The Zen of bicycle training
935393
Incredibly useful book.  If you're looking for Olympics level training, this is NOT the book for you.  This is the book for everyone else, who are passionate about two-wheeled transport, and want to get more from the activity.  Practical, holistic (includes yoga exercises), for men or women, built from her experiences running a bike shop.
4925855
A great way to incorporate physical activity into a sedentary lifestyle. I like to browse online or watch an hour-long tv episode while using my FitDesk several times a day, sometimes even staying distracted enough to forget I'm burning energy! Assembly instructions are explained clearly and diagrams are included. Took a little over an hour to assemble. As for the seat, it is certainly hard, but I've never known a bicycle seat to be comfortable, so it's nothing I would complain about. Although, if you plan on spending more than one consecutive hour on the seat, I would pad it with a thin pillow or fluffy towel to take the edge off!
951986
This was a clever and enjoyable book.  Ostensibly it's the story of a man who sets out to assemble his dream bicycle, starting with a bespoke frame and adding the best components he can find.  He travels around the world, from England to Oregon, California, Italy, and Germany, to the places where each component is made.  And if this were just bland tale of consumerism, it would hold little appeal for me.

But the quest to assemble the perfect bicycle is really an opportunity to explain the history of the bicycle and the people who were essential to its development.  Each chapter concerns a different part of the bike and provides an explanation of what it does.  I am an experienced rider but I finished the book knowing a lot more about my bicycle and how it works, as well as how it came to be.
1216934
I am a competitive, road bike cyclist living in the Midwest.  I have been training indoors during the winter for over 15 years. I discovered riding to the Global Ride Hawaii Series, Italy Series and France Series of DVD training rides last year.<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Global-Ride-Paceline-Cycling-in-France-Virtual-Cycling-DVD/dp/B0058D3SRG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Global Ride: Paceline,Cycling in France Virtual Cycling DVD</a>, Club Ride and Climbing in France are my favorites.  I like being able to control the ride with multiple coaches and music on/off.  Riding to HR/Cadence/RPE with the ride coach (my favorite is Fiona Ford, a Professional British Triathlete with her own Triathlete coaching company)and scenery makes each ride a bit different.

I have been training to these DVD's (mostly the France series)for two winters, 4 rides a week....never a chore or boring.  I ride to the France Series about 80 indoor miles a week. I like riding to THESE DVDs as much as riding my Colnago bicycles on the outdoor roads (may sound a bit crazy, but it's true).  If your new to indoor cycling, look no further;  The Global Ride DVDs are the best.  If you are a seasoned cyclist, you will not be disappointed.  You get a great ride, monitor your fitness level and really get ready for the outdoor season.

The bonus features are yet another pleasant surprise for indoor fitness.  They offer Yoga, Pilates and Strength sessions depending on the France DVD.
2308313
I don't even know where to start to tell you how awesome and beneficial these cycling training videos were for me last season!  I live in the northwestern mountains of Colorado and we had a wicked winter so I rode 1000 miles in my living room to the this video and the 3LC Climbing training video.  I was preparing for my first century ride and at 57 that's a bit daunting!  I had a severe nerve injury in my right arm ten years ago and road cycling was the only physical activity I was allowed by my doctors after my last surgery.  Never having seriously cycled before I was hooked after buying a Cervelo RS and riding last fall outside and throughout the winter on my trainer with these videos.  I would not have completed the Gran Fondo NYC in May of this year without these videos - 110 miles in the pouring rain and 45degF and wind.  I just kept remembering the videos and the encouragements and suggestions for success throughout.

These videos are for everyone - as a rank beginner I most enjoyed the little tips about improving ones' riding interspersed throughout the video - I enjoyed the quips from the boys and girls riding - I also enjoyed the organised times and elapsed times and that you could scale back the program easily to match efforts you are capable of but keep up - can't do 130+ revs - do 110 - or 90 or 80 -  that's ok.  Also - its about time not mileage so don't feel you have to ride until the odometer clicks over.  The 60 minutes flew by and I really looked forward to the ride - even if it was in my living room in the dead of winter.

Gone to prepare for four century rides this season - so already planning my inside training using these 3LC videos!

Well done - Mark, Peter and the staff at 3LC
2356345
I like fixing bikes almost as much as I like riding them, but to those who also enjoy maintaining their own bike, we know this is all connected.

The constant droning pressure from the bike industry to upgrade, Upgrade, UPGRADE... leads to a lot of cost, consumerism, and waste. Taking an old quality bicycle from the 70's or 80's and repairing or taking care of it is really enjoyable on so many levels, and this book will help you do it with confidence. I would say this with Glenns and an older edition (1975 is a good one) of Richard Ballentine's book would create an accessible library and support system to guide you through any repair on an old bike.

