What's Cool In Road Cycling

Author

Leslie Reissner

Growing up in the two-wheel desert that was Canada decades ago, Leslie Reissner discovered the joys of cycling when he and a friend rode from London to Munich one summer after high school. Since then, he has done some long distance riding in Europe, including the Camino de Santiago (which apparently entitles him to reduced time in Purgatory), dragged himself over major climbs in the Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites, Vosges and Appalachians, and even done some racing. In spite of owning 11 bicycles and a cool sports car, Leslie still stays indoors for six months of the year due to the lousy weather and terrible roads in Ottawa but at least he has time to listen to classical music and read a lot of cycling books.

PEZ Bookshelf: The Art of the Cycling Jersey

Leslie Reissner
“What is the well-dressed cyclist wearing these days?”, I hear you ask me. “Or back in those early days?” I am glad you asked because Rodale Press' excellent book, “The Art of the Cycling Jersey,” subtitled “Iconic Cycle Wear Past and…

PEZ Bookshelf: Good To Go

Leslie Reissner
Cyclists determined to improve their condition have a wide variety of choices, from training diaries to formal programs to online coaching. But recent developments have now opened up a multi-million dollar market for an aspect many of us…

PEZ Bookshelf: Pantani Was A God

Leslie Reissner
January 13th would have been Marco Pantani's 50th birthday: Don't be misled by the title of this excellent book. “Pantana Was A God” is not a panegyric, a worshipful recounting of the life of the last pro cyclist to win the Giro d'Italia…

Teddy Richter: A German Champion

Leslie Reissner
January 2nd not only marked the 60th anniversary of Fausto Coppi, but also the 80th anniversary of the death of another world champion cyclist but under very different circumstances. Financial hardship, addiction, mental illness, suicide,…

PEZ Bookshelf: Remembering Fausto Coppi

Leslie Reissner
Bookshelf: On January 2 every year there is a big event in Castellania, a tiny village in Italy's Piedmont region. This year the morning began with a mass in the little church, there was a special opening of Casa Coppi, and in the afternoon…

The Legend of Fausto Coppi, A Man Alone

Leslie Reissner
Fausto Coppi Remembered: Today, the 2nd of January is the 60th anniversary of the death of Fausto Coppi. Leslie Reissner takes a look at the life and times of 'Il Campionissimo' the Champion of Champions, who was either loved or hated by…

PEZ ‘TOP TEN’ Cycling Books of 2019

Leslie Reissner
Bookshelf Top Ten: The PEZ literary editor, Leslie Reissner, has had a busy 2019 with a book or film review published nearly every Sunday through the year. There has been a lot of top class cycling books this year for Leslie to peruse and…

PEZ Bookshelf: The Big Climb

Leslie Reissner
Bookshelf: As we all know, Europe is the Promised Land of Cycling and as a professional athlete if you want to make it big you need to make it there. 2019 saw a Colombian, Egan Bernal, victorious, and a fascinating new book, “The Big…