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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading > Cycling
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.
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?
An entrancing, sun-drenched bicycle journey, from the beaches of southern Spain to solar temples in the Outer Hebrides. In this great feast of armchair travel, John Hanson Mitchell tells of his fifteen-hundred-mile ride on a trusty old Peugeot bicycle from the port of Cadiz to just below the Arctic Circle. He follows the European spring up through southern Spain, the wine and oyster country near Bordeaux, to Versailles (the palace of the "Sun King"), Wordsworth's Lake District, precipitous Scottish highlands, and finally to a Druid temple on the island of Lewis in the Hebrides, a place where Midsummer is celebrated in pagan majesty as the near-midnight sun dips and then quickly rises over the horizon. In true John Mitchell fashion this journey is interspersed with myth, natural history, and ritual, all revolving around the lure and lore of the sun, culturally and historically. The journey is as delicious as it is fascinating, with an appeal for all those who look south in February and are drawn to dunes, picnics under castle walls, spring flowers, terraced vineyards, Moorish outposts, magic and celebrations. In short, to everything under the sun. A Merloyd Lawrence Book
On July 8 2007 an estimated two million people lined the roads from Trafalgar Square to Canterbury to watch the Tour de France. It was the biggest peacetime mobilization ever seen in the Garden of England and the most dramatic event to hit Kent since the hurricane of 1987. It could have bombed. The author, who covered the race as the sports editor of the Kent Messenger, watched on in disbelief as a stage of the 2006 Tour of Britain, widely seen as a dress rehearsal and held on the same roads, turned into a farce. The riders got lost in Chatham dockyards, went on strike and then abused and spat at the local favorite when he tried to win the stage. As the day of the race grew near Jeremy Clarkson-worshiping Kent residents were revolting about road closures and the local media were running stories about people being 'trapped in their homes'. To make matters worse a series of drug scandals had eroded public faith in the race, to the point that one sports editor was threatening to ignore the Tour completely. But against the odds the Tour's visit to Kent was a triumph. The author followed the race from Trafalgar Square to the finish line on Rheims Way in Canterbury, in the company of Olympic bronze medal winning cyclist Ron Keeble. The race itself was packed with tension and drama, with Britain's David Millar attacking from the start, sprinting star Mark Cavendish riding the last ten miles in tears after crashing into a spectator and Australia's Robbie McEwen snatching a stunning victory just yards from the finish line. This book tells the story of this incredible day for the first time. It contains nearly 200 color pictures, many of them never seen before, the stunned reaction of the French media and the stories of local cyclists who flocked to the event. There are interviews with Millar, Cavendish, McEwen and Bradley Wiggins and the tale of a chance encounter with Ken Livingstone that nearly made the then Mayor of London vomit. Featuring the full story of how and why the Tour de France came to the garden of England, the scandals that threatened to derail the stage and the triumphant scenes when 2 million fans flocked to Kent's roads. Reactions from fans, officials, the French press and star riders including Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, Mark Cavendish and Robbie McEwen. Review coverage in local press and radio; Over 200 full-color photographs of the race.
Neighbourhood Cycling Guide to Naarm - Melbourne is an essential, laidback and practical guide to exploring the city on pedal power. This is a fun, accessible guidebook for riders of all ages and levels, whether you zoom around the city on your fixie on a daily basis or if it's been a few years (or decades) since you've dusted off your rusty old bicycle. Throughout you'll find helpful tips and tricks on everything from basic bike repair to cycling etiquette. Featuring a number of easy-to-navigate itineraries with maps and illustrations, the book is divided into neighbourhood routes, cycling trails and daytrip trails. You'll be cruising down backstreets to get an authentic taste for Collingwood, Richmond, St Kilda and more - the characters, First Nations culture, the history, the best pubs, where to pick up picnic supplies, and what makes each ride unique. If riding on the road is a little daunting then this book might be more your cup of tea, taking you on dedicated bike paths through city bushland and along the bay. Once you've finished two-wheeling around Melbourne, jump on the train or pack the bike in the car to check out the daytrip trails in the Bellarine, Lilydale or the Bass Coast. So get out there and explore Naarm - Melbourne like you've never seen it before. As they say, it's just like riding a bike... Maps and illustrations by Alex Hotchin.
