An illustrated pocket guide to off-the-beaten-track cycling challenges Really Wild Cycling follows in the tracks of Chris's bestselling Wild Cycling. Most, if not all, the rides are off-road, but each one presents a challenge to inspire readers to train for it and have a go. Most take only a few hours, but some are longer, and a few much longer, taking even the fittest several days. An introduction explains safety techniques and underlines the skills, knowledge, equipment and fitness levels required. The rides are graded in ascending difficulty within each region. Each ride suggests regular escape points to get riders to a safe place should the weather close in and draws attention to places where extra care should be taken. Some rides are on marked routes, like the Trans-Pennine Trail, some are races or organised challenges, while others are routes the author himself has mapped out. Each ride is illustrated with photos, an annotated map and a profile of the terrain. The text includes a detailed route guide and historical, geological and natural points of interest.

West Yorkshire Mountain Biking - South Pennine Trails features 23 of the best mountain bike rides in West Yorkshire, between 10.5km and 32km in length, suitable for all levels of mountain bikers. The routes are split into four sections: Calderdale, Bradford, Kirklees and City of Leeds. Explore wild moorland, plunge into steep and deep wooded valleys, cruise through the heart of industrial Yorkshire and speed along some of the best singletrack in the country. As with all new Vertebrate MTB guidebooks, this title features industry-standard Ordnance Survey mapping, and is illustrated with stunning action photography. Researched, ridden and written by local expert and MTB journalist Benjamin Haworth, each route features clear and easy to use Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance, timings and difficulty gradings, and refreshment stops and local knowledge. Also included is a detailed Appendix.

Cycling in Sussex is the third title in Vertebrate Publishing's Off Road Trails and Quiet Lanes series of family and leisure cycling guidebooks. 20 rides, between 4km and 28km, explore the quiet lanes and off-road trails of one of the most beautiful counties in the UK. Written by local family cyclists, Deirdre Huston and Marina Bullivant, the rides are clearly described using step-by-step instructions and feature original maps, route profiles and local area information. The book is illustrated with inspirational and inviting photography of the rides and the local area. Together with information about local railway trails and seafront trails, the authors have also put together a selection of rides specifically designed for families based on their own personal experiences with their children.

Riding up hills is the ultimate challenge for a cyclist. This guide is a compliation of some of the best hills in London and the South East. It's not just a definite list of the Top 50 toughest climbs; instead, author Adrian Bond has selected some of the most iconic, the most thrilling, the most interesting, varied and, of course, toughest, hill climbs that this region has to offer. Hopefully, there's something here for everyone, whether you're a 'Weekend Warrior' or a serious road racer. Just get out there and enjoy the ride.

At the end of the nineteenth century, cycling's popularity surged in the Boston area, but by 1900, the trend faded. Within the next few decades, automobiles became commonplace and roads were refashioned to serve them. Lorenz J. Finison argues that bicycling witnessed a renaissance in the 1970s as concerns over physical and environmental health coalesced. Whether cyclists hit the roads on their way to work or to work out, went off-road in the mountains or to race via cyclocross and BMX, or took part in charity rides, biking was back in a major way. Finison traces the city's cycling history, chronicling the activities of environmental and social justice activists, stories of women breaking into male-dominated professions by becoming bike messengers and mechanics, and challenges faced by African American cyclists. Making use of newspaper archives, newly discovered records of local biking organizations, and interviews with Boston-area bicyclists and bike builders, Boston's Twentieth Century Bicycling Renaissance brings these voices and battles back to life.

At the age of 20, Dennis Horn won his first English Rose - the emblem of a National track champion. Throughout the 1930s he rapidly graduated from the rough and tumble of makeshift grass track racing at country fairs and gala sports days in provincial towns to assail the heights of British track cycling on the great urban cycling bastions of the time - the hard-surfaced stadiums of London's Herne Hill and Manchester's Fallowfield - and become the star of British track racing. Every year from 1931 to 1938 he was awarded the season-long Meredith Trophy to add to those legendary gold and silver cups he'd won in fiercely contested track battles in front of crowds of tens of thousands. It was a cycling scene entirely unique to Britain in the years before World War II. But this is more than a simple tale of a strapping rural lad who took on and beat the streetwise metropolitan champions of his era. Dennis Horn, son of a Fenland blacksmith, proved himself to be as astute as any of his urban contemporaries at treading the fine line between amateurism and professionalism as defined by the puritanical British cycling establishment of their day.

South East Mountain Biking - North and South Downs is the full second edition of the bestselling guide to some of the finest mountain biking in the South East of England. Published by leading guidebook producer Vertebrate Publishing, it covers the best mountain biking in the south-east, including the newly-formed South Downs National Park. Delve into the woodland singletrack of the North Downs or head out on to the big, rolling chalk hills that make up the South Downs National Park. Get out of the towns and cities and discover the dense network of bridleways and byways that criss-cross the countryside of the South East. This guide contains 24 routes between 16 and 35km in length, suitable for all levels of mountain bikers. All route information has been thoroughly checked for this new edition, to give the most up-to-date and comprehensive guidebook to the area. Written by Nick Cotton, author of over 50 cycling guidebooks, each route features clear and easy to use Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance, timings and difficulty gradings, refreshment stops and local knowledge, and stunning photography. Also included are Top Ten descents, climbs and mountain bike playgrounds, an introduction to the fantastic Surrey Hills singletrack, and a detailed Appendix.

