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.

'An evocatively thoughtful wider history of the race, the war and the peace' GUARDIAN 'Occasionally funny and regularly poignant, brilliantly focused in its research . . . His drive, wit and curiosity inform Zone Rouge . . . gently profound and genuinely moving' HERALD The Circuit des Champs de Bataille (the Tour of the Battlefields) was held in 1919, less than six months after the end of the First World War. It covered 2,000 kilometres and was raced in appalling conditions across the battlefields of the Western Front, otherwise known as the Zone Rouge. The race was so tough that only 21 riders finished, and it was never staged again. With one of the most demanding routes ever to feature in a bicycle race, and plagued by appalling weather conditions, the Circuit des Champs de Bataille was beyond gruelling, but today its extraordinary story is largely forgotten. Many of the riders came to the event straight from the army and had to ride 18-hour stages through sleet and snow across the battlefields on which they had fought, and lost friends and family, only a few months before. But in addition to the hellish conditions there were moments of high comedy, even farce. The rediscovered story of the Circuit des Champs de Bataille is an epic tale of human endurance, suffering and triumph over extreme adversity.

German Baron Karl von Drais first introduced the two-wheeled tandem human-powered wooden-framed vehicle to the world, in the summer of 1817, its rider gamely steering with the front wheel while pushing along with his feet. After that history is rather vague about the bicycle. We know that the mechanically powered velocipede took off in the 1860s, soon followed by the Penny Farthing, but it wasn't until the late nineteenth century that the golden age of bicycles took off as people realised the freedoms afforded by self-powered travel, and touring and racing became popular pastimes. Today of course cycling is a global phenomenon both in professional sporting and non-professional spheres. This book of stunning photographs charts the evolution of the bicycle across 200 years of history.

Part personal memoir, part history of cycling, part fascinating street-level tour of Amsterdam, "In the City of Bikes" is the story of a man who loves bikes in a city that loves bikes. When Pete's story begins, his goals for an upcoming semester abroad are clear: study how to make America's cities more bicycle friendly, and then return home to his new bride, Amy Joy. Once he sets foot in Amsterdam, however, Pete falls immediately in love with the city that already lives life on two wheels-and suddenly, he can't imagine ever leaving it. Just two weeks into their marriage, Amy Joy joins Pete in Amsterdam, but hardships quickly loom in their adopted homeland. As they skip from one illegal sublet to the next, success and stability are constantly out of reach, and work is impossible to find-but they do discover deep pleasures during their daily rides through the city. And as Pete digs deep into the cycling history of Amsterdam, Amy Joy, prompted by a fortuitous flat, finds her own new calling as a bicycle mechanic. Pete, meanwhile, discovers an untold history of cycling in Amsterdam, an activity so ingrained in the city's lifestyle that its story hasn't been properly told. From its beginnings as an elitist pastime in the 1890s, to the street-consuming craze of the 1920s, from the bicycle's role in a city-wide resistance to the Nazi occupation, to the legendary success of the White Bikes in the 1970s, a movement that never in fact succeeded, to the bike fisherman of today, Jordan painstakingly recreates the evolution of cycling over time, through fads, alongside great movements in history. As his love grows for his adopted city, the fates seem to align, inviting him to stay. Amy Joy takes up an apprenticeship with an aging bicycle mechanic who offers them a vacant apartment right above his shop. It's just in time too, as their first child is on the way. Then, even more incredibly, the mechanic retires-leaving the shop to Amy Joy. They'll be staying in Amsterdam, and Pete will have a city to share with his son.

My Cool Bike celebrates a love affair with bikes and bike culture. The bicycle is the most popular form of transport on the planet. Cycling is simply ideal for many things and we are now at the dawn of a new golden age of this versatile machine. This book will appeal to all who have taken up cycling for sport, fun, health and wealth. As the individual stories in the book show, a bike is a way of seeking solitude - a leisurely trip taken at one's own pace, only relying on pedal power. For some the bike is much more than an accessory for the daily commute: there are the plucky few who have have embarked on life-changing momentous global journeys; while for others bike ownership offers the chance to be part of a loyal, passionate and strong-minded community of fellow enthusiasts embarking on club excursions. Among this collection of cool bikes are classic racing bikes, high-tech machines that use the latest in material science and aerodynamics, eccentric bikes designed for specific purposes, and rarities coveted by serious collectors. Themes include: Urban, Commercial, Touring and Sporting, Vintage and Eccentric, Custom bikes, Eco and community bikes, Workshops, shops and cafes and Accessories including fashion.