I also suggest...
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Glenns-Comp-Bicycle-Manual/dp/0517500922/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Glenns Comp Bicycle Manual</a>

Richard Ballentine Bike Repair<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ultimate-Bicycling/dp/0385253184/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ultimate Bicycling</a>

The 1975 edition (I think it is called the Ultimate Bike Book) is really fun for its dated commentary, but useful information.
3776909
A good book on good paper with good photos.  This book is about the bicycle -- and it isn't.  While Herlihy devotes a good amount of time to the evolution of the machine we adore, he spends as much time discussing its many uses and social implications through the years.  The focus, though, always comes bake to the bike.  As I said in Listmania, David Herihy covers the histroy of the bicycle in much the same way Peter Nye covers the men and women of the sport's earlier years in Hearts of Lions; the amount of reseach that went into this book is obvious, yet it remains very readable, and rarely dry.

If you want a book about bicycle technology, get The Dancing Chain.
240392
Rob has a great way of getting inside a cyclists head. It's concentration all the way in GC races. It's thinging and planning all the time. All revealed by a top Australian cyclist who has just retired from a magnificent career. You'll learn much from ONE WAY ROAD. Interesting - start to finish!
4293108
The theory on the metabolic energy pathways is excellently written. Obviously most 'trainers' are not well versed (if at all) on this and simply regurgitate what they are taught in the 'certification classes'. Dr. McGuff is a physician with real-world experience in athletics and strength training. Ken Hutchin's Super Slow philosophy is the foundation for this exercise treatise.

I prefer 2/week full body workouts, that seems to work fine for me, although with more intensity and a coach, I am sure one/week would be sufficient (I have found it harder to work alone than with a coach but I believe I know more about exercise than most trainers).

Hopefully the book's drawings will be improved or replaced by pictures in the next revision.

Update 13Oct2013:

I am doing less structured workouts since I have most of the protocols I use memorized; some days I do a single, "superslow" set bodyweight only (except squats, 45 lb barbell or gobblet squat with kettlebell), or a 3 rotating set workout of squats, pushups and pullups, 8 seconds (4 and 4) so shorter variation of the super-slow single set protocol. I feel better with 2, sometimes 3 workouts/week; the main thing is to leave at least 2 days' rest between strength training sessions.

On days I do not lift I do a stationary bike "tabata-like" routine of 30 secs sprints, 15 secs rest for 8 repetitions; it bombs the legs and has given me excellent endurance for intense activities such as grappling, rock climbing, etc.
3930326
Learning about happiness and bikes. Since it seems to be a theme I opted to try commuting by bike and I really do enjoy the commute more.
2498103
The most-read Zen books are probably&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-three-Pillars-of-Zen/dp/B001HZUIJK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The three Pillars of Zen</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Zen-Mind-Beginner-s-Mind-Shambhala-Library-1st-first-edition-Text-Only/dp/B004WKAMAM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shambhala Library) 1st (first) edition Text Only</a>. These are both excellent books for Westerners. However, they tell next to nothing about training for Zen teachers and monks ("professionals," if you will).

"Eat Sleep Sit" is Kaoru Nonomura's story of a year spent in the training regimen at Eiheiji, one of the two principal Soto Zen monasteries. People ridicule the martial arts training in "Kill Bill 2," but what it showed isn't much different from the way Zen senior monks treat newcomers - it starts as a brutal process intended to break down every concept and attachment held by trainees. (Hey, the system developed in early feudal Japan, and probably earlier in China, and maybe they're just a little slow letting go of tradition.) The routine is designed to numb external sensations, leaving the mind open to an inward journey. The diet is essentially subsistence-only and barely keeps the student from starving to death.

Most people wouldn't tolerate the regimen - even Marine recruits are never physically struck by their drill instructors. Nonomura could have quit at any time, but he took the most rigorous possible training for personal enrichment rather than as a vocational calling. He committed to a year, and a year he stayed.

Nonomura - and I include his translator, who is a vital part of the book I read - conveys the experience vividly. It is not a journey most people would willingly take, even for a few days - it is far more rigorous than any sesshin - but it has clearly had an impact on Nonomura. His words are carefully chosen, and he omits nothing (as far as I can tell) of his time at Eiheiji. Events, thoughts and feelings are recounted, and the reader is free to make of them what he will. I chose to be swept up in his experiences, and the book left me quite shaken at times.

I will be re-reading "Eat Sleep Sit" soon. After a couple years of practice, I find immense value in going back to books to see what I missed on my first time 'round.
315682
I was intrigued by this title because I have an exercise bike gathering dust that I've been promising myself to use it or sell it. When I saw this book, picking it up was a no brainer since this has been on my mind for the past month.

The author did an excellent job of explaining the basics of nutrition. The part I was most interested in however, was the section on cycling. The tipping point for me in making the decision to keep and use the bike was the extensive listing on health benefits acquired from cycling.

