New and Used Section of Amazon.com - $7.19
Buy it if: You can easily explain why you prefer Shimano or Campagnolo and know the difference between tubulars and clinchers…
Don’t Buy it if: Your thoughts: “Enough is enough, it’s a guy riding around in a circle, who cares how far he goes, he’s still in the same place…”
You have one hour, ride as far as you can. That sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? And that’s precisely the paradox that is cycling’s hour record. What sounds simple rarely is…not to mention it’s not exactly easy to ride at over 55 kph for 60 minutes.
The Hour by Michael Hutchinson purports to be the story of a relatively unknown journeyman cyclist – the author himself – and his quest to set a new standard for one of the most significant records in the sport. And if it were only that, it would probably still be interesting.
You see, the Hour isn’t just one of many records. While there are other track cycling records – many in fact – they are all based on covering a distance in less time. This one is unique for being based on the inversion of the standard. Everyone must suffer for the same duration. And those who have moved that distance ever farther comprise a who’s who of cycling: Anquetil, Indurain, Boardman, Moser and, of course, Merckx.
Though Hutchinson largely focuses on himself (and the attendant difficulties that come along with trying to break cycling’s purest record – booking track time, building a legal bike, finding the fastest tires) it’s his constant references to past record holders and attempts that really make for compelling reading. This history covers the time since the hour’s inception by the Tour de France’s creator Henri Desgrange up to the Chris Boardman/Graeme Obree period, which saw the record fall to one rider on a million dollar superbike and to another on a homemade amalgamation with washing machine bearings at it’s heart. The author’s own efforts and difficulties in trying to meet the rules of the UCI (cycling’s governing body), find the fastest, most appropriate equipment (aerodynamic helmets and wheels are disallowed), and maintaining the physical training required to sustain a speed of 34 MPH for 60 minutes are given context when compared with past efforts.
If anything, the book stumbles slightly in that it almost makes the record seem approachable. Hutchinson can’t be completely blamed for this, after all, the record is not as far from his grasp as it would be for the average person. Fully explaining the sheer physical difficulty of a ride like this could border on arrogance if not couched properly, but for any readers who are familiar with the list of previous Hour record holders the enormity of the effort will be readily apparent.
Overall this book succeeds in both its own story and as a history of the Hour record itself. The pacing is good and Hutchinson does a superb job of tying the past in with his own memoir. Well worth a read even for those who don’t know the difference between an English and Italian bottom bracket…
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Greg Lemond’s Complete Book of Bicycling – Greg Lemond and Kent Gords
Non-Fiction
Out of print, but usually available used from Amazon or in the library
Buy it if: You’re looking for solid and comprehensive guide to nearly all aspects of cycling, competitive and otherwise
Don’t Buy it if: You’ve already got shelves full of cycling books and know your seat height, hip angle and stem length by heart.
With July looming it’s getting near that time again: ‘Tour' time, the period during the summer when cycling companies traditionally unveil their latest and greatest technical achievements, just in time to place on the cycling world’s biggest stage: Le Tour de France. Trek’s sexy new bikes, 3T’s faster handlebars, Shimano’s latest brakes…they all crop up with promises of lighter weight, lower drag and more artistic lines. The arms race that is professional cycling gear never stops. And, just like computers, the second you buy that new carbon/ceramic/unobtanium piece for your steed a better version comes out. It’s a never-ending quest to simply not get left behind…
Which is why Greg Lemond’s Complete Book of Bicycling is so cool. Having been penned in 1987 (hot on the heels of Greg’s becoming the first American to win Le Tour) it should be dated to the point of obsolescence. But it’s not. Actually, most of the information contained within is both amazingly relevant and useful even now, in 2009. And really, it should be. After all, how much has the bicycle really changed in 20 years? True, carbon fiber long ago replaced steel. And shifters migrated off the down tube in the early 90’s. But pedals, wheels and gears…well, they’re pretty much exactly the same. And, for the most part, so are the people doing the riding.
Lemond’s book is still relevant today for the same reason you can reuse an algebra textbook. The fundamentals are still there, and in Greg’s case, his grasp on these concepts is exceptionally solid. Every chapter is well thought out, thoroughly explained and – most importantly – exceedingly applicable.
