Cycling books you've read?

[overmyhead]

Occasionally I like to read a cycling related book - fiction or non. I thought I'd start a thread and see what everyone else has read that they've enjoyed.
One of my favorites (and a bit difficult to find) is called "The Hour" by Michael Hutchinson. Highly enjoyable.
Currently reading "The Masked Rider" by Neil Peart - drummer for Rush. I've never been a big Rush fan but he is (IMO) a very good writer.
Any and all absurd, obscure, or mainstream cycling books you can think of that you've enjoyed are welcome. Lets get a list going...

[bobdenver1961]

Merckx - Half Man Half Bike

Team 7 - Eleven

[19wisconsin64]

The Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne. Yes, David Byrne of the Talking Heads band.

Sorta kinda like a lightweight version of Zen and the Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance. Insights and thoughts of Cycling, and how it relates to communities and the world. Thoughts you may have yourself when renting a bike visiting a different country and just pedaling around with extra time on your hands. Great book!

[FlashUNC]

The Race Against the Stasi.

[cgolvin]

Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape: The Remarkable Life of Jacques Anquetil

[beeatnik]

Ten Points by Bill Strickland

Abusive fathers, marriage, parenthood, affairs and Thursday Night Worlds. And as with Bill Strickland, always the nobility of suffering. It's good, whatever.

[Brian Cdn]

My fav.

Tomorrow We Ride, by Jean Bobet.

A hard to put down classic read. Jean a pro rider, brother of 3 time TDF winner Louison Bobet.

[Dana Kilalps]

The Wheels of Chance: A Bicycling Idyll is an HG Wells novella about a young novice doing a trip in the English countryside having a chance encounter with a sort of like-minded young woman set before the turn of the century. Kind of a nice time warp.

[choke]

Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer by Andrew Ritchie

[ebaker205]

Picked up Dog in a Hat after hearing about it on here. Great behind the scenes story of an American rider attempting to peddle his way up the European cycling milieu.

Great stuff. I wonder how much has changed considering there are only three Americans in the 2017 tour.

[jumphigher]

Anything by Samuel Abt. He's imo the best writer as far as pro cycling/racing goes, never get's slow or stodgy in his books.

I also thought 'The Eagle of Toledo' - the story of Federico Bahamontes was pretty well written, though by a different author.

Cycling books seem really hit and miss to me, many are dull as dishwater..

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by choke

Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer by Andrew Ritchie

This.
As well as "The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World" by Marshall W. "Major" Taylor
Out of print

"Roads Were Not Built For Cars" Carlton Reid
Explores the relationship between bicyclists, pedestrians and auto drivers.

"Hearts of Lions" Peter Nye
Describes early American bicycle racing.
Out of print.

"A Social History of The Bicycle" Robert A. Smith
Explores the social, industrial and marketing changes brought about by the popularity of the bicycle.

[overmyhead]

This is great! Keep 'em coming!
I read a mystery by Greg Moody called "Two Wheels" a few years ago. I don't recall it being a knockout. It is part of a series. Anybody read any of the others?

[fmm]

Putting in a plug for a book I haven't yet read: "21 Nights in July" by Ianto Ware. Has anyone read it? Looks so good!

[choke]

Originally Posted by overmyhead

This is great! Keep 'em coming!
I read a mystery by Greg Moody called "Two Wheels" a few years ago. I don't recall it being a knockout. It is part of a series. Anybody read any of the others?

I read that one and a couple of others of his when they first came out. I recall them being a fun read but certainly not great books.