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.