If you're looking for the ultimate mountain bike guide for the totally honed, welcome to William (Not Bill) Nealy's world. Nealy's expertise (acquired through years of crash and burn) enables him to translate hard-learned reflexes and instinctive responses into easy-to-understand drawings: drawings that will make you a much better rider. Nealy's cartoon illustrations combine insight with humor and knowledge with humiliation. So, if you are ready to shorten the learning curve and master the advanced techniques of mountain biking, get ready to have some laughs and log a few miles with William Nealy.

"The furthest I'd ever cycled in a day was thirty miles; a one off. And I had no experience of camping or cycle maintenance. But all I could envisage was some romantic notion about becoming a cycling nomad: travelling wherever my heart desired, camping in the great outdoors, visiting beautiful and historic places, and searching for a place to call home. The universe though had other ideas." An honest and detailed account by a first-time cycle tourist, riding from Lands' End to John O' Groats. Travel with Dawn as she describes the challenges of bicycle travel, bringing her journey to life from moments most magical, to most miserable: from deluge to heatwave, bustling cities to remote landscapes, friendly welcomes to threats of violence, Dawn experiences it all, transforming her from a woefully unprepared novice, attempting a one-off challenge, and into a life-long advocate of bicycle travel. For aspiring cycle tourists and armchair travellers alike, read a travelogue of a journey through Britain, told from the unique perspective of a young woman on a bicycle, who decides to go it alone.

'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.

The eight guides in the 'City Cycling Europe' series are each devoted to a different city: London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Antwerp/Ghent, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona and Milan. Each compact volume features cycle-friendly neighbourhoods, itineraries, cycle maps and places to visit where cyclists are always welcome. Aimed primarily at those looking to take casual weekend breaks, there is also information for hardcore racing enthusiasts and special routes for those wishing to escape the traffic.

Eddy Merckx. Fausto Coppi. Jacques Anquetil. Bernard Hinault. Beryl Burton. Marianne Vos. Since the first road race in May 1869, revealed here for the very first time, cycle road racing has been dominated by iconic cyclists who redefined endurance and fortitude. The battles facing these cyclists are not fought over just one race, but an annual series beginning with the Spring Classics and culminating in the three great tours - the Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a Espana and the Tour de France - before the cyclists retire to lick their wounds and start on another winter of training. How were the great races founded and developed? How have the great riders stamped their authority on them through the ages? Truly international in scope, looking at road racing in North and Latin America, Australia, Africa and Asia, as well as continental Europe, The Call of the Road is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the history, tactics or personalities of cycle road racing.

With quiet roads, striking scenery and brimming with 5,000 years of heritage, north Leinster is a marvellous region to discover by bike. These thirty routes, exploring coast, lake, river and canal routes, vary in distance and difficulty and are graded to suit all abilities. Greenways along canals and old railway lines are ideal for novices and families, while the adventurous can take a challenge through the mountains of Louth's breathtaking Cooley Peninsula. Each cycle is prefaced with summary information and illustrated with photos, a custom-drawn map and a gradient graph. Anecdotes, history and profiles of interesting locals are included throughout, adding colour to coffee breaks in the sleepy villages and medieval towns that dot the picturesque landscape. All but one of the routes are looped back to the train stations from which they started, making for perfect days out. Visit the early Christian settlement of Monasterboice or the original home of the Book of Kells. Take in spectacular views across Dublin Bay or the legendary Hill of Tara. This practical and informative guide covers the scenic and the curious in this land of saints and scholars.

