This is the story of Alf Engers and the pursuit of speed, set against a backdrop of cycling clubs, shop-owners, framebuilders, riders, racers, team managers and officials. It loops from the Paddington Track to the Skol Six, Herne Hill to the National Road Race Championships and from Boroughbridge to Barnet, in and out of time and place to capture the truth of a racing career of unequalled achievement, charisma and controversy. Constructed from extensive interviews with Alf Engers, I Like Alf is the definitive tale of a mythical and charismatic folk hero of British cycling. Where I came from it was so very different: up at five o'clock in the morning, the tinkle of shoe plates on the road, the smell of embrocation, the stillness of the morning, just you and the timekeeper: 5-4-3-2-1-GO! It is the essence of cycling. If I had gone on to do what I wanted to do I would have won the Tour de France, but that's how the dice were rolled.

Guidebook to hiking and mountain biking in the Sacred Valley of Peru, including the Inca Trail. 40 routes (7 to Machu Picchu) visiting all major Incan sites discovered from Cusco, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Vilcabamba and in the remote region around Mount Ausangate. The routes are graded for difficulty, and most routes can be done on foot or by mountainbike and timings are given for each, as well as advice on whether it is preferable to undertake a particular route with a local guide or trekking agency, in the less well-known areas. The guidebook includes practical information on getting to and around the area, how to make the most out of any trip as well as plenty of background detail on the Incan history and places of interest explored on the routes. The Andes are the second highest mountain range in the world, after the Himalaya, but they have the most spectacular range of altitude - from 6000m down to just above sea level - making for some thrilling MTB descents on ancient Incan roads. The area also has a spectacular collection of ancient Incan sites, with new sites yet to be uncovered, and is still farmed by the direct descendants of the Incas, often seen in their colourful traditional dress in the local villages.

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.

This newly updated guide to the best cycling in Florida is jam-packed with information. Ride up to the highest point in Florida (345 feet), along the Suwannee River, through central Florida's horse farms, and out to Key Biscayne along the Rickenbacker Causeway.

This book includes complete directions, maps, and important information for over 70 such rides, so you can be well-informed and safe on your journeys. In addition to detailed information on each ride, this book also gives important information on cycling laws and safety issues, and tells you where to stop to see the best scenery. Also given are the names and addresses of area bike associations.

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.

Exciting: documents a recent journey through difficult and at times hostile territory

Having documented the famous cycling climbs of France and Italy, Simon Warren completes his trilogy on cycling's Grand Tour nations with the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of Spain. Packed full of the legendary roads on the Spanish mainland which have found fame in the Vuelta a Espana, such as the Angliru, Alto de Velefique, Lagos de Covadonga and the mighty Pico Veleta, the featured climbs travel the length and breadth of the country - from the Pyrenees, across the Basque Country to Asturias, around Madrid and down through Catalunya to Andalucia. The book also travels out to sea to cover Mallorca and the Canary Islands. These perennially favoured destinations for cyclists searching year-round sun are home to some extraordinary climbs, from Sa Calobra on Mallorca, to Teide on Tenerife, and the incomparable Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma.

A tale of man and machine battling against breath-taking terrain for the ultimate prize, this is the story of the Alpe d'Huez. Known as the Tour de France's 'Hollywood climb', veteran cycling journalist Peter Cossins reveals the triumphs, passion and despair behind the great exploits on this Alpe and discloses the untold details that have led to the mountain becoming as important to the Tour as the race is to resort at its summit. The Alpe d'Huez has played a starring role in cycling's history since its first encounter with the sport back in 1952 when the legendary Fausto Coppi triumphed on the summit. Re-introduced to the Tour in 1976, Alpe d'Huez has risen to mythical status, thanks initially to a string of victories by riders from Holland, whose exploits attracted tens of thousands of their compatriots to the climb - which has become known as 'Dutch mountain'. A snaking 13.8-kilometre ascent rising up through 21 numbered hairpins at an average gradient of 7.8%, Alpe d'Huez is the climb on which every great rider wants to win. Many of the sport's most famous and now even infamous names have won on the Alpe, including Bernard Hinault, Joop Zoetemelk, Lucho Herrera, Marco Pantani and Lance Armstrong. As well as days of brilliance, there have been controversies such as the high-speed and drug-fuelled duels of the EPO years in the 1990s and into the new millennium.