If you have any type of bike, whether regular or stationary and have any health problems whatsoever, check out this book and see if you can improve your health by cycling.
395234
I just received my copy... I cannot wait to move through 'the cycle'! So far, each day has inspired me to be more and do more... and I'm not even a cyclist! Whether YOU are a cyclist or not, this book is for you... it's for anyone that wants to make a more positive shift in their life. Highly recommend!
698210
Life is a Wheel is a marvelous book. The book is both adventureas cycling across the country inevitably isand autobiography. The author, Bruce Weber, 57 at the time of the trip, is an interesting character with a difficult history (his mother was quite disabled, limiting his parents lives, and his early life, and leaving him unable to make romantic commitments). Webers maternal uncle once told him that his father was a saint for not fleeing the situation.

Weber, neither athlete nor natural born cyclist, discovered cycling as a means to travel only at age 30, and took his first cross country trip at 39. (I took my one and only cross-country bicycle trip at 22, in 1975, having dreamed about doing it since I was 10.) Now, he sets off once again, from Oregon to his home in Manhattan, not knowing at the outset if he will prove vigorous enough to make it well into middle age.

Of course he succeeds, through a number of adventures that test his mettle, though none of these match that of the bicycle trip he took through Vietnam shortly after the US established diplomatic relations with that countrywhich occupies a chaptersoon after his first cross-country trip.

Weber also paints a positive picture of Americared state as well as bluewhere people all over are very helpful.

Besides succeeding at riding across the country at an advanced age, Weber finally succeeds in a romancewith a long-time friend and fellow NY Times reporterwhich began on a group bicycle trip in Provence a year or so before this trip, and which continues to blossom when she rides with him for a few days towards the end of the trip. Three years later, they are still happily together.
2158178
Everyone knows the best way to get fit is to use your heart. It makes sense to work out using a tool that can measure and improve fitness by "reading" this important organ. This book, which is well-written and organized, is especially good for someone who's tentative about getting on a bike or who wants to enjoy cycling while getting the maximum return for output. Simple steps, clear explanations, diagrams paired with workouts for all levels: the authors offer a flexible system for enhancing cycling workouts emphasizing health, fun and self esteem. Can you tell I liked it? Makes a great gift for reluctant couch potatoes who really want exercise but need a little help with a fresh start.
1411719
If you liked Robert Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' you'll like this book.
1547604
Each spring, as the weather begins to heat up (and I realise that my 20-something metabolism is now another year behind me), I feel the heat of the sun on my layers of clothing, but also wonder about the layers of `me' under those clothes that prevent me from being, well, more revealing.

I really don't relish the idea of people ringing animal control wondering why there is a beached whale. So, each year I fight the battle of the bulge anew; last year was a banner year until I broke my foot and thus couldn't run any longer. This year, the ankle and foot are still tender, so I am forced to employ a new strategy. Enter this book.

Matt Roberts is one of the better known personal trainers in the UK, with many Hollywood connections (he counts Sandra Bullock among his clients). I have no illusions about turning into a Hollywood hunk, but the routines he presents in this book are both do-able as well as effective - after a month, I already can see a noticeable difference.

This small book is primarily pictures, which is a DK publishing signature. In it, Roberts presents three different routines, one each to be done each week in an every-other-day pattern. Both incorporate a level 1 and a level 2 number of reps, with a few alternate possibilities to adjust for ease or difficulty. There a few things that would be helpful (warming up on a rowing machine or a cross-trainer is recommended; an exercise inflatable ball is also recommended), but most can be done simply with the body and a matt or carpet.

Each routine is designed to be done in about 15-20 minutes, and is mostly tailored for beginners and intermediate level persons. I have incorporated this into a wider regime of treadmill running (hoping that my fractures from last year will not be exacerbated on a more shock-absorbent surface than the road) and light weight work. The exercises work the midsection all around, front, back, and obliques, upper and lower abs, and incorporate stress and stretch movements.

While the routines in this book could be followed by a man or a woman, the book seems much more clearly geared toward men, as all of the pictures show the exercises being demonstrated by men; also, some of the starting levels seem more geared toward people who are used to working out, so lower levels might be called for.

All of the exercises in the book were familiar to me, but one thing that Roberts states (there are question and answer sections between each exercise routine chapter) reminds me of my dilemma - one person asked why, if he did 100 sit-ups every morning, did he still not have a six-pack. I do a similar amount each day, and am also gently rounded. The truth is, as Roberts states, the sit-ups only work the abs in one way, and that won't achieve the desired results. Roberts presents a tested combination that works the midsection is a host of different ways that complement each other. I am seeing more results with fewer sit-ups.

Roberts also extols the virtues of cardio exercises (aerobics) and watching the diet, although these are not developed in detail in this book. I know that as I forge ahead into my 40s, I need to develop both areas along more healthy lines. The more times I hear this (or read this), the better - perhaps it will sink in.

This is a very inexpensive book, a small size that can easily fit in a gym bag or back-pack. The pages are rather thick and durable, and should stand up to regular use. My trial period for these routines continues for two more months; hopefully the results will consider to appear, and I can then modify my routine to prevent the plateau as well as maintain the results achieved - like diets that work to get the weight off, but only succeed in the long-term if there are long-term maintenance changes, that is what is needed here on the exercise side as well. Many of these exercises I can foresee remaining part of my maintenance programme.