Tag: Cycling Books

Gravel riding – what’s all the fuss about? For a die-hard roadie, the thought of swapping silky smooth tarmac for rough forestry tracks, farm roads, and God forbid, mud, might seem like heresy. But there’s no denying it, gravel is booming. "Gravel Rides Scotland" by Ed Shoote captures brilliantly Scotland’s most breathtaking and remote routes, designed for those who crave adventure beyond the asphalt.

If you’re a student of cycling history and want an insight into the 60’s and 70’s cycling scene then Bob Addy's book "The Driller" is a good read for you, taking you from Addy’s days as a youngster finding his feet in the sport through a successful amateur career representing his nation at the highest levels of the amateur sport in events like the Tour de l’Avenir and the savage, East European Peace Race, before turning pro and riding the Tour de France.

One of the nice things about this gig is that people sometimes send you cool cycling books to review, in this case, ‘No Ordinary Joe’ sub-titled ‘Cycling Legends 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, a unique collection of stories, USA & Canada.’

It was May 1981 when Phil O'Connor took his first race picture; Manxman, Steve Joughin winning a stage of the Tour of Britain, 'Milk Race' as it hurtled into Bournemouth - some months later he managed to get it published in a cycling magazine.

Jonathan Vaughters was always a thinker, a man who dissected every element of his racing career, right down to the millimeter measurements on his time trial position. His book "One Way Ticket" is no different – a forensic examination of the sport he both loved and loathed, of the moral dilemmas he faced, and of the choices that took him from a promising young amateur to one of the most divisive team managers in modern cycling.

Paul Jesson has recently finished his autobiography; ‘Oh, THAT Tour!’, the title coming from his introduction to the pro ranks. The book isn’t a conventionally structured tome, starting with a short chapter about the Paralympics time trial/road race bronze medal he came back and won in Athens some 24 years after his Vuelta stage win...

Putting to the side for a minute the fact that Tyler lied for years about his PED use before finally coming clean and whether that means everything he says can or can't be trusted, and just reading this book with an open mind, it quickly becomes clear just how much an everyday part of pro cycling in the 1980's, 90's, and 2000's PED and illegal blood manipulation actually was. Of course, anyone with an interest in the sport already had more than an inkling that such cheating had always played a part, and fans of the sport have had to contend with scandal following scandal since forever, and particularly since the Festina affair in 1998.

"Argyle Armada" by Mark Johnson takes readers on a journey into the world of professional cycling, specifically focusing on the Garmin-Cervélo team led by Jonathan Vaughters. The book offers a fascinating blend of captivating storytelling, really nice photography, and an exploration of the team's fight against doping, its difficult decisions, and quite a few personal dramas.

Bjarne Riis, The 'Eagle of Herning.' The man who, for a brief moment in 1996, soared higher than anyone else in the sport of cycling. A Tour de France winner and a man who later confessed to doping during his career. His autobiography, "Riis: Stages of Light and Dark", isn't just another ghostwritten puff piece designed to burnish a legacy or gloss over uncomfortable truths.

Chris Hoy - six-time Olympic gold medalist, eleven-time World Champion, knight of the realm and quite possibly the most famous Scotsman ever to turn a pedal in anger. His autobiography, simply titled "The Autobiography" takes us on the long road from BMX tracks and the Meadowbank velodrome in Edinburgh to the podium in Beijing and beyond.

"Push Yourself Just a Little Bit More" by Johnny Green is a rollicking, irreverent journey into the heart of the Tour de France, as seen through the eyes of a man more accustomed to the chaos of rock 'n' roll than the peloton. Green, best known as the former road manager for The Clash, brings his unique perspective to the 2003 and 2004 Tours, offering readers an insider's look at the world's most grueling cycling race.

Tony Doyle. "Tony Doyle: Six-day Rider", penned by veteran cycling journalist Geoffrey Nicholson isn’t just a standard sports biography - it’s an intimate, unvarnished look at the life of one of Britain’s most accomplished track cyclists, weaving together race reports, diary entries, and behind-the-scenes insights from the beer-soaked, cigar-hazed world of Six Day racing.