What's Cool In Road Cycling

Best Cycling Books 2020: The PEZ Picks

Mountains, Climbs, Alps, Lions, Wild, Covid, Athlete, Legends & Tire Levers

By Leslie Reissner

Holiday Gift Guide #5 – Bookshelf Special:  The wonderful words and pictures on the printed page made these books a welcome respite to reality in 2020.  My selection of the best cycling books for 2020 are diverse, reasonably priced, and, for those with awkward motor skills, easy to wrap.

Cyclists must be among the easiest people to shop for when it comes to holiday gift-giving. There’s the practical stuff, like a nice supply of inner tubes, and fashion items, such as comedy socks, to say nothing of big ticket items that might include a week long cycling camp in Europe, a fancy smart trainer, or a new carbon frame. On the other hand, there are wonderful books about some aspect of our beloved pastime that would be appreciated by a cyclist. Diverse, reasonably priced, and, for those with awkward motor skills, easy to wrap, here’s my recommended selection from the PEZ Bookshelf:

You can see Gift Guide #1 HERE, Gift Guide #2 HERE, Gift Guide #3 HERE and Gift Guide #4 HERE.

“Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs” by Michael Blann. Yes, this was recommended in our Gift Guide No. 4 this year but this is a gift that works at two different budget levels. The gorgeous book is a winner but the prints are breathtaking.

mountains

“Mountains-Epic Cycling Climbs” by Michael Blann
With an introduction by Susannah Osborne
Designed by Andrew Diprose
First published in 2016, this revised and expanded edition was released on May 19, 2020
256 pp., 200+ photographs, hardcover
Thames & Hudson, New York, 2020
ISBN 978-0-500-02308-2
Suggested Retail Price: US$55.00/C$73.00

● Mountains-Epic Cycling Climbs by Michael Blann is available from AMAZON.COM.

● Read the PEZ review here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-mountains-epic-cycling-climbs/

“Great Cycling Climbs: The French Alps” by Graeme Fife, photos by Pete Drinkell. Enjoyable enough for the armchair traveller, this beautiful book would encourage anyone to get on a bike and enjoy the spectacular scenery of a cycling paradise.

climbs

“Great Cycling Climbs: The French Alps” by Graeme Fife
Photographs by Peter Drinkell
352 pp., illustrated, hardbound
Thames & Hudson, London, 2019
ISBN 978-0500022719
Suggested retail price: US$39.95/C$53.95.

All photos are from the book and by Peter Drinkell.

● “Great Cycling Climbs: The French Alps” by Graeme Fife is available from AMAZON.COM HERE.

● Read the PEZ review here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-great-cycling-climbs-the-french-alps/

“Hearts of Lions” by Peter Joffre Nye. This expanded and revised edition of the history of Americans racing bicycles is a finely-written and well-researched effort that should find a place in most cycling libraries.

lions

“Hearts of Lions – The History of American Bicycle Racing” by Peter Joffre Nye
Foreward by Eric Heiden
576 pp., illus., hardcover, 2nd Edition
University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2020
ISBN 978-1-4962-1931-2
Suggested Price: US$39.65; C$59.95; UK GBP33.00.

● “Hearts of Lions – The History of American Bicycle Racing” by Peter Joffre Nye is available from AMAZON.COM.

● Read the PEZ review here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-hearts-of-lions-the-history-of-american-bicycle-racing-2nd-edition/

“Wild Ride: Epic Cycling Journeys Through the Heart of Australia” by Daniel Oakman. Enjoy a “Crocodile Dundee” moment here – “That’s not adventure bikepacking. This is adventure bikepacking!”

wild ride

“Wild Ride: Epic Cycling Journeys Through the Heart of Australia”
by Daniel Oakman, with a foreword by sports writer Rupert Guinness
286 pp., illus., softbound
Melbourne Books, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2020
ISBN 978-1-92556-84-1
Recommended price: AUS$ 34.95
For more information: https://www.melbournebooks.com.au/products/wild-ride

● “Wild Ride: Epic Cycling Journeys Through the Heart of Australia”
by Daniel Oakman is available from AMAZON.COM.

● Read the PEZ review here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-wild-ride-epic-cycling-journeys-through-the-heart-of-australia/

“Racing in the Time of Covid” by William Fotheringham et. al. is an excellent summary of what may have been one of the best pro cycling seasons in years, a surprising development in the pandemic year.

covid

“Racing in the Time of Covid” by William Fotheringham, Peter Cossins, Jeremy Whittle, et al.
234 pp., softbound
YouCaxton Publications 2020
ISBN 978-1-913425-69-2
Suggested Price: US$17.09/C$22.30/GBP12.99
Available in print and electronic formats

● “Racing in the Time of Covid” by William Fotheringham, Peter Cossins, Jeremy Whittle, et al. is available from AMAZON.COM.

● Read the PEZ review here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-racing-in-the-year-of-covid/

“The Athlete Inside” by Sue Reynolds. Not like the usual books we get, this delightful story of an obese grandma who transformed herself into a competitive national level triathlete in only a few years is endlessly motivating.

inside

“The Athlete Inside: The Transforming Power of Hope, Tenacity and Faith” by Sue Reynolds
214 pp., illus, hardcover (also available in e-book format)
Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2020
ISBN 978-1-5064-5880-9
Retail Price: US$ 24.99/C$ 34.75

● “The Athlete Inside: The Transforming Power of Hope, Tenacity and Faith” by Sue Reynolds is available from AMAZON.COM HERE.

● Read the PEZ review here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-the-athlete-inside/

“Peloton Legends” by Eric Bowen. Ranks the 100 Greatest Cyclists of All Time and will provide much entertaining ammunition for arguing with other cyclists.

legends

“Peloton Legends – Ranking the Top 100 Cyclists of the Modern Era” by Eric Bowen, with illustrations by Rachel Petruccillo
287 pp., illus., softbound
VeloFitter/Eric Bowen, San Marcos, California, 2020
ISBN978-8-6425-4510-2
Available here: www.pelotonlegendsbook.com
Price: US$16.95/C$23.95

● “Peloton Legends – Ranking the Top 100 Cyclists of the Modern Era” by Eric Bowen is available from AMAZON.COM.

● Read the PEZ review here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-peloton-legends-ranking-the-top-100-cyclists-of-the-modern-era-book-review/

There are many other great books out there but for those who already have an extensive library and/or too many comedy socks, this cyclist recommends a great stocking-stuffer: the Crank Brothers Speedier Tire Lever! This fabulously useful tool will make you a hero on the club ride when someone gets a puncture and you can show off your repair skills. It is actually fun to use and seems a lot less prone to breaking than its first iteration was.

tire lever

● More info on the Crank Brothers Speedier Tire Lever at: https://www.crankbrothers.com/products/speedier-lever

• Available from AMAZON.COM

Note: PezCyclingNews ask that you contact the manufacturers before using any products you see here. Only the manufacturer can provide accurate and complete information on proper / safe use, handling, maintenance and or installation of products as well as any conditional information or product limitations.

 

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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.

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