After the obligatory (he was perhaps the most famous cyclist in the world when this book came out) mini-biography and a brief synopsis about the ‘World of Cycling,’ - which usefully covers commuting, touring, along with road and track racing - he dives right in to topics that are still at the forefront of modern cycling. There’s a chapter on picking your bicycle, one on getting it properly fit. There are sections on cycling technique and training regimens. There's even a decently thorough chapter on bicycle maintenance. While the Complete Book of Bicycling might not explore the minutia of maintenance like Leonard Zinn’s handbook or delve into training details like something by Chris Carmichael, if you could only buy one book on cycling, it would have to be this one.
Of course, there are some parts you’re just going to have to overlook. The descriptions of cycling shoes and Kevlar/aluminum bikes will seem laughable these days. As will the idea that you can get a race-ready bike brand new for $350. But Lemond’s words about seat heights, body position and training periodization ring as true now as ever, and you'd be hard pressed to find more coherent and complete descriptions in any cycling book anywhere.
So, if you’re a bleeding-edge-of-technology drooler or don’t even count a ride unless it’s been measured and calibrated with a powermeter and heart rate monitor, this one might not be for you. But if you’re looking for good solid advice that took the author to three Tour victories (and probably inspired more than a few of the pros that followed in his footsteps) this book – like the cyclist that wrote it - is virtually impossible to beat.
Out of print, but usually available used from Amazon or in the library
Buy it if: You’re looking for solid and comprehensive guide to nearly all aspects of cycling, competitive and otherwise
Don’t Buy it if: You’ve already got shelves full of cycling books and know your seat height, hip angle and stem length by heart.
With July looming it’s getting near that time again: ‘Tour' time, the period during the summer when cycling companies traditionally unveil their latest and greatest technical achievements, just in time to place on the cycling world’s biggest stage: Le Tour de France. Trek’s sexy new bikes, 3T’s faster handlebars, Shimano’s latest brakes…they all crop up with promises of lighter weight, lower drag and more artistic lines. The arms race that is professional cycling gear never stops. And, just like computers, the second you buy that new carbon/ceramic/unobtanium piece for your steed a better version comes out. It’s a never-ending quest to simply not get left behind…
Which is why Greg Lemond’s Complete Book of Bicycling is so cool. Having been penned in 1987 (hot on the heels of Greg’s becoming the first American to win Le Tour) it should be dated to the point of obsolescence. But it’s not. Actually, most of the information contained within is both amazingly relevant and useful even now, in 2009. And really, it should be. After all, how much has the bicycle really changed in 20 years? True, carbon fiber long ago replaced steel. And shifters migrated off the down tube in the early 90’s. But pedals, wheels and gears…well, they’re pretty much exactly the same. And, for the most part, so are the people doing the riding.
Lemond’s book is still relevant today for the same reason you can reuse an algebra textbook. The fundamentals are still there, and in Greg’s case, his grasp on these concepts is exceptionally solid. Every chapter is well thought out, thoroughly explained and – most importantly – exceedingly applicable.
After the obligatory (he was perhaps the most famous cyclist in the world when this book came out) mini-biography and a brief synopsis about the ‘World of Cycling,’ - which usefully covers commuting, touring, along with road and track racing - he dives right in to topics that are still at the forefront of modern cycling. There’s a chapter on picking your bicycle, one on getting it properly fit. There are sections on cycling technique and training regimens. There's even a decently thorough chapter on bicycle maintenance. While the Complete Book of Bicycling might not explore the minutia of maintenance like Leonard Zinn’s handbook or delve into training details like something by Chris Carmichael, if you could only buy one book on cycling, it would have to be this one.
Of course, there are some parts you’re just going to have to overlook. The descriptions of cycling shoes and Kevlar/aluminum bikes will seem laughable these days. As will the idea that you can get a race-ready bike brand new for $350. But Lemond’s words about seat heights, body position and training periodization ring as true now as ever, and you'd be hard pressed to find more coherent and complete descriptions in any cycling book anywhere.
So, if you’re a bleeding-edge-of-technology drooler or don’t even count a ride unless it’s been measured and calibrated with a powermeter and heart rate monitor, this one might not be for you. But if you’re looking for good solid advice that took the author to three Tour victories (and probably inspired more than a few of the pros that followed in his footsteps) this book – like the cyclist that wrote it - is virtually impossible to beat.