It is easy to see bicycles as commonplace machines, but at the end of the nineteenth-century there was no other piece of technology which attracted the same level of excitement, discussion or controversy. Significant societal shifts followed the invention of the modern bicycle and with cycling's ever-increasing popularity there has never been a better time to tell this story. Revolution delves into the social history of cycling in 1890s Britain while exploring international parallels that existed in countries such as the US, France and Australia. Drawing on a range of sources from cycling club journals to the writings of H.G. Wells, the book illuminates the major impact the bicycle had on the day-to-day lives of people across the social spectrum with millions experiencing a cheap and personalised means of transport for the first time. Particularly for women it was known as the great emancipator from crib, kitchen and convention. Affordable to the working class, cycling dramatically increased the number of potential marriage partners, bridging the gaps between villages, to the extent that leading biologist Steve Jones has ranked the invention of the bicycle as the most important event in recent human evolution. From cycling as a source of fashion and socialising in sporting clubs, to travel around the British countryside, to its importance for widening the gene pool and its role in the women's liberation movement Revolution presents the bicycle as a marvel of modern technology that transformed Britain and the world over.

New from the publishers of the Cool Camping and Wild Swimming series' comes Escape Routes; a unique cycling guide that's less about the destination and more about enjoying the journey there - and back. Matt Carroll maps out 60 unforgettable rides across England, from an easy 5 mile-meander to a 20-mile day trip, with something for every level of cyclist on every kind of bike. Enjoy the rush of freewheeling down a hill with the beautiful English countryside gliding by. Get up close and personal with England's most gorgeous coastline. When you're out on your bike you can go where you want, when you want - all in your own sweet time. Combining inspirational photography, beautiful hand-drawn maps, engaging writing and essential practical information - including where to hire bicyles en route - this stunning book will guide you through England's most breathtaking cycle rides. And, when you're ready to give your legs a rest, there's a detailed list of cracking places to eat, drink, and sleep. Hop on to your bike and enjoy the ride.

Cycling in London is booming! Everywhere you look cyclists are zipping around the city; commuting to work, visiting friends or just riding for the pleasure of it. This book is written for anyone looking to ride new and interesting paths through the city. Detailing 50 beautiful rides that will charm and inspire you and indeed help you discover the city anew, "Where to Ride London" is the ultimate guide for recreational cyclists either native Londoners or riders visiting from abroad. There are 5 kids specific rides, great for youngsters and learners - and a further 21 tagged as 'kid friendly' for fledgling riders, helpful information for parents looking to get the family out and about on two wheels. Along with brilliant text from Nick Woodford, author and contributor to many other travel books like Rough Guides and Alistair Sawdays, there are around 180 evocative colour photos that capture the essence of life on two wheels in London. Crammed full of information on the history, culture, and people of London there is also loads of practical help on how to prepare and what to take with you.

Why would someone set out on a bicycle tour of Ireland? Because Ireland is as stunning a country as any you'll ever visit. There's the extraordinary light, which adds intensity to everything, making greens and whites appear greener and whiter. It's all there: moss-covered mountains rising ominously from the mist, bright blue skies over white sandy beaches; the ghostlike ruins of ancient monasteries on misty days... With picturesque routes and breathtaking landscapes, Ireland is beloved by cyclists in search of an exhilarating yet memorable experience. In Green Tour of Ireland, avid cyclist Paul Benjaminse explores the a route around Ireland from Belfast to Dublin via the most spectacular and scenic routes in the country and offers his expert advice on the best way to see the beautiful parts of Ireland. Includes detailed routes and maps of; Ulster Sligo Cork Connemara The Burren Leinster and the Dublin Mountains.

Experienced Footprint author Chris Moran (co-author of Mountain Biking Europe and Snowboarding the World) brings you the definitive guide to mountain bike riding in Britain. Mountain Biking Britain takes you cross-country, scoping the best trail centres from Golspie and the Kyle of Sutherland trails in the north of Scotland, down through the Seven Staines in Scotland and all the way through to the Mineral Tramways Project in Cornwall. The book features the most picturesque rides in South Wales, where to find the best northshore rides and the top bikeparks of England. Whether you prefer downhill, XC (cross-country), or freestyle/freeriding, there something for everyone. Detailed coverage of the UK's high profile centres All the essentials: top tips, local media and websites, the scene, secret spots and must-sees The best rider-friendly places to eat, sleep and drink 'Riders tales' sections include lots of hints and tips from pro-riders and experts in the mountain-biking scene

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

Contains books which provide directions; route profiles; GPS co-ordinates and local information.

'A wildly inspiring adventure - from armchair to saddle.' Nichiless 'A lovely concise guide.' A. W. Baird Here is plenty of inspiration for anyone who loves to ride off road and get out into the wild and stunning scenery of the British mainland. Each route suggests further routes and the book as a whole introduces the wild cyling potential of a range of different locations. These natural routes to wild places link country lanes, green lanes, bridleways, towpaths, trails and often ancient ways between places. The book is illustrated in colour and each ride includes an annotated route map and ride profile, also OS grid references. And a fact file gives further indispensable details, including an indication of how hard each ride is, and how wild. From Chalk Cliffs and Curious Sound Mirrors in the south-east to Cape Wrath in the north-west, the purity, beauty and essential wildness of these rides will ensure that over the years many of them will become classic, even legendary cycling challenges.

'It is late October, and the temperature is already -40C...My thoughts are filled with frozen rivers that may or may not hold my weight; empty, forgotten valleys haunted by emaciated ghosts and packs of ravenous, merciless wolves.'In 2004 Rob Lilwall arrived in Siberia equipped only with a bike and a healthy dose of fear. CYCLING HOME FROM SIBERIA recounts his epic three and a half year, 30,000 mile journey back to England via the foreboding jungles of Papua New Guinea, an Australian cyclone and Afghanistan's war-torn Hindu Kush.A gripping story of endurance and adventure, this is also a spiritual journey giving a poignant insight into life on the road in some of the world's toughest corners.www.roblilwall.com