Explore 60 of the best rail-trails and multiuse pathways across three states with this official guide. All across the country, unused railroad corridors have been converted to public multiuse trails. In this official guide, the experts from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy present the best of these rail-trails, as well as other multiuse pathways, in Northern New England. Tour Maine's Eastern Promenade Trail, showcasing Portland's Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. Enjoy picturesque countryside on the Northern Rail Trail-New Hampshire's longest rail-trail. Take a ride along Vermont's Island Rail Trail, which boasts a spectacular marble causeway crossing Lake Champlain. Whether you're on feet, wheels, or skis, you'll love the variety in this collection of multiuse trails-from beautiful waterways and scenic areas to the hustle and bustle of the states' urban centers! In this book, you'll find: Detailed maps for every rail-trail, plus driving directions to trailheads Icons indicating the activities each trail can accommodate Succinct descriptions written by rail-trail experts "You can now throw away all your self-help books on fighting depression, losing weight, toning muscles, finding something to do with your kids, and learning American history. Just use this guide, find a great trail-and enjoy!" -Peter Harnik, Director, Center for City Park Excellence, Trust for Public Land

Riding up hills is the ultimate challenge for a cyclist. This guide is a compilation of some of the best hills in Bristol, Bath, and the surrounding area. It's not just a definitive list of the top 50 toughest climbs; instead, author J J Wheeler has selected some of the most iconic, the most thrilling, the most interesting, varied and, of course, hardest hill climbs that this region has to offer. There's something here for everyone, from the Weekend Warrior to the serious road racer. Just get out there and enjoy the ride!

In ETAPE, critically acclaimed author Richard Moore will take readers on a virtual Tour de France, with each chapter focusing on a single rider in a single stage that came to define the Tour's history. In Etape, critically acclaimed author Richard Moore tells the stories behind some of the defining stages in the Tour de France's history through the eyes of the protagonists: the heroes and villains, stars and journeymen. Featuring exclusive new interviews with Mark Cavendish, Lance Armstrong, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Greg LeMond, David Millar, Chris Boardman and many other Tour riders past and present, Etape spans six decades in conveying the mystery, beauty and madness of the world's greatest bike race. The book includes Boardman's famous debut in 1994, Cavendish's best and worst stages, an emotionally charged win for Armstrong in Limoges in 1995 and his dramatic, drug-fuelled victory eight years later at Luz Ardiden, as well as iconic stages featuring giants of the sport: Merckx's toughest Tour, Hinault's journey through hell, LeMond's return from near-death, and the tragic Marco Pantani's domination of the most controversial race in Tour history, among others. From the Alps to the Pyrenees, the sun-soaked plains of the midi to the rain-lashed cobbles of the north, Etape takes the reader on a virtual Tour. Along the way, in shedding new light on familiar events, unravelling mysteries and exploring untold stories, it confirms the Tour de France as unrivalled in its creation of myths and legends, and as a stage for courage, scandal, skill, and drama.

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.

Before the last quarter of the nineteenth century, people who wanted to travel independently either walked or rode horses. Then a newly invented machine changed forever the nature of personal transportation. The cycle-self-propelled bicycles, tricycles, and tandems-allowed almost anyone to travel around town, around their region, and around the world. While dramatic developments in equipment, clothing, road surfaces, and amenities make the physicality of cycling much different from the earlier era, the experience of cycling has seen little change. The Self-Propelled Voyager: How the Cycle Revolutionized Travel recounts how a transportation innovation opened the world for not only those who made the journey but also for the armchair travelers who read with interest the cyclists' accounts of faraway places. Following a brief history of the development of the cycle, this book describes the exploits of long-distance riders who wrote of their experiences, their triumphs, and their tragedies. Duncan R. Jamieson chronicles their journeys, their personal stories, and the times in which they lived, revealing that, despite the continuing rise and fall of cycling interest, people continue to enjoy traveling in the slow lane. Drawing on books and articles by the women and men who rode and wrote of their travels, The Self-Propelled Voyager also features photographs from the 1880s up to the modern day, illustrating the development of the cycle through history. Accessibly written yet comprehensive in its coverage, this book will interest not only the cycling enthusiast but historians focusing on sport and sport tourism as well.

In this "sharp-eyed account of a nearly forgotten African-American sports legend" (Publishers Weekly)-the remarkable Major Taylor who became the world's fastest bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era-"Kranish has done historians and fans a service by reminding us that such immortals as Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods all followed in Major Taylor's wake" (The Washington Post). In the 1890s, the nation's promise of equality had failed spectacularly. While slavery had ended with the Civil War, the Jim Crow laws still separated blacks from whites, and the excesses of the Gilded Age created an elite upper class. When Major Taylor, a young black man, announced he wanted to compete in the nation's most popular and mostly white man's sport, cycling, Birdie Munger, a white cyclist who once was the world's fastest man, declared that he could help turn the young black athlete into a champion. Twelve years before boxer Jack Johnson and fifty years before baseball player Jackie Robinson, Taylor faced racism at nearly every turn-especially by whites who feared he would disprove their stereotypes of blacks. In The World's Fastest Man, years in the writing, investigative journalist Michael Kranish reveals new information about Major Taylor based on a rare interview with his daughter and other never-before-uncovered details from Taylor's life. Kranish shows how Taylor indeed became a world champion, traveled the world, was the toast of Paris, and was one of the most chronicled black men of his day. From a moment in time just before the arrival of the automobile when bicycles were king, the populace was booming with immigrants, and enormous societal changes were about to take place, "both inspiring and heartbreaking, this is an essential contribution to sports history" (Booklist, starred review). The World's Fastest Man "restores the memory of one of the first black athletes to overcome the drag of racism and achieve national renown" (The New York Times Book Review).