Britain's Best Bike Ride by John Walsh and Hannah Reynolds is a beautifully illustrated and inspirational guide to the ultimate thousand-mile cycling adventure from Land's End to John o' Groats. There are many ways to cycle between Land's End and John o' Groats, but the route specially created for this book, LEJOG1000, is designed to show you the quiet roads, picturesque villages and dramatic landscapes that make the experience memorable. Instead of taking the most direct route, it invites you to explore the best of each region you pass through. You'll discover stunning beaches and wild ponies on your way along the quiet wild-flower-edged lanes of Cornwall and Devon, follow the meandering River Wye in Wales, wind your way through a post-industrial landscape of canals and mill chimneys in the North West, before moving on to the epic climbs and grand vistas of Scotland. Carefully crafted to allow you the freedom to create your own ultimate adventure, the route is split into 30 adaptable stages, each finishing in a town or village with suggested places to eat, drink and stay. Create your own bespoke itinerary, or use one of three itinerary options provided: the 2-week classic, 3-week explorer or 10-day challenge. Along with stunning photography and lively insightful writing you will find all the practical information you need to plan your LEJOG1000 - route directions, bespoke mapping, cafes, pubs and local bike shops. Downloadable GPX files of the route are also available. Britain's Best Bike Ride will inspire you to take on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge - you'll be pedalling into John o' Groats having experienced the very best of Britain on a bike before you know it!
Experienced travel writer and cyclist Huw Hennessy takes you on 21 hand-picked bike rides across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. With routes from around an hour up to a full day, Cycling in Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly is ideal for families and leisure cyclists - anyone who wants to get fit and enjoy the fresh air in some of Britain's most beautiful countryside. The rides connect the region's top attractions: beaches, fishing ports, stately homes, nature reserves and heritage sites, including many hidden, lesser-known gems. Several of the routes interlink or follow a circular loop, allowing more ambitious cyclists to build up more challenging rides. Visit world-famous sites such as Land's End, St Michael's Mount, the Eden Project and the Tresco Abbey subtropical gardens. Follow the Camel Trail, two connecting cycle routes on a disused railway line. Career around muddy trails in Cardinham Woods. Ride the off-road Pentewan Trail, visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan en route. Explore the grounds of Lanhydrock, a National Trust property whose wooded trails are perfect for getting the most out of your mountain bike. But more than just a route-finder, the book is packed with cultural insights and the author's personal tips, gathered from over thirty years' experience. This is country rich with history, folklore and spiritual resonance, and Cycling in Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly encourages you to enjoy the ride at your own pace while showing you what to look out for along the way.
'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.
How would any of us feel if we could meet our teenage selves, a ghost on the road? Everything Passes, Everything Remains is a confluence of journeys, made by Chris Dolan, his friends, and writers before him. It's a bit about cycling, a bit about walking, and a bit about buses. It's a kind of travelogue, over time, and through some lesser-known parts of Spain. It's an obsession with Spain's writers and its history, from the Inquisition to the Civil War to the questions it faces as a country today. What makes a nation, or a family for that matter, or a group of friends? In many ways it's as much about Dolan's native Scotland as Spain. But mostly, it's about the highs and lows of growing up and growing older - how the past plays merry hell with the present. About friendship, loss, music, memory, and the demons that follow us as we try to make sense of our history and our place in the world.
'A thoughtful exploration of humanity ... Fabes is great company and makes riding bicycles seem like the best way to see and understand the world' - Guardian They say that being a good doctor boils down to just four things: Shut up, listen, know something, care. The same could be said for life on the road, too. When Stephen Fabes left his job as a junior doctor and set out to cycle around the world, frontline medicine quickly faded from his mind. Of more pressing concern were the daily challenges of life as an unfit rider on an overloaded bike, helplessly in thrall to pastries. But leaving medicine behind is not as easy as it seems. As he roves continents, he finds people whose health has suffered through exile, stigma or circumstance, and others, whose lives have been saved through kindness and community. After encountering a frozen body of a monk in the Himalayas, he is drawn ever more to healthcare at the margins of the world, to crumbling sanitoriums and refugee camps, to city dumps and war-torn hospital wards. And as he learns the value of listening to lives - not just solving diagnostic puzzles - Stephen challenges us to see care for the sick as a duty born of our humanity, and our compassion.
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.
