these fantastic machines, which are now being aided with electrical power. The bicycle is a significant factor in transportation around the world and is playing an increasingly crucial role in transport policy as we collectively become more environmentally conscious. To celebrate the importance of the bicycle on the world stage, a brief history is included along with a detailed timeline showing the development of the bicycle with major world events. Previous knowledge of engineering or technology is not required to enjoy this text, as all technical terms are explained and a full glossary and lists of abbreviations are included. Whether you are a bicycling enthusiast, racer, student or bicycle professional, you will surely want to read it and keep it on your shelf as a handy reference.

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

Take your bicycle on the ride of a lifetime with the help of The Bikepackers' Guide to the World. Discover 75 of the most amazing cycling routes in every continent and use the detailed maps, directions, accommodation and practical information to plan your trip. Lonely Planets experts tell you how to prepare, what to take, when and where to go. Bikepacking is the fast-growing adventure activity that gives people the freedom to discover the world in a sustainable and slow-paced fashion on their bicycles. The number of new purpose-built, long-distance cycling routes is increasing all the time and this comprehensive book selects the top 75 to add to your bicycling bucket list. Lonely Planet describes the route in step-by-step detail with a large, accurate map and elevation profile helping cyclists pick a route that suits their experience. The routes are graded from easy to challenging and cover a range of distances from a weekend to a month or more. The rides vary from easy-going rail trails to rugged off-road routes. Accommodation recommendations and options for eating and drinking along the way are also included. The Bikepackers Guide to the World explains how to pack for each trip, what you will need and all the practical considerations. It also highlights some of the top sights along the way and suggests how to maximise your time in a new and exciting region by experiencing local foods and customs. Large images paint a picture of each place. Practical advice for first-time bikepackers is also provided, covering how to prepare physically, what sort of bicycle is best for each route, how to perform basic repairs on the road and how to carry baggage and eat and sleep comfortably. Routes and countries covered include: The Tahoe Rim Trail, the Oregon Timber Trail and Missouri's Katy rail trail in the US The Tour de Mont Blanc and Scotland's North Coast 500 in Europe The Annapurna Circuit and Trans-Hokkaido routes in Asia The Murray to the Mountains rail trail and New Zealand's Old Ghost Road in Oceania And many more About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, eBooks, and more.

Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was is the first biography of Jan Ullrich, arguably the most naturally talented cyclist of his generation, and also one of the most controversial champions of the Tour de France. In 1997, Jan Ullrich announced himself to the world by obliterating his rivals in the first mountain stage of the Tour de France. So awesome was his display that it sent shockwaves throughout the world of cycling and invited headlines such as L'Equipe's 'The New Giant'. He went on to become Germany's first ever Tour winner, storming to victory in that edition by almost ten minutes, a result that was greeted as an era-defining changing of the guard. Everyone agreed: Jan Ullrich was the future of cycling. He was soon also voted Germany's most popular sportsperson of all time, and his rivalry with Lance Armstrong defined the most controversial years of the Tour de France. Now, Daniel Friebe - who has covered twenty-one editions of the Tour de France - has gone in search of the man who was said in 1997 would go on to dominate his sport for a generation, but never quite managed it. Just what did happen to the best who never was? This is a gripping account of how unbearable expectation, mental and physical fragility, the effects of a complicated childhood, a morally corrupt sport and one individual - Lance Armstrong - can conspire to reroute destiny. Daniel Friebe takes us from the legacy of East Germany's drugs programme to the pinnacle of pro cycling and asks: what price can you give sporting immortality?

Tim Moore completes his epic (and ill-advised) trilogy of cycling's Grand Tours. Julian Berrendero's victory in the 1941 Vuelta a Espana was an extraordinary exercise in sporting redemption: the Spanish cyclist had just spent 18 months in Franco's concentration camps, punishment for expressing Republican sympathies during the civil war. Seventy nine years later, perennially over-ambitious cyclo-adventurer Tim Moore developed a fascination with Berrendero's story, and having borrowed an old road bike with the great man's name plastered all over it, set off to retrace the 4,409km route of his 1941 triumph - in the midst of a global pandemic. What follows is a tale of brutal heat and lonely roads, of glory, humiliation, and then a bit more humiliation. Along the way Tim recounts the civil war's still-vivid tragedies, and finds the gregarious but impressively responsible locals torn between welcoming their nation's only foreign visitor, and bundling him and his filthy bike into a vat of antiviral gel.