'Bill Bryson on two wheels' Independent Self-confessed loafer Tim Moore, seduced by the speed and glamour of the biggest annual sporting event in the world, sets out to cycle the Tour de France. All 3,630km of it. A few weeks before the actual Tour de France, British writer Tim Moore sets out to cycle the course and offers a laugh-out-loud funny and highly entertaining account of how the great ride would feel when embarked on by an amateur. Racing old men on butchers' bikes and being chased by cows, Moore soon resorts to standard race tactics - cheating and drugs - in a hilarious and moving tale of true adventure.

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.

Our list of 122 cycling climbs in the alps. The map shows the location of each coll with the climb distance and gradient labelled from a specific starting location. The climbs are categorised into level of difficulty based on the height gained and distance travelled - length of climb and total height Green - Easy (Hard) Blue - Medium (Difficult) Red - Difficult (Extreme) Information Key: Name of the Coll, height of the coll Second line: distance start point climbed from start point, height gained, maximum gradient. Print: 170 gsm silk art print with scratch coating. Frame not supplied. Size: A2 - 59.4 (h) x 42 (w) cm Packaging: Packaged in a well designed quality tube perfect for the gifting.

Plump, grumpy, slumped on the couch, and going nowhere fast at age 16, Phil Gaimon began riding a bicycle with the grand ambition of shedding a few pounds before going off to college. He soon fell into racing and discovered he was a natural, riding his way into a pro contract after just one season despite utter ignorance of a century of cycling etiquette. Now, in his book "Pro Cycling on $10 a Day," Phil brings the full powers of his wit to tell his story.

Presented here as a guide and a warning to aspiring racers who dream of joining the professional racing circus, Phil s adventures in road rash serve as a hilarious and cautionary tale of frustrating team directors and broken promises. Phil s education in the ways of the peloton, his discouraging negotiations for a better contract, his endless miles crisscrossing America in pursuit of race wins, and his conviction that somewhere just around the corner lies the ticket to the big time fuel this tale of hope and ambition from one of cycling s best story-tellers.

"Pro Cycling on $10 a Day" chronicles the racer s daily lot of blood-soaked bandages, sleazy motels, cheap food, and overflowing toilets. But it also celebrates the true beauty of the sport and the worth of the journey, proving in the end that even among the narrow ranks of world-class professional cycling, there will always be room for a hard-working outsider. "

n this beautifully illustrated guide to travelling across France by bike you will discover hidden lanes, stunning gorges, amazing places to eat and stay, plus the best of French cycling culture. This iconic journey of more than 1000 miles takes you through no fewer than 21 of France's regional departements and into some of the country's most striking and dramatic landscapes helping you to discover the true heart of rural France. Ride one section, follow a mini itinerary, or complete the entire challenge! Starting in St.Malo on the coast of Brittany the route winds its way through quiet lanes on the banks of rivers, through dramatic gorges and quintessentially French villages before reaching the dazzling glamour of Nice on the French Riviera. Beautifully illustrated maps, detailed directions and PDF downloads guide you along the route providing essential information and revealing the many hidden secrets of the area.

Explore Dartmoor and South Devon by bike with this laminated, waterproof Dartmoor map. With 18 circular, clearly-marked routes this easy-to-use map will help you discover the best of Dartmoor along the quietest country lanes. Some of Britain's finest landscapes can be discovered in Dartmoor National Park. Discover desolate moorland tracks, lush valleys, thick woodland and picturesque villages. Combine this with the rocky coastline, quiet creeks and rolling hills of south Devon and you're in for some beautiful days in the saddle as you explore this wonderful landscape. Our Dartmoor and South Devon Cycling Country Lanes map includes: * Traffic-free family cycling trails - including the Granite Way, Plym Valley Trail and Totnes to Dartington Riverside Trail with recommendations on where to park. * National Cycle Network routes - the linked series of traffic-free paths and traffic-calmed roads being developed across the UK. * Our personal favourites - we've explored every corner of this Dartmoor and South Devon to bring you the best circular routes to make the most of your weekend whether you fancy a lazy meander or a full-on tour. So, if you seek the peace of quiet country lanes, the beauty of lush river valleys and the heaven-sent views across Dartmoor, afforded by flat ridges which soon swoop you down to picturesque villages with tea rooms awash with clotted cream, and hospitable inns. Look no more. It is all here.