reading about riding

Somehow it seems sort of oxymoronic to read books about cycling. But as a long-time bookworm, reading about things I enjoy is part of my life.

So one day I visited the library web site, entered "cycling" as a keyword and put a hold on any books that sounded interesting. A few were pretty much worthless and after a quick skim, they were consigned to the "return to library" pile. 

But some were keepers. During the past couple of months, I've read three or four books about cycling that are worthy of mention.

In no particular order, they are:

• It's All About the Bike, by Robert Penn
• The Art of Urban Cycling, by Robert Hurst
• Ride Your Way Lean, by Serene Yeager
• Bicycling: A Reintroduction, by Karen Ruth

Bicycling..., the last book on the list is nicely illustrated with lots of colour photos, but most of the content is very basic. There is a good section at the end on maintenance. I'm learning little by little to make adjustments and small repairs, and the step-by-step approach in this book is useful for people like me.

Robert Penn's book is quite fascinating. He intertwines a history of the bicycle with the story of his quest for the ultimate bespoke bike. Now, this is a guy who has a lot of money and a lot of time. He has cycled around the world at least once, and he traveled to several different countries (not to Canada) to get parts for his custom-built bicycle, for which he spent a grand total of more than $5000.00. The trade-off: when I saw the author photo on the back dust-jacket flap, I thought the guy was in his seventies. Turns out he is younger than I am. I guess that's what a lifetime of rough cycling does to a person's complexion. Extra incentive to slather on the 45 SPF sunscreen. That aside, I recommend this book -- it's a fun read. If you are prone to envy or impulsive mega-spending, however, this book might not be for you. 

I loved the Urban Cycling book. Well, I have to confess that I just skimmed the first part -- a history of the bicycle. I'd already covered that in Penn's book. But for the rest: you know how sometimes you get an idea and then you find out that the experts agree with you? That's how I felt when I read this book -- my experience as an urban commuter has led me to many of the same conclusions as Hurst outlines in his guide to riding in the city. I love the way he stresses that fact that responsibility is a two-way street -- yes, drivers should look out for us, but cyclists have a responsibility, too. Vigilance is key. My mantra for a long time now has been: trust no one. Not motorists; not pedestrians; not even other cyclists. Or, as my driver training instructor put it succinctly many years ago, "You have the right of way only when it's given to you."

I like Hurst's approach to four-way stops -- treat them on a case-by-case basis, following the letter of the law when needed. I like his attitude to sidewalks: generally, they are off-limits. Occasionally they are advantageous or even necessary, but "special care" must be used. I confess I also skipped the sections on injuries. Not interested. I did read the sections on helmets, and again I agree with Hurst's conclusion: "Urban cyclists should wear helmets and ride like they don't." Well said. 

To finish off my brief review of this book, here is a sampling from from the epilogue:

"[People] want to know: don't you get tired of [riding]? The answer is no. More precisely, the answer is hell no."

"Bicycling is better. Life is too precious to spend it in a car."

"Riding a bike allows a person to pack more life into a day."

"Although the trip may take longer, time spent on the bike is never wasted. The journey becomes an end in itself. That... is what life is all about."

Yes, I really liked this book!

Ride Your Way Lean is a very different type of book. First of all, its underlying premise is that the reader wants to lose weight. However, it still has lots of meat for us skinnies -- advice on hill climbing, information on how to gauge your exertion, guidance on cadence, instructions for various types of drills, and a great off-the-bike exercise routine (except that it uses a stability ball, and I hate those things - I skip or adapt those exercises.) There are also a lot of inspiring stories about people whose lives were changed through cycling. Another good read.

I do have one gripe about almost all the books I looked at. WHY are distances so often given in miles with no (km)? Yet whenever a distance happens to be given in kilometers, it is always written like this: 45 km (72 mi.) I guess I should take it as a compliment -- writers assume that people who think in kilometers can quickly and easily convert distances from miles to kilometers, while those who normally work in miles need some help. Still, it's a little annoying.