Cycling is currently enjoying a boom in popularity. What are the reasons behind this phenomenon? How have perceptions and the popularity of cycling shifted? This book charts the historical development of cycling both as a leisure and sporting activity since the 19th century and explores the wider political and cultural context in which cycling in Britain emerged. In particular, it examines cycling's relationship with environmental politics and its place in popular culture. Neil Carter successfully traverses several historical sub-disciplines, including the history of transport, leisure, sport, medicine and politics, employing the analytical tools of class, gender, political culture, the role of the state and commercialism to demonstrate how British identity has shaped and been shaped by cycling. At a time when it has become part of debates over transport and health, Cycling and the British: A Modern History provides a timely and clear analysis of the changes and continuities in attitudes towards cycling.

Hidden in and around the Detroit and Ann Arbor area are some great roads, trails, and bike paths that are fun to explore. Best Bike Rides Detroit and Ann Arbor describes 40 great recreational rides in the metro areas. With most rides between 5 and 35 miles-including road rides, rail trails, bike paths, and mountain bike rides-it's easy to find a ride that suits your tastes. Each route includes complete directions, a map, a text description of the area you'll be riding, the GPS coordinates of the start/finish point, and color photos of one the ride's features. Also included is information on local restaurants, lodging, maps, bicycle shops, other facilities for cyclists, and community resources. Look inside to find: * Detailed maps and directions * Rides that explore the urban areas as well as the surrounding country * A variety of rides, most between 5 and 35 miles in length * In-depth information about each ride, including length, terrain, traffic conditions, and road hazards * Interesting facts about each area * Options to create longer or shorter rides

Covering interesting and varied philosophical terrain, Cycling - Philosophy for Everyone explores in a fun but critical way the rich philosophical, cultural, and existential experiences that arise when two wheels are propelled by human energy. * Incorporates or reflects the views of high-profile and notable past-professional cyclists and insiders such as Lennard Zinn, Scott Tinley, and Lance Armstrong * Features contributions from the areas of cultural studies, kinesiology, literature, and political science as well as from philosophers * Includes enlightening essays on the varieties of the cycling experience, ranging from the ethical issues of success, women and cycling, environmental issues of commuting and the transformative potential of cycling for personal growth * Shows how bicycling and philosophy create the perfect tandem * Includes a foreword by Lennard Zinn, author and owner of Zinn Cycles Inc.

From the rocky promontories and wide sandy beaches of the coast to the heights of Mount Hood and the Three Sisters, enjoy the dramatic diversity of Oregon on two wheels. Grab this guidebook, put on your helmet, and hit the road on the carefully designed tours, which vary in length and difficutly, and cover a whole range of abilities and fitness levels.Inside you'll discover detailed profiles of each ride, including traffic conditions, terrain, and length; vivid descriptions of points of interest; listings for local restaurants, hotels, bike shops, and rest rooms along the way; maps and elevation profiles. Look inside to find:
- Detailed maps and directions
- Rides for every fitness level and ability--from short rambles to challenging classics
- In-depth information about each ride, including length, terrain, traffic conditions, and road hazards
- Vivid descriptions of points of interest
- Options to create longer or shorter rides

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.

Written for cyclists of all stripes, Best Bike Rides books offer a diverse array of scenic tours in and around some of America's largest urban destinations. Road rides, rail trails, bike paths, and single-track mountain bike rides all get included. Most rides are in the 5 to 30 mile range, allowing for great afternoon outings and family adventures. Each book features 35-40 rides with color photos, maps, and point-by-point miles and directions.

Seattle was recently named the best bike city in the United States by Bicycling magazine. How did this notoriously hilly and rainy city become so inviting to bicyclists? And what challenges lie ahead for Puget Sound bike advocates? Tom Fucoloro, a leading voice on bike issues in the region, blends his longtime reporting with new interviews and archival research to tell the story of how a flourishing bike culture emerged despite the obstacles of climate, topography, and—most importantly—an entrenched, car-centric urban landscape and culture. From the arrival of the first bicycles in the late nineteenth century to the bike-share entrepreneurs of the present day, the result is a unique perspective on Seattle's history and its future. Advocates, policy makers, city planners, and bike enthusiasts around the world can learn plenty from the successes and failures of this city's past 130 years. More than just a mode of transportation, the bicycle has been used by generations of Seattleites as a tool for social change. Biking Uphill in the Rain documents the people and projects that made a difference and reveals just how deeply intertwined transportation is with politics, public health, climate change, and racial justice.

With 57 miles of well-tended carriage paths-skirting some of the most beautiful sights on Mount Desert Island and free of automobile traffic-Acadia National park is a very popular destination among bicyclists. Audrey Minutolo-Le provides cyclists with an in-depth look at 18 of the island's finest loop routes, both on and off-road, and gives valuable tips on the prime times to cycle busy sections of Acadia. She also includes many great rides outside the park that are often overlooked. Each route is broken down by mileage, categorized by degree of difficulty, and described in detail with maps to help riders pick routes most comfortable for their skill level. Includes a new introduction and updated information on trails and routes.