22,000 Miles is the distance Richard Seipp has ridden with his 15-year-old son Tom over the past ten years. Starting out on their local trails in the Peak District when Tom was 5, they soon progressed to longer rides. As Tom grew, so did his ambitions - the Coast-to-Coast, the Strathpuffer 24-hour solo mountain bike race, multi-day bikepacking in the Scottish Highlands. Having ridden the 1955 route of the Tour de France during the summer holidays when Tom was 12, they continued to push their limits - Everesting the infamous Kemmelberg cobbles in Belgium and then heading to North America to ride the 2,745-mile Tour Divide, which runs the length of the North American Continental Divide along the spine of the Rocky Mountains from Banff in Canada south to the Mexican border at Antelope Wells. This book is their story in Rich's words alongside his atmospheric photographs of his and Tom's adventures. 22,000 Miles is the story of a father and son bonding over their combined love of adventure.
Cycling is Britain's biggest boom sport and nowhere is the boom
more evident than on the road: once seen as the preserve of serious
racers, the road bike has recently found a new lease of life due to
the popularity of challenge rides and Sportives. It is now possible
for cyclists of all abilities to ride a well marked, well
marshalled event just about any weekend of the year, usually based
around one, two or sometimes as many as ten fearsome hills. For the
first time, here is a pocket-sized guide to the 100 greatest climbs
in the land, the building blocks for these rides, written by a
cyclist for cyclists. From lung busting city centre cobbles to leg
breaking windswept mountain passes, this guide locates the roads
that have tested riders for generations and worked their way into
cycling folklore. Whether you're a leisure cyclist looking for a
challenge or an elite athlete trying to break records stick this
book in your pocket and head for the hills.
Esprit de Battuta: Alone Across Africa on a Bicycle is the story of one woman's exciting travel adventure through Africa before mobile phones and before easy Internet access alone and on a bicycle. Australian-born and London-based Pamela Watson had a comfortable, if overworked existence, as a management consultant but yearned for freedom and the adventure. 'That's it!'; she thought. 'I'll cycle across Africa!' Join her on this intoxicating journey that began as a search for adventure and turned into a journey of self-discovery. Along the way she discovers companionship and compassion, and injustices that burn through the page. Cycling for a year and a half, covering nearly 15,000 kilometres and crossing seventeen countries, she encountered an Africa rarely reported in the media and experienced first-hand the violent tinderbox of local politics. She discovers women are the backbone of rural Africa and is shocked to learn their responsibilities are not matched by their access to basic human rights. Now in its third edition, Esprit de Battuta: Alone Across Africa on a Bicycle is a must-read for all armchair adventurers, those who are curious about the everyday lives of the people of the rural villages of Africa and those who dare to challenge the status quo.
Mountain biking pushes athletes to their limits, racing over rough terrain across the country. But as popular as mountain biking races are, there are few resources to help mountain bikers who want to compete. Training for Mountain Biking: A Practical Guide for the Busy Athlete provides elite-level instruction for the non-professional athlete, from beginning to experienced racers. Topics covered in this book include: Selecting and maintaining equipment Developing a training plan Strength and conditioning Developing a sound and safe nutrition plan Common injuries and injury prevention Preparing for competitions Most mountain bikers must be able to effectively balance strength and conditioning workouts, biking workouts, family, work, and recovery. This book is designed for just that purpose, helping athletes develop programs for their specific needs, whether training for health and wellness or winning the race.
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.
Up until about a century ago, wood had always been the only available material for the construction of the first bicycles, and it was as recently as the 1950s that wood was the only material used for bike wheels in all competitive cycling realms. These days, in opposition to the great industrialisation of steel manufacturing, wood and bamboo are increasingly being used to create a niche space in design within the industries of transportation, sport, art, culture and indeed modern lives in general. With the significant advances in technological research and application, wood and bamboo are increasingly being promoted as materials suitable for the construction of bicycle frames and individual bicycle components. Showcasing more than 250 designers from around the world, including craftspeople (many of them renowned bicycle makers), manufacturers and associated organisations, this book dedicates hundreds of pages to beautiful bike designs, illuminating the latest modern trends in specialist bicycle craftmanship. Set out with detailed, distinctive design dialogues from each craftsperson or manufacturer, we learn how wood and bamboo are being enhanced and developed as extremely durable, aesthetically appealing materials, and which are considered sustainable, ecologically viable, user friendly and dynamic across each application. Beautifully illustrated, with historical references and texts by experts in the trade, and backed up with technical engineering knowledge, |
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