Monday, May 4, 2009
It’s Not About the Bike – Lance Armstrong w/ Sally Jenkins
Non-Fiction (unless you’re a doping conspiracy theorist)
$9.75 from Amazon.com
Buy it if: You know little about cycling, but find Lance Armstrong to be an inspiring figure
Don’t Buy it if: You think Lance is a doper and don’t believe a word he says
The original. It’s a tough book to beat for the mainstream audience. It’s got all the requisite angles: Surviving against the odds, underdog victory and even a (kind of) love story. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know approximately what’s contained within (And even then, it would probably only be a matter of time before a centipede crawled by wearing a LiveStrong bracelet…) but there’s something to be said for getting the story from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
The truth of the matter is, if you regularly use the words 'peloton' and 'domestique' in everyday conversation, there’s not going to be much here that’s news to you. Hardcore cycle fans know the story of Armstrong already, plus the stories of Hincapie, Pantani, Ullrich, Lemond, etc… But if you see road bikes and think ‘Trek’ or believe that quaint little July race to Paris would be better termed the ‘Tour de Lance,’ this book is probably the best introduction you can find.
It’s Not About the Bike is a great, if slightly misleading, title, because in these pages, the focus is elsewhere. True, cycle racing figures prominently, but his story of cancer survival is given equal footing and this is almost certainly the story towards which most readers will gravitate. And it is a remarkable one, there’s no denying it. The difficulty of winning the Tour de France even once – let alone the record seven times Lance has – is incredible. The odds of successfully beating advanced testicular/lung/brain cancer? Almost equally long. Doing both in the course of five years? It would be a disservice to not write a book.
Of course, the pages hold little new information for anyone with a access to television or newspapers, especially given that much of the story is painted in broad strokes and overtly missing some very important characters. (Dr. Michele Ferrari where are you? Lance’s trusted but controversial former trainer is not mentioned once in this book, despite the very important role he played in Armstrong’s athletic career.) But millions of cancer patients couldn’t care less, and to some extent, that’s the point. Armstrong was given a sentence of death by cancer and overcame it. And he did so with hard, detailed work and research. This is his message and no one can deny it’s an important one, whether you ever push the pedals of two-wheeled transport or not…
If you’re looking for a hardcore cycling story look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for a little inspiration and affirmation, this book might be the ticket. Even if the words ‘EPO,’ ‘soigneur’ and ‘crankset’ don’t even register on your radar, you’ll find something to take away from this one. My only real qualm? Come on, Lance, maybe it is just a little about the bike?
$9.75 from Amazon.com
Buy it if: You know little about cycling, but find Lance Armstrong to be an inspiring figure
Don’t Buy it if: You think Lance is a doper and don’t believe a word he says
The original. It’s a tough book to beat for the mainstream audience. It’s got all the requisite angles: Surviving against the odds, underdog victory and even a (kind of) love story. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know approximately what’s contained within (And even then, it would probably only be a matter of time before a centipede crawled by wearing a LiveStrong bracelet…) but there’s something to be said for getting the story from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
The truth of the matter is, if you regularly use the words 'peloton' and 'domestique' in everyday conversation, there’s not going to be much here that’s news to you. Hardcore cycle fans know the story of Armstrong already, plus the stories of Hincapie, Pantani, Ullrich, Lemond, etc… But if you see road bikes and think ‘Trek’ or believe that quaint little July race to Paris would be better termed the ‘Tour de Lance,’ this book is probably the best introduction you can find.
It’s Not About the Bike is a great, if slightly misleading, title, because in these pages, the focus is elsewhere. True, cycle racing figures prominently, but his story of cancer survival is given equal footing and this is almost certainly the story towards which most readers will gravitate. And it is a remarkable one, there’s no denying it. The difficulty of winning the Tour de France even once – let alone the record seven times Lance has – is incredible. The odds of successfully beating advanced testicular/lung/brain cancer? Almost equally long. Doing both in the course of five years? It would be a disservice to not write a book.
Of course, the pages hold little new information for anyone with a access to television or newspapers, especially given that much of the story is painted in broad strokes and overtly missing some very important characters. (Dr. Michele Ferrari where are you? Lance’s trusted but controversial former trainer is not mentioned once in this book, despite the very important role he played in Armstrong’s athletic career.) But millions of cancer patients couldn’t care less, and to some extent, that’s the point. Armstrong was given a sentence of death by cancer and overcame it. And he did so with hard, detailed work and research. This is his message and no one can deny it’s an important one, whether you ever push the pedals of two-wheeled transport or not…
If you’re looking for a hardcore cycling story look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for a little inspiration and affirmation, this book might be the ticket. Even if the words ‘EPO,’ ‘soigneur’ and ‘crankset’ don’t even register on your radar, you’ll find something to take away from this one. My only real qualm? Come on, Lance, maybe it is just a little